The Red Wings’ “Prospect Games” against the Dallas Stars are over, and, after issuing “Player Takes” regarding both Saturday’s 5-1 victory and Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Stars’ prospects, I’d like to wrap things up with a reassessment of my initial prospect games roster breakdown.
I need to qualify all of this with an obvious caveat: these observations are based upon only two games’ worth of prospect-vs-prospect games, and nothing more…
And one of the most painful parts of not being able to go to training camp is that I won’t be able to see which prospects continue to impress against NHL competition, and which prospects end up falling off the radar screen. It’s inevitable that some prospects will shine, and others will struggle, and witnessing that process in-person is a fascinating endeavor that will be sorely missed this year.
Life takes us in disparate directions, however, so here’s the best I can offer:
Forwards:
25 Hunter Johannes LW**: Griffins-contracted and 26 years of age, Johannes did what he was expected to do participating against younger players: he dominated in terms of leadership and he dominated in terms of on-ice play, posting 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points over the course of 2 games, leading the team with 8 shots on goal.
He’s a big, gritty player at 6’3″ and 217 pounds, and his hands and skating are surprisingly good. The graduate of the University of North Dakota will most likely play in Grand Rapids as a grinding forward with more to show and more to grow.
28 Michael Brandsegg-Nygård RW: In the single game that Michael Brandsegg-Nygard played, the 6’1,” 207-pound power forward posted an assist and a shot, looking like a player who was definitely adjusting to the faster pace of play and narrower ice surface of the NHL rink…
But the 18-year-old also displayed an arsenal of dangerous shooting skills, an uncanny ability to get open to unleash those shots, and he’s far stronger, more maneuverable and better at passing than I thought he’d be.
All of that being said, he adjusted to NHL-sized ice quickly over the course of one game, and then suffered a minor groin injury, so one assessment does not make a career prediction. All I know is that Brandsegg-Nygard looked like someone who could make the jump to North America if the Red Wings can convince him to do so.
29 Nate Danielson C: He’s ready to make the jump to professional hockey, plain and simple. Far more dynamic than most would estimate him to be, the 19-year-old forward from the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks displayed an arsenal of skill sets, he skated very well, he’s 6’2″ and 188 pounds now, we are told from the Wings that his leadership skills were evident both on the ice (where he wore an alternate captain’s “A”) and off the ice, and while he only posted 1 assist and 7 shots over the course of 2 prospect tournament games…
He’s ready. He’s got grit, he’s always incredibly confident in his skills and ability to out-compete his opponents, he works hard, wins faceoffs, plays a two-way game, and he just looks like he’s going to flourish at the AHL level this upcoming season.
41 Ondřej Becher C: It was a big disappointment that Becher suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of the Prospect Games, because the 20-year-old center was going to determine where he will play this upcoming season. Hopefully he’ll be able to return for training camp to expedite that process.
At 6’1″ and 179 pounds, Becher’s not exactly an elm tree, but the “overager” from Prince George of the WHL posted 64 assists and 96 points over the course of 51 regular sesaon games, plus 14 assists and 19 points during the Cougars’ playoff run.
I know that he’s a fast player and strong play-maker who was drafted in his final year of eligibility because the Wings believe that, regardless of whether he returns to Prince George, plays for another WHL team, or turns pro with the Walleye, he can get the job done in terms of producing assists and points.
42 Carson Bantle LW**: Bantle was solid, posting two assists in two games while playing on the Red Wings’ third line for the most part. The Griffins-contracted graduate of the University of Wisconsin stands at a towering 6’5″ and 207 pounds, and, like Hunter Johannes and Gabriel Seger, he’s going to provide muscle and hopefully a little scoring touch for a Griffins team that needs a “deterrent” line.
No frills, no muss, but Bantle was very solid and quite physical at times, winning battles for the puck due to his size and leverage.
49 Dylan Edwards RW*: A free agent invite, Edwards didn’t get into any games against Dallas, perhaps because the 5’8,” 161-pound forward from the OHL’s Erie Otters is, well, 5’8″ and 161 pounds.
Edwards spent the past season in the OJHL, where he posted 35 points in 21 games, and then the Erie Otters, where he posted 34 points in 38 games…But there are obviously questions about his frame, so he served as healthy scratch and reserve player. We’ll see whether he can make an impact over the course of training camp.
57 Borya Valis RW*: Valis, a teammate of Becher’s on Prince George, was very good over the course of two games. He didn’t post a point over the course of two games, but the second-line center, standing at 6’2″ and 185 pounds, displayed strong skating skills and a fair amount of ability to pass, make plays and shoot quite well.
I’m not certain of whether the Wings have any interest in Valis, but he’s got skills, and he’s got some poise to him as well, so the various scouts who watch Detroit’s Prospect Games and main camp may give the 20-year-old a contract somewhere else.
