Detroit Hockey Now’s audit of the Red Wings’ prospect system has gotten to the outskirts of the Red Wings’ prospect system, including defensemen such as Seth Barton and today’s profiled player, Wyatt Newpower.
Newpower is one of those “on the fringe” prospects, 24 going on 25 this December, and big at 6’3″ and 207 pounds, but the right-shooting defenseman who turned pro with the Cleveland Monsters in 2020-21 with a fine short season had a rougher first full pro campaign with Grand Rapids, posting 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points in 55 games (with 54 penalty minutes).
Where does the big defenseman fit in? Allen suggests that he’s a depth defenseman at the NHL level–as does Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon:
When Wyatt Newpower broke his hand last season while playing for the Griffins, he played with it for four games before he left the lineup.
“He’s a little bit of an old soul,” Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon said. “He plays with his heart on his sleeve.”
Simon says simply the Griffins got more than they anticipated from Newpower after the Red Wings signed him as a free agent. He had turned pro the previous season after graduating from college. He played a limited number of games for Cleveland in the AHL.
“We didn’t know if he was that sound of a defenseman in Cleveland because the AHL was a little watered down last year, it was a little younger, wasn’t that much depth,” Simon said. “So he blew our expectations away this year. He’s got a little bit of a throwback mentality. He’s a little bit old school. He blocks shots. He’s defensively sound. He’s got some offense to him.”
The Red Wings like his mental toughness and the fact he knows how to use his 6-foot-3 frame. “I’ve got a lot time for Wyatt,” Simon said.
Continued; at this point, Newpower fills out the Grand Rapids Griffins’ roster, but he’s big and mean, frankly, and that’s useful at the AHL level. He may play a key role in “keeping the flies off” in a league where there are still dedicated tough guys.
