Detroit Red Wings: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about

The 2019-20 season went as poorly as it possibly could have for the Detroit Red Wings.

In full rebuilding mode, the Detroit Red Wings finished the league in 31st place with a record of 17-49-5, which gave them just 39 points.

For comparison on just how bad it was, the Ottawa Senators were the league’s 30th placed team with 62 points. While it was a long season, it was to be expected for the Red Wings as they are in the early stages of a complete teardown.

Thankfully for the Detroit Red Wings, they were able to bring in Steve Yzerman as their General Manger prior to the start of the 2019-20 season. Yzerman of course was the GM who played a huge part in the Tampa Bay Lightning becoming a powerhouse in the NHL and, although he was no longer a part of the team for their Stanley Cup win this past year, he was a key component in it happening.

To this point with the Detroit Red Wings he has been very patient, allowing his team to stack up on prospects and give them time to properly develop, meaning the franchise will likely still struggle for a couple more seasons.

They are on the right track, however, and it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Yzerman turn them into a powerhouse of their own in the Eastern Conference in the future. As of right now, their prospect pool won’t blow anyone away, but they do have some nice pieces in place and will likely be able to add even more at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

As mentioned in every other Top 8 Prospects article throughout this series, any player who has played in more NHL games than any other league in a season, regardless of the season, will not be included. That is why players such as Filip Zadina, Dennis Cholowski, and Michael Rasmussen will not be found on this list.

With that being said, here are the Top 8 Prospects in the Detroit Red Wings organization.

8. Albert Johansson

The first player to appear on this list is Albert Johansson. The 19-year-old Swedish defenseman was selected by the Detroit Red Wings with the 60th pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and is one of three Second Rounders taken by Detroit in that Draft to be mentioned in this list.

At the time he was drafted, not a ton was known about Johansson given that he had appeared in just three games in the SHL, spending most of the season in the J20 SuperElit league in Sweden.

After being drafted, Johansson spent the entire 2019-20 season in the SHL, playing for Farjestads BK Karlstad. In 42 games he had two goals and 13 points, which is very impressive for a player who was 17-years-old for half of the season. He has played in 20 games this year for Farjestads again, registering three goals and seven points. He will be representing Team Sweden at the upcoming World Junior Tournament.

7. Robert Mastrosimone

The second of three Second Rounders on this list from the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is forward Robert Mastrosimone, who was taken with the 54th overall pick. The 19-year-old spent his Draft season playing in the USHL for the Chicago Steel, his second season with the team, where he put up 31 goals and 60 points in 54 games. His 31 goals led his team, while his 60 points trailed only Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nick Abruzzese.

The 2019-20 season saw Mastrosimone make his college hockey debut, suiting up for Boston College. While his freshman total of just 17 points in 34 games doesn’t jump off the page, it is important to note that he was just 18-years-old for the majority of the season.

Expect bigger totals for the 2020-21 season.