Yesterday, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranked the Red Wings’ prospect pipeline as the 15th-best in the NHL, and this morning, his mentions of Red Wings prospects on his list of the NHL’s best under-23 “skater” prospects reflects Pronman’s argument that there aren’t any star players on Detroit’s depth chart:
#65 Nate Danielson
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.
#79 J.P. Hurlbert
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.
#85 Eddie Genborg
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.
#101 Marco Kasper
Kasper is a very likable player due to how hard he works. He has some offensive talent. He has good hands and can finish chances, but he’s not overly instinctive with the puck and the pure offense in his game is not what gets you excited about him. He plays in traffic, has good pace to his game and plays the body often. Without more consistent scoring, Kasper may be more of a long-term third-line center.
#110 Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Sandin-Pellikka played all season in the NHL. He was fine with the Red Wings but struggled as a rookie. The projection on Sandin-Pellikka is still a very intelligent and poised puck-mover with a big point shot who can make plays. He’s not overly athletic, but he skates and competes well, so he projects to be OK enough defensively to go with very good offense. He projects as a No. 4 defenseman who can run a PP.
#125 Max Plante
Plante had a marvelous season. He was the best player in college hockey, winning the Hobey Baker. He’s very skilled. But is he a game-breaking 5-foot-11 player? I’ve never seen it. I have seen a detailed, hardworking, highly skilled winger who makes plays and plays in the tough areas. He projects as a middle-six winger.
#129 Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
Brandsegg-Nygård was very good in the AHL and at men’s worlds for Norway. He’s a well-rounded forward and a good skater. He has very good hands and finishing ability. He has a great shot and is often a threat to score from mid-distance. His frame is average, but he plays hard and has a lot of physicality in his game. His playmaking isn’t great, but it’s good enough. Even if he’s not very dynamic, Brandsegg-Nygård has a game that should lend itself to success, and he could be a highly likable middle-six winger whom coaches use in a variety of ways.
Continued with 156 total names (paywall)…
