1 center in theory - the size and skating combo is really impressive, and that’s why I disagree with the suggestion he wasn’t an upside swing by the Red Wings. But once he’s into his 30s, it’s at least possible Danielson or Kasper passes him for the top-line role when they’re entering their own primes.īetween the two, I’d give Danielson the better odds of becoming a No. 1 center of the future for the Red Wings. To me, I think Dylan Larkin is still the No. This is a natural follow-up, so let’s stick with it. It was a close call, but I think both project as very good NHL centers in the end.ĭo you think the Wings have their #1 and #2 centers of the future in Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper? Does Amadeus Lombardi have a shot as well? Corey is the only scout I’ve seen give any of these players a top line rating (Danielson). Danielson may have slightly more upside, thanks to his bit of extra height, skating and shot, but Kasper has already played against pros, proven he can make a big impact in that setting, and has an extra physical dimension that will only get more valuable in the NHL. The most interesting call here, to me, was whom to rank higher between Kasper and Danielson. But the potential for Wallinder, Cossa and Lombardi are all so intriguing that I ranked them ahead of the steady, reliable Johansson. In that range, only Söderblom is further along than Albert Johansson, who could play NHL games this season. He may still end up playing on a third line for Detroit because his physicality and compete level can make him a miserable player to play against, but he has real offensive upside, too, and looks like a versatile top-nine chess piece.īut sometimes, the upside won out, as you can see in the Nos. Mazur is also an example of why I think it’s a bit foolish to think we can actually project a ceiling on prospects at the time of their draft, or dictate who is or isn’t a “big swing.” I didn’t hear anyone calling that pick, when Detroit made it in 2021, an “upside play” or “home run swing.” But he now looks quite likely to outperform not just his draft slot, but what most analysts would have pegged as his ceiling. That’s why Mazur ranks higher than the much higher-drafted Sandin Pellikka, for example: He has the potential to be a top-six NHL forward and is already getting close to the NHL. The ranking isn’t a pure upside ranking, it blends that factor with the likelihood (as I perceive it) of reaching that ceiling. I threw Augustine in there as a bonus at 11, because I feel he belongs in that same tier, before a bit of a drop-off. What is your personal top 10 ranking of our prospect pool? - Luke Y.Ĭorey Pronman will have his full Red Wings under-23 rankings out sometime this summer, but my personal ranking of the prospects would go: I think both will be right around 90 points this season, with Buffalo closer to 100. Now I think it’s a toss-up, with perhaps a lean toward Detroit because of the depth. It’s going to be close either way.īefore the Alex DeBrincat trade, I’d have given the nod to Ottawa for sure. I don’t think the Red Wings will have a line better than Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle and Claude Giroux, and the overall top-four of Jakob Chychrun, Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub is a bit better than Detroit’s too, mainly because of the second pairing.īut I do prefer Detroit in goal and in the bottom six, though if Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig pop this season, that could change. I think the Senators have Detroit beat at the tops of the forward and “D” groups. The real battle is between the Red Wings and Senators. So they’re a cut above for 2023-24, even with some short-term questions in goal. They have a nice blend of young and veteran talent on the wings. They have excellent young defensemen in Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, plus enough veterans to surround them with. They have two excellent young centers in Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens. To me, though, Buffalo is clearly above the other two right now, in both the short and long term. These three teams are constantly being compared against one another for obvious reasons: They’ve been picking high in the draft for largely the same period of time, and all share a division.
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