Pronman ranks the Red Wings’ prospect pool 15th-best in the NHL

The Athletic’s Corey Pronman has taken on the gargantuan task of rating each and every NHL team’s prospect pools, and this season, the Red Wings have fallen a bit, dropping from having the 11th-best prospect pool to the 15th-best in Pronman’s rankings.

That’s in no small part because some of the Wings’ brightest prospects have “aged out” by reaching 23 or older, which is Pronman’s cutoff for being considered a prospect.

Pronman ranks the Wings’ 15 best prospects as well, and his rankings are a bit surprising, deeming Trey Augustine to be a back-up goaltender, and players like Marco Kasper and Axel Sandin Pellikka to be middle-of-the-lineup skaters:

1. Nate Danielson, C

Sept. 27, 2004 | 6-foot-2 | 195 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 9 in 2023
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average

Analysis: Danielson was good in the AHL last season but struggled in the NHL. He’s a talented center who checks a lot of boxes. He has very good hands, he skates well and his ability to create chances in transition will make him dangerous. He competes well and contributes at both ends of the ice. He has skill, but he’s not a natural scorer and struggles to finish. He projects as a third-line center.

2. J.P. Hurlbert, RW

April 11, 2008 | 6-foot-0 | 190 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 23 in 2026
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Hurlbert is a very skilled scoring winger. He’s very creative and dynamic as a puck handler and passer while also having a good shot. With the puck, he looks like an NHL player, but his effort level and speed are average, and he can be pushed to the outside too easily. If you see his best games, he looks like a clear middle-six winger who will produce points and help a power play, but the holes in his game are a concern and could frustrate coaches.

3. Eddie Genborg, RW

April 20, 2007 | 6-foot-1 | 179 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 44 in 2025
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: High-end

Analysis: Genborg had a great season between the SHL, AHL and World Juniors, consistently making a positive impact for his teams. Genborg plays a likable style. He’s a good-sized winger who skates well and plays hard. He’s very physical, wins a lot of pucks and creates offense at the net. He uses his speed and skill well to drive wide and get pucks to the middle. Genborg has a decent finishing touch but doesn’t see the ice very well, and he creates offense in a basic, direct manner. He projects as a middle-six winger.

Continued (paywall); I know that the Red Wings’ prospect pool doesn’t have a true superstar player, but I’m surprised and disappointed by Pronman’s assertion that the Red Wings’ best prospects are middling at best.