Red Wings prospect and University of North Dakota forward Dylan James was drafted by Detroit in 2023.
The 6,’ 190-pound left wing has very slowly ascended North Dakota’s depth chart over the course of his first 3 seasons at UND, and he’s entering a pivotal senior season as he aims to increase his production and earn a professional contract with the Red Wings organization.
Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff posted a profile of James, noting that Red Wings assistant director of player development Dan Cleary is a fan of the 21-year-old James:
James has grown into a checking, defensive dynamo at North Dakota. He was a nominee for the NCHC defensive forward of the year award.
“Dylan skates great,” Detroit director of player development Dan Cleary said. “He’s excellent. And a tremendous penalty killer. He’s got good anticipation.”
The offense began to emerge more often for James last season. He counted 14 goals. James enjoyed a three-point game against St. Cloud and a four-point performance vs Colorado College.
“Yeah, Dylan had a good season last year,” Cleary said.
James will also be having another season at North Dakota. He’ll be back there in the fall for his senior campaign, playing for new coach Dane Jackson.
“I think with the new coach, he’s going to take a much larger role, leadership-wise,” Cleary said. “He’s pretty hard on himself, to be honest. He’s a tough critic on himself, but he’s a good player.”
Continued; James is something of a mystery to me as a 40th overall draft pick who’s transitioned from a scorer in the USHL to a defensive gem at the NCAA level.
I thought that the Wings would sign Red Savage to an NHL deal, and they’re much more likely to sign Savage to an AHL deal before his rights expire on August 15th, and James is a player in the same mold, though he’s got better hands.
