Detroit Red Wings Prospect Pool: Strong System Ranking a Sign of Things to Come

The Detroit Red Wings drafted forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård with the fifteenth overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL entry draft. The Oslo, Norway native has signed his entry-level contract with the Red Wings. MBN is the best wing prospect currently in the Red Wings’ prospect pool. I recently wrote that Brandsegg-Nygård was the latest in a long line of draft picks made by Red Wings’ general manager, Steve Yzerman, who all fit the same mold.

The Red Wings are widely regarded as having one of the best prospect systems currently in the NHL. The fact that the team has not made the Stanley Cup playoffs since the 2016-17 season is one of the main reasons for this. Drafting higher up in the draft allows teams to conceivably draft better players. However, this does not guarantee that the players that the team drafts will eventually make it to the NHL.

This ranking does not consider players that have made the Red Wings’ roster. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson is one example of this. After being drafted by the Red Wings with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NHL draft, Edvinsson spent two seasons going back and forth from the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Red Wings. During the 2023-24 season, Edvinsson seems to have found his place on the Red Wings’ roster permanently. In 16 games played for the Red Wings Edvinsson was consistently deployed in high leverage situations on the Red Wings blueline.

Fellow Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider thinks that the two could be a “pretty cool pair” for the team moving forward. Seider was drafted by the Red Wings with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft. This was the first pick that Yzerman made as general manager of the Red Wings that shocked the hockey world at the time. The defense behind Seider and Edvinsson leaves a lot to be desired though. Shai Buium is the highest ranked defensive prospect in the Red Wings’ system as the number 15 overall prospect.

The highest draft pick made by Yzerman as Red Wings general manager was Lucas Raymond who was drafted by the Red Wings with the fourth pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft. Raymond was one of the Red Wings that almost dragged the team to the Stanley Cup playoffs during the 2023-24 season. After adding muscle to his 5’10” frame during the 2023 offseason, Raymond scored 31 goals and added 41 assists in 82 games played for the Red Wings during the 2023-24 season. These 72 points by Raymond led the Red Wings during this season.

Upon being drafted fifteenth overall by the Red Wings, Brandsegg-Nygård became the highest Norwegian born player drafted in the NHL. Norway’s U20 coach Christer Nylund said of Brandsegg-Nygård’s being drafted to future generations of young Norwegian players. Brandsegg-Nygård’s U20 coach seemed to know how much of a big deal this is, even if MBN is unable to grasp this accomplishment at such a young age:

“I think when you have Michael and these kinds of players who, in a way, open the door, it becomes a trend among Norwegian players to take the step and maybe be the next guy who makes that journey,” Nylund said. “…I don’t think Michael has thought so much about that, being the guy who’s opening the door, but of course, he’s a big name in Norwegian hockey, and they like to watch him play and watch the road that he’s done.”

Brandsegg-Nygård seems to have taken this to heart. “It has been a dream for so long. Now I am living the dream, so I’m just excited to work hard, do what I always do, and hopefully I’m going to be an NHL player someday,” Brandsegg-Nygård said upon being drafted. Despite being one of the best prospects currently in the Red Wings’ system, Brandsegg-Nygård will play for Skellefteå AIK of the SHL for the 2024-25 season. In 41 games for Mora IK of HockeyAllsvenskan during the 2023-24 season, Brandsegg-Nygård scored eight goals and added 10 assists.

The top goalie in the Red Wings’ system is Sebastian Cossa. The Red Wings traded up to the 15^th overall pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft to select Cossa. I have long said that Cossa panning out is the most important part of the “Yzerplan.” Cossa had a 2.41 goals against average and a save percentage of .913 in 40 games played for the Griffins during the 2023-24 AHL season. The Red Wings also drafted Trey Augustine out of Michigan State University with the 41^st overall pick in the 2023 NHL entry draft as insurance if Cossa cannot make his way to the NHL.

ITR 49: For Real This Time – Inside The Rink

Join Chris and Conrad as they discuss Milan Lucic's recent PTO with the St. Louis Blues, Marco Rossi inks a contract extension, and is Carey Price's contract about to be traded? All of this and much more!

1. ITR 49: For Real This Time 32:21
2. ITR 48: Testing…Testing… 34:18
3. ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing 32:56
4. ITR 46: Offseason Chaos 24:53
5. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening 37:46