As The Athletic’s Max Bultman notes, the Red Wings held a much smaller Summer Development Camp than they usually do, with about 30 players instead of 45-ish, and as the team had to cancel its 4-on-4 game due to a number of injured players on Thursday, so it was difficult to offer many notes about the prospects given that they were only taking part in skill-development drills.
Still, Bultman offered several observations regarding the Wings’ top prospects. We’ve heard quite a bit about Jesse Kiiskinen and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, so let’s take a look at another player who has gotten lost in the shuffle:
10. Red Wings’ 2022 second-round pick Dylan James was someone I thought Detroit might have signed by now, after three years in college at North Dakota. James had a career-high 14 goals last season, and the Red Wings really like his skating and penalty killing, thanks to his anticipation.
James told me he did have the chance to leave after his junior year, but he felt like the chance to develop more with more ice time as a senior at North Dakota than turning pro.
He’d like to play on the power play, with the potential for more offense coming there, and “didn’t want to rush out of there and kind of hinder myself at the next level. I want to make sure that I’m ready before I jump to the next level.”
Obviously, by going back, there’s the threat that James could become a free agent next August. But it sounds like the Red Wings were OK with his decision to go back for his senior year, and they are still the only team that can sign him next spring.
If they are able to sign him, he certainly has some projectable traits in his game to translate into a checking role down the line.