58 Emmitt Finnie C: Finnie is going back to the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL this upcoming season for “finishing school.” All of 19 years of age, the 6’1,” 183-pound forward was supremely gritty over the course of two prospect games, and effective, too, posting a goal and an assist on seven shots.
Finnie is fast, Finnie is incredibly hard-working, and his compete level is off the charts, but there are good amounts of skill to his game as well. He skates strongly, wins faceoffs, he can pass and shoot like a third-line forward, and he reminds me very much so of Red Savage, an equally ultra-competitive, ultra-hard-working center who loves winning every single one-on-one battle with his opponents.
59 Brayden Edwards C*: The second of the Edwards brothers, 6’1,” 188-pound Edwards posted 70 points in 66 games for the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes this past season, and he was okay, posting an assist and a +1 over the course of two games. Edwards was not a liability–a good thing in itself–and he was indeed a defensively responsible center. Not much happened while Edwards was on the ice, and that was a good thing.
63 Alexandre Doucet LW: Doucet was a break-out performer for the Wings prospects, posting 3 goals and 1 assist for 4 points (and a +3) over the course of 2 games.
Bigger and stronger at 6′ and 198 pounds, the Toledo Walleye forward was vocal about wanting to earn a promotion to the Grand Rapids Griffins, and after posting 41 points in 52 games for Toledo this past season, the sneaky sniper looked to have recaptured the kind of confidence and poise which afforded him a 105-point season in the QMJHL in 2022-2023.
Doucet is fast, smart in terms of getting in position to accept passes and snipe shots, and Doucet knows what he’s doing around the net in terms of playing a gritty game. He looks bound and determined to be an AHL’er this upcoming season, and I wouldn’t bet against him.
65 Charlie Paquette RW*: Another free agent invite, the 6’2,” 207-pound right-shooting right winger from Guelph of the OHL scored a goal on 2 shots this past weekend, and he didn’t stand out from the crowd per se, but Paquette was useful and hard-working, as advertised. He’s only 18 and will be eligible for the draft two more times.
67 Chase Lefebvre C*: Lefebvre got into one game, finishing even with 2 shots. A Peterborough Petes center, he didn’t register a point, but he didn’t finish anywhere near that ugly -46 that he did in Peterborough, displaying defensive aplomb and “good enough” skills given that he’s 6’2″ and 170 pounds. At 20 years of age, he’s in a similar situation to Becher and Valis–he either needs to be one of the Petes’ “over-agers,” or he needs to find a place to play this upcoming season.
81 Jakub Rychlovský LW: Rychlovsky posted a goal and an assist, as well as six shots, over the course of two games played. He also looked like a player wh ocan handle being 5’10” and 181 pounds in traffic, along the boards, and in front of the net thanks to his smart hands and strength.
He’s 23, so you’d expect Rychlovsky to stand out among his peers, and stand out, he did, delivering scoring chances and slick passes as he roared up and down the ice. I don’t know whether he’s going to be the Next Big European Free Agent Signing, but he sure looked ready to compete for a job with the Griffins this upcoming season.
82 Gabriel Seger C**: A rare Swedish grinder, the 6’4,” 213-pound center scored a goal on his only shot of the Prospect Games, and he left a good impression (albeit not literally so). Seger is a massive 24-year-old whose developmental path took him from Amarillo, Texas to Union College and then Cornell in the NCAA, and he was actually a point-per-game-plus player this past season, posting 44 points in 35 games.
Big, gritty and skilled, Seger didn’t really scratch the surface of what he might be able to produce at the professional level, but he was solid and responsible and heavy out there.
Defensemen:
22 Shai Buium D: I thought that Buium performed better than most people did this past weekend. Playing in a game-and-two-thirds before taking a shot off the ankle in the 3rd period of game 2, he didn’t register a point but finished at +2 on 2 shots, and, given that the 21-year-old was getting his first glimpse of pro hockey, I thought he played pretty well. Not spectacular by any means, but pretty well.
Standing at 6’3″ and 220 pounds, with maybe an extra 5-to-10 pounds to fill out, Buium projects to be a really solid 3-4 defenseman who can be utilized in any situation, so perhaps he was miscast as the Wings’ #1 defender, but that’s the role he tried to fill, and he strong skating, passing and playmaking skills (and heavy shot) were very evident at times, and muted at others.
Despite his size, he’s more of a “steer the opponent wide” player than a “level a dude with a massive body check” kind of player, and that’s okay–he’s very good at what he does physically.
He was just somewhat inconsistent while given a very, very demanding role, and I believe that he’ll shake some of that inconsistency as he continues to develop.
62 Matthew Virgilio D*: As I said in my “pre-scout,” Virgilio didn’t even turn 18 until late May, so it wasn’t surprising that the Windsor Spitfires defenseman wasn’t picked this past season. At 5’11” and 186 pounds, he’s no physical dynamo, but Virgilio admirably filled in as the Wings’ second defenseman on the top pair, working well with Buium as a “safety valve” and skating very steadily with the puck on and off his stick. He didn’t register a point on the weekend, but he looked quite sound and sometimes creative and speedy when he joined the rush.
