The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a list of his top 15 Red Wings prospects this morning, and it should be noted that NHL graduates Jonatan Berggren, Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson are not included given their status as no longer waiver-exempt for the upcoming season.
In any case, Kulfan’s top four are pretty much locks at this point, though their respective offensive “upsides” are yet to be determined:
▶ 1. Marco Kasper, center, 20 years old, 2022 first round (No. 8 overall): After a slow start in Grand Rapids, Kasper got acclimated to the North American pro game and had a fine season, particularly in the playoffs. Kasper may not be an offensive wizard in the NHL, but he does many things right and plays with an edge. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Kasper in the NHL this season.
▶ 2. Axel Sandin-Pellikka, defenseman, 19, 2023 first round (No. 17): Sandin-Pellikka is the type of offensive defenseman so many teams want, a guy who can drive the play and create offense out of nowhere. He’ll play this season in Sweden, then likely come to North America. There are questions about Sandin-Pellikka’s defense, and he isn’t big (5-foot-11, 176 pounds), but Sandin-Pellikka’s offense can compensate.
▶ 3. Nate Danielson, center, 19, 2023 first round (No. 9): Danielson was so impressive in training camp last year, he stuck around until the final cuts of the final weekend. He’ll begin this season in Grand Rapids, but it’ll be interesting to watch Danielson’s development and see how long it’ll take before he gets an NHL promotion. Danielson is effective at both ends of the rink, which is important to the Wings’ organization.
▶ 4. Carter Mazur, left wing, 22, 2021 third round (No. 70): The Jackson native has progressed and developed steadily since being drafted, and is likely to some day wear the Wings jersey. An injury in training camp last year deprived Mazur an outside chance of making the roster. An agitator with a good offensive game, Mazur was impressive for Grand Rapids in the playoffs (eight points in nine games).
Continued (paywall); what does your list of the top Red Wings prospects look like?
