Red Wings building young ‘nucleus’ for a brighter future
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – In the eight years the Detroit Red Wings has called Little Caesars Arena home, the building hasn’t held an NHL playoff game.
Yet, despite the ongoing pressure from fans around Hockeytown, general manager Steve Yzerman is sticking with his plan of developing a winning team through the draft and prospects.
During a live Q&A prior to the Red Wings’ Red & White Game in Grand Rapids on Sunday, Yzerman acknowledged that the team certainly wants to make the postseason, but not at the expense of the future.
“We’re still in a phase where we’re not prepared – I’m not prepared – to trade high picks or top prospects for guys that aren’t going to be here for a long time,” Yzerman said.
Over the past couple of years, Detroit has been on the cusp of finally ending its long playoff drought. But whether it be missing out on the final day of the season or having an ill-timed slide late in the season, the Original Six team has failed to reach its goal.
Some, including the team’s captain, Dylan Larkin, believe the Wings would have become certified contenders if they were willing to go get a needed piece at the trade deadline. On Sunday, he pointed out that he doesn’t believe it’s right to give up key prospects and draft capital for short-term benefit.
“I don’t believe in giving up premium assets at the deadline or at any point, just to make it [to the playoffs]. We’re getting closer. We’ll look at opportunities.”
While supporters for the club have been losing faith in the current administration, there have been signs of optimism with some of the young talent that have come up from the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate. Defensemen Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johnasson, along with forward Jonatan Berggren, are part of young core that has complemented stars such as Larkin, Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond.
Yzerman noted the solid group that comes up through the minors and European ranks, with each player expected to be a key asset heading into the 2025-26 season as the team makes another run at a postseason berth.
“We’re encouraged by certainly the play that we’ve seen in the Lucas Raymond’s, Moritz Seider’s. I mean, Albert Johansson was here in Grand Rapids for two years. Marco Kasper, who had a big role in the second half and down the stretch for us. … Simon Edvisson played extremely well for us last year. … I look at more of the big picture. I’m excited to where we’re going and the group that we have.”
There’s excitement in some other prospects that are on a path to becoming Wings in the near future. Winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and defender Axel Sanin-Pelikka each had some flashes of promise after joining the Griffins in the stretch run last season, and are expected to be key players in Grand Rapids this season, and might get a call-up or two to Motown.
“We’re forming a nucleus, a competitive team,” Yzerman added. “We need that in the next wave. They may or may not play this year. I’m not sure yet. And not only do we need them to play, we need them to have an impact. … The next group is coming, it’s just a question of whether it’s this year or a year from now or two years from now.”
One player that everyone seems to be excited about is forward Emmitt Finnie. The former Kamloops Blazer has made an impression on Yzerman and others around the organization with his performance late last season with the Griffins, as well as the first few days of training camp, with his speed and work ethic.
“[Finnie’s] really impressive,” Yzerman said. “He’s got Larkin speed, but we’ll see how he does (in the preseason).”
“He’s a very nice player,” Larkin said after the game. “He’s got some speed, young legs. Aside from that, he thinks the game very well. It was our second day with him, and I thought there was countless foot races won and puck battles won, and he’s smart to bump it to [Raymond] and I and know that we’re coming and we’re looking to get it back to him…He’s been impressive all camp.”
“He’s a good skater. He’s a good puck retriever,” remarked assistant coach Alex Tanguay. “He showed that in the games in Dallas. He showed that in the game here. … We put him on a good line, and he showed that he was able to retrieve pucks and drive the pace with his speed and his size for a line.”
Another growing prospect is defenseman Anton Johansson. The 2022 fourth-round pick played a handful of games in Grand Rapids last year, and really caught the eye of many in West Michigan with his two-way ability.
Detroit assistant general manager Shawn Horcoff explained what makes the 21-year-old a touted prospet.
“I can’t say we were surprised,” Horcoff said. “I think the surprise was how well [Johansson] played and how quickly he was able to adapt to the North American game. I think he’s got kind of everything he needs to be a successful defenseman in the NHL. … So, we’re optimistic…we’ll be excited to see him in the future.”
Even with veteran goaltenders such as John Gibson and Cam Talbot, Detroit’s brass is hopeful Griffins backstop Sebastian Cossa and Michigan State standout Trey Augustine can be the team’s future between the pipes.
Tanguay, who has been behind the Wings’ bench since 2021, says the franchise’s development system is working, and is properly grooming players to help Detroit become a winner.
“We’ve seen growth, you know, there’s no doubt,” Tanguay said. “I started with Lucas and Moritz, and you look at the growth that those guys have had. Last year, we added Marco to this group, and Marco had a tremendous growth from the time we’ve had him. Almo has been part of this group, you know. Now you see the generation of [Nate] Danielson, [Carter] Mazur, Finnie…Those guys are coming. I don’t know when that time is for them. Only them will dictate when that time happens. … You have to earn your ways, and our guys are getting there, and certainly it’s exciting for us.”
Larkin has seen a plethora of prospects earn their stripes in his decade with the Red Wings. From the first few days of training camp and the intersquad scrimmage on Sunday, he admits there’s a lot to like about the current pool of future NHLers in the system.
“A lot of them look really good,” Larkin said. “You see speed, you see skill. I think they all have very good attributes, whether it’s a shot or skating or a brain, but they all seem eager to want to learn, and they’ve really been impressive with how their work ethic on and off the ice…It’s exciting to see.”
The Red Wings will continue their preseason on Tuesday night at home against the Chicago Blackhawks. Detroit’s first game of the regular season is scheduled for Oct. 9 against the Montreal Canadiens.
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