All in all, it was a very good weekend for the free agent try-out.
64 Zach Sandhu D*: Sandhu played in a single game for the Wings, finishing even with no points. The 6’2,” 200-pound defenseman from the Oshawa Generals was simply steady and strong on the Wings’ second pairing, and at all of 18 years of age, not being a liability is sometimes the best medicine for a player en route to a later-blooming pro career.
83 Bauer Dumanski D*: Dumanski was very solid as a 6’1,” 197-pound defenseman on the third pairing, skating alongside fellow free agent try-out Blake Smith. A Prince George Cougars defender, the 19-year-old Dumanski was steady, no frills and no fanciness per se, but he was big, mobile and physical, and that was enough.
86 Josh Van Mulligen D: Yet another free agent invite, big Josh Van Mulligen is a 19-year-old who stands at a solid 6’3″ and 205 pounds, and he posted an OK 22 points in 68 games with Medicine Hat of the WHL this past season.
EliteProspects describes him as a big defender who is also skilled and skates well, and he’s a hitter, too…But there are probably enough questions about his consistency that he was passed over in a draft held on his 19th birthday (June 26th).
89 Marcus Kearsey D*: Kearsey really surprised, finishing at a +4 with 5 shots on goal. Standing at 5’11” and 176 pounds, the Charlotte Islanders invite is not particularly large, but the 49-point-producer at the QMJHL level really looked sharp out there, skating strongly, making good passing decisions and firing shots on goal.
Definitely passed over in the draft as an 18-year-old because of his size, I’m going to be curious to hear whether the smooth-skating, maneuverable defender was able to make an impression over the course of training camp. He was very valuable to the prospects over the course of two weekend games, providing Buium and Virgilio with some relief.
95 Blake Smith D*: Smith and Dumanski just did their job on the third pairing. Smith finished at -1 overall, but that was more due to bad luck than anything else. 6’5″ and 215 pounds, the 19-year-old from the OHL’s Flint Firebirds was perhaps the Wings’ most physical defender, and he just did a fine job of taking care of his own end of the ice while neutralizing opposing teams’ players. He wasn’t overly bombastic in terms of his hitting, but he did more than enough to succeed.
Goaltenders:
31 Carter Gylander G: The Red Wings’ starter for the Prospect Games has come a long way, baby. At 23 years of age, the 6’5,” 196-pound goaltender from Colgate has simply stuck around and continued to improve under the tutelage of the Red Wings’ goaltending coaches over the past four years, and as a result, he earned his NHL contract in a crowded Wings crease despite middling stats on an ever-rebuilding Colgate team.
Gylander sealed the ice particularly well, snagged pucks to stop play when necessary, booted and blockered rebounds away, and his stick-handling was quite solid. There are some rebound control issues and perhaps a hole above his glove, but he posted a win-and-a-half over the course of 2 games played, finishing with a .67 goals-against average and a .967 save percentage in 90:12 of play.
He’s probably ticketed for Toledo to work with Griffins-contracted goaltender Jan Bednar this upcoming season, but it would not surprise me if the hard-working Gylander worked his way up to the Griffins this upcoming season.
61 Landon Miller G: Miller’s stats weren’t elegant in 29:48 of play, but he earned a win despite stopping 16 of 28 shots, yielding a 4.03 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage. In Sault Ste. Marie, Miller posted not-spectacular numbers, but it was evident why the Red Wings selected the 6’5,” 203-pound goaltender with the 126th overall pick in this summer’s NHL draft.
Miller is a lot more athletic than Gylander, utilizing movement and controlled motion to stop pucks instead of standing there like a brick wall. He has an active glove hand and blocker, he chips pucks up the ice with his stick, and his toes are athletic as well as he slides into the butterfly and even covers the bottom of the net going post-to-post doing the splits.
There are definitely some holes in his game, but Miller’s going to head back to the Soo to be the Greyhounds’ starting goaltender, and that will give him ample time with which to develop his game.
68 Gage Alexander G: Alexander didn’t play a game in the Prospect Games, and he’s really a sort of “forgotten man” in the organization.
Standing at 6’6″ and 205 pounds, the massive goaltender is 22, but he hasn’t really been able to catch his stride yet over the course of four years as a professional goaltender. He’s gigantic and makes some spectacular stops, but like a young Petr Mrazek, the holes in his stance hurt him, and that’s why he was a throw-in in the Robby Fabbri salary dump trade.
He’s probably headed to Toledo to work on his game, but in the interim, he’ll work with developmental goaltending coach Phil Osaer and Griffins goalie coach Roope Koistinen before practices at training camp to maximize his learning time.
*= Free agent try-out, **= Grand Rapids Griffins contract
