The Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak follows up a top 25 Red Wings prospects list that was posted in mid-July with estimates of the NHL “ETA’s” (estimated times of arrival) of Wolak’s top 10 Red Wings prospects.
Here are three prospects which Wolak believes will make the Red Wings’ roster this season:
RW Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
NHL ETA: 2026-27
A breakout candidate, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is expected to make the Red Wings out of camp. He finished the 2025-26 season on a high note and provides on-ice qualities—notably goal-scoring and tenacity—that the team lacks. The only question, though, is whether Brandsegg-Nygard will be given a top-nine scoring role or more of a depth, energy role in Detroit.
C Nate Danielson
NHL ETA: 2026-27
While Nate Danielson might start the season in Grand Rapids, I’m expecting him to be a full-time Red Wing by season’s end. Then again, an impressive training camp could propel Danielson into Detroit’s lineup sooner rather than later. The Red Wings need more from their centers and Danielson has the toolkit—playmaking instincts, defensive awareness, vision—to seize the opportunity.
LW Carter Mazur
NHL ETA: 2026-27
Carter Mazur’s ETA is easy – he’s unable to be assigned to Grand Rapids without waivers and is expected to join the Red Wings full-time in the fall. There’s no point in Detroit risking a waiver claim here. Mazur will likely start in the bottom six and be given the opportunity to earn more responsibility. His compete and hockey sense around the crease could help him do just that.
Continued; this is a fun twist upon the numerous “list articles” which find their way on the internet at this time of year. It reminds us that the gloom-and-doom predictions from the Pronmans and Luszczyszyns of the world aren’t set in stone.
