Player Profile: Michael Rasmussen

Rasmussen Drafted 7th overall in 2014

Michael Rasmussen was selected seventh overall in 2014 by the Tri-City Americans. Playing for the Americans, Rasmussen flashed some of his potential. During the 2017 NHL Draft, which included Elias Petterson and Cale Makar, Rasmussen heard his name called by the Detroit Red Wings (ninth overall.) In August 2017, Rasmussen signed his entry-level contract, $925,000.

In 2017, Rasmussen was returned by the Red Wings to Tri-City as part of his development. He would play one more season (2018) for the Americans before beginning his Red Wings career. Michael Rasmussen would make his Red Wings debut on October 4, 2018. It would be a shaky start for a center with a lot of upside.

Rasmussen would be assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL in 2019. In pre-draft analysis, Rasmussen was touted as a two-way player. Yet, the NHL takes some adapting, and that would be the case. In his time with the Griffins, Rasmussen struggled with faceoffs and forechecking and was apprehensive in the defensive end. Those aspects would be the focus of his development. Once he learned to use his big frame to his advantage, he became less timid and upped his value to Detroit.

Due to the COVID-shortened 2020- ’21 season, the Red Wings loaned Rasmussen to the GRAZ 99ers, an Austrian Hockey team. In 18 games with the 99ers, Rasmussen scored five goals, 11 assists, and 16 points. The Red Wings did not want young players just sitting around as North American hockey was delayed. This afforded Rasmussen time to hone what he had learned and applied in Grand Rapids.

Rasmussen’s NHL Career

On January 12, 2021, Rasmussen was selected for the Red Wings taxi squad as part of the NHL COVID protocol. This time, Rasmussen would not only be ready when his name was called, but he entered the Red Wings lineup and has not come out since, showing his development was nearing the end.

In July of 2022, the Detroit Red Wings and Rasmussen came to terms on a $4.38 million, three-year extension. For his role on the Detroit third line, Rasmussen has shown leadership and has shown he is effective at both ends of the ice. Fifteen goals, 12 assists, and 27 points last season seemed to tease that Rasmussen can give even more. He had a bumpy December and January and was not playing very well to his credit, and he fought through the slump.

Expectations heading into training camp were never higher for Rasmussen. He was eager to take a solid 2021-’22 season and show he has more to give. The Detroit Red Wings want Rasmussen to become more proficient in the faceoff circle. He is currently at a 44.7% win rate. New Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde has preached winning faceoffs.

Michael Rasmussen has developed into a responsible two-way player with excellent speed, a player who has seen his ice time increase. He anchors the third line with Oskar Sundqvist and Elmer Soderblom, making the biggest lines in NHL history as each player is over six feet tall.

For the Red Wings, who have been rebuilding for a few years now, to have drafted and developed a center that figures to have a significant role on the team post-rebuild is huge. Signed a team-friendly deal gives Rasmussen incentive to earn a bigger extension when the time comes.