NHL.com’s Dan Rosen discusses several Red Wings-related topics in his Wednesday mailbag feature:
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has made some interesting moves this offseason. He has some serious prospects in their system. He has drafted well. How long until we see a renaissance of sorts with his team? Could we see Sebastian Cossa, Lucas Raymond or Moritz Seider make the team this year? — @theashcity
The Red Wings are at least two years, if not three, away from a renaissance. But that’s not surprising. This was a five-year plan when Yzerman was hired as executive vice president and general manager April 19, 2019. They’re two truncated seasons and three NHL Drafts into it.
Seider has the best chance of making an impact this season. The No. 6 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft should be penciled in as a top-six defenseman. He scored 22 points (two goals, 20 assists) in 49 games for Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League in 2019-20. He played for Rogle in the Swedish Hockey League last season, won the SHL Elite Prospects Award, and was named SHL Defenseman of the Year, scoring 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) in 41 games.
Raymond, the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is in the mix to earn a spot in Detroit’s forward group, but the 19-year-old might not be ready and could be headed for Grand Rapids.
Cossa won’t be in the NHL at least until the 2023-24 season figuring he has one more season with Edmonton in the Western Hockey League and then at least one in the AHL. The No. 15 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft is in line to be Detroit’s goalie of the future, but Alex Nedeljkovic has the net after signing a two-year contract July 22, the same day he was traded to the Red Wings by the Hurricanes.
Continued; Blashill had this to say about Lucas Raymond’s challenges in terms of making the team out of training camp, per WXYZ’s Brad Galli:
Jeff Blashill said Lucas Raymond’s needs to stand out to to make the Red Wings roster.
“It should be clear to my wife that he should be on the hockey team,” Blashill said, before clarifying that it’s not a slight on his wife. pic.twitter.com/H7tNvUQ3jR— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 29, 2021
