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.
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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.
6. Antti Tuomisto
Antti Tuomisto is the final of the three Second Round picks the Detroit Red Wings took at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old Finnish defenseman was selected with the 35th overall pick by Detroit after a 35-point season in Finland’s junior league. He played the 2019-20 season in the same league and was able to up his points total to 49, which led his team in scoring.
Tuomisto has now suited up for six games in the 2020-21 season with the University of Denver, posting two assists to this point. Unfortunately for him, he was not selected to play for Team Finland at the upcoming World Juniors.
While he is clearly talented enough, it is rumored he was not picked due to the fact he chose to play his 2020-21 season in North America rather than Finland. Although it is disappointing that Red Wings fans won’t get to watch him play at this year’s tournament, it allows him to continue playing for the University of Denver, where he is already logging heavy minutes.
5. Jared McIsaac
Yet another Second Rounder appearing on this list is blueliner Jared McIsaac, though he was drafted a year earlier with the 36th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old defenseman spent the last four seasons playing in the QMJHL, mainly for the Halifax Mooseheads.
During his draft eligible season, which was his second in the QMJHL, McIsaac put up an impressive nine goals and 47 points in 62 games. He followed that up with an even better 16 goals and 62 points in 53 games the following year.
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Thanks to his great play with the Mooseheads, he was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2019 World Junior Tournament, where he chipped in with one assist in seven games. He began his 2019-20 season with the Mooseheads yet again, but was traded early on to the Moncton Wildcats.
In 25 games with Moncton, he registered 17 points. McIsaac also once again appeared for Team Canada at the World Juniors and played a huge part in them winning a Gold Medal, as he had a goal and three assists in seven games played. He will likely spend the 2020-21 season in the AHL, but appears to be a big part of Detroit’s future.
4. Joe Veleno
Joe Veleno has been talked about in the hockey community for some time now, as he was the first player ever to be granted exceptional status into the QMJHL. As a result, he had three full seasons in the QMJHL before being draft eligible.
During his draft season, he suited up for 31 games with the Saint John Sea Dogs before being traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs, who he played an additional 33 games with. In total that season, he managed 79 points and was then selected 30th overall by the Detroit Red Wings at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
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After being drafted, Veleno spent one more season with the Voltigeurs where he showed just how talented he is, posting 42 goals and 106 points in 59 games. He was selected to play for Team Canada at the World Juniors that same year, adding two assists in five games played.
Despite being just 19-years-old to begin the season, the Red Wings elected to have him play his 2020-21 season in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he managed 23 points (11 G, 12 A) in 54 games while playing against much older competition.
He was able to suit up for the Gold Medal-winning Team Canada squad once again, scoring a goal and adding five assists in six contests. While it remains to be seen where he spends his 2020-21 season, his future is very bright and he could well spearhead a new and exciting era for the Detroit Red Wings.
3. Jonatan Berggren
The Red Wings seem to have had a knack in recent years at grabbing great talent with their Second Round picks, and that is yet again the case with Jonatan Berggren. The 20-year-old Swedish centerman was drafted with the 33rd overall pick at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft after an incredible season in the J220 SuperElit league, in which he had 18 goals and 57 points in 38 games.
He has since spent the majority of the past three seasons in the SHL with Skelleftea AIK, and is improving at a very impressive rate. His first season in the league saw him put up just three points in 16 games, while the 2019-20 season saw him jump to 12 points in 24 contests.
Berggren was able to suit up for Team Sweden at the 2020 World Juniors where he had five points in seven games. While those totals all appeared promising, the 2020-21 season has been even better. In 23 games so far with Skelleftea, Berggren has five goals and 24 points, which leads his team in scoring.
He has star studded potential.
2. Lucas Raymond
The most recent Draft pick to appear on this list is Lucas Raymond, who was selected with the fourth overall pick at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old headed into the Draft with a season-and-a-half in the SHL under his belt, something that is nearly unheard of for a player of his age. In 33 games for Frolunda HC last season, he managed to put up 10 points while playing in one of the best leagues in the world.
While it came as no surprise, Raymond was selected to represent Team Sweden at the 2020 World Juniors where he chipped in with four points in seven contests. He will get another shot to play in the tournament this year and look to improve on those totals.
Considering he has already been able to play in 22 games with Frolunda this season, while many other players have not yet started their 2020-21 season, you can expect Raymond to be one of the more exciting players in the entire tournament and he’s yet another high-end prospect to keep an eye on for the Detroit Red Wings in the coming years.
1. Moritz Seider
Another very exciting high Draft pick in the Detroit Red Wings pipeline is Moritz Seider, who was selected 6th overall at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old defenseman spent his Draft eligible season playing in the DEL, where he had six points in 29 games with the Mannheim Eagles.
Given that he was playing in Europe, the Red Wings were able and elected to have him spend the 2019-20 season with the Grand Rapid Griffins. Playing in the AHL at just 18-years-old, Seider impressed and put up 22 points in 49 games.
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Seider was also able to suit up for the 2020 World Juniors, representing Team Germany. Despite playing on a weak roster, he had six assists in seven games at the tournament. Due to the 2020-21 AHL season having not yet begun, Seider has been playing for Rogle BK Angelholm of the SHL where he has a very impressive 11 points in 15 games.
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While he had a chance to be the best defenseman in the World Juniors this year, he made the decision to continue playing in the SHL rather than attend the tournament. Though the decision is disappointing to Detroit fans who would have liked to watch him dominate at the tournament, it likely isn’t long until Moritz Seider is patrolling the blueline for the Detroit Red Wings.