Red Wings prospects making major noise after eye-opening 2024-25 seasons
The Detroit Red Wings have been on the outside looking in for a while now. There has been questionable decisions, especially with general manager Steve Yzerman and the rest of the front office being in the spotlight in the beginning of this long summer.
But, not all is lost as the future has some bright spots. There are two prospects that made their “debuts” this season, and they looked great in the red and white. They both opened some eyes in 2024-25, and as the calendar flips to next season, they will be crucial members in 2025-26.
Marco Kasper
The best-kept secret in the Eastern Conference is Marco Kasper. The 21-year-old rookie showed great promise in his first full season in the National Hockey League. In 77 games, he scored 19 goals and added 18 assists for 37 points. Included in that statline are three occasions of scoring two goals in a game, which all resulted in three-point games with an assist to boot.
Not a bad start to a hopefully prosperous career.
Kasper saw a good amount of time on the ice per game, with an average of 15:27. Getting a healthy amount of ice-time, as well as centering a line with two superstars like Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, show nothing but good things coming to him in his future. The organization believes that he can be something special, and he has already shown it right out of the gate.
Simon Edvinsson
On defense, Simon Edvinsson shone brightly in his “debut” season. This is going to be used loosely, as Edvinsson played in 25 games through the 2022-23 and 2023-24 season before having a full year this season. In 78 games, he scored seven goals and helped out with 24 assists for 31 points.
Edvinsson saw time on the first defensive pairing alongside Moritz Seider. He did so well in his first full season that he finished as the highest plus-minus on the team with a plus-12. That is a great sign.
Both Kasper and Edvinsson were given big-time roles in their first full season with the franchise, and you should expect that to continue for the duration of the Red Wings’ careers. They opened eyes in 2024-25, and it should have a lasting impact on the start of next season and beyond.
Will 13 be an Unlucky Draft Number for the Red Wings?
The last time the Detroit Red Wings had the 13th overall pick in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft, there were only six teams in the league. That pick, Ralph Buchanan, kicked off the third round of the 1964 Amateur Draft. Buchanan never played a game in the NHL. To add insult to injury for the Red Wings, Hall-of-Fame goalie, Ken Dryden, was selected next by the Boston Bruins.
One big miss for Detroit, one big hit for Boston, and hit-or-miss best describes Detroit’s luck in the 10-19 slot range. Of their 23 selections in that range, two have played more than 1,000 games in the NHL. Murray Craven totaled 759 points (266 goals, 493 assists) in 1,071 games, but only 15 points and 46 of those games were in a Red Wings uniform. Journeyman Mike Sillinger was the other; he played 129 of his 1,049 games in Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings picking 13th overall in the NHL Entry Level Draft doesn’t mean all is lost
The past is, as they say, the past. What happened in the past does not necessarily dictate what will happen next. The present and the future, however, have been slow burns for the Yzerplan. The organization has not sped up the process of rushing talent or going all-in too soon. Those methodical but sometimes tedious moves may start to pay dividends this season.
Hiring Todd McLellan was a good step for the Red Wings; the team was red hot after he took over the reins. Though the team ultimately fell short of making the playoffs in the end, general manager Steve Yzerman did not hire him to be an overnight fix. McLellan was brought in to define the team’s identity and establish a winning culture.
