Red Wings Midterm Prospect Report 2018

The 2017-18 season has been a busy one for GM Austin Evans and the Red Wings organization. After a pretty mediocre start to the season GM Evans pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade for Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov seemed to add the scoring punch the Wings had been lacking, however his addition couldn't mask the Wings' glaring issues: forward depth and defense. The Wings proceeded to make a few smaller moves to address the depth, and added Josh Bailey, Matthieu Perreault, and Nikita Zadorov in major trades. Zadorov was immediately flipped before playing a single game. All this being said, the Red Wings prospect pool has taken a bit of a beating recently.

Though they are few in number, the Red Wings have several interesting prospects poised to make an impact at the next level. Here are Red Wings top 10, and only 10, prospects:
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1) Carter Hart, G, 19                                     Acquired 61^st, 2016
              29 GP, 0.952 SV%, 7 SO (WHL)
              6 GP, 0.930 SV%, Gold Medal (WJC)
When Cart Hart was drafted in 2016 he already had 1 WHL goalie of the year award and was coming off a 63 game season with a 0.918 sv%. Last season he added another and upped his sv% to 0.927. This season Hart is well on his way to a 3^rd straight award and a 5^th straight year of increasing his save percentage. Oh yes, and he added a gold medal at the WJC with team Canada along the way. The sky is the limit for this kid, and he has proven that he’s the best goalie prospect to pass through the CHL since Carey Price.
Projection: Elite Starting Goalie
Risk: Low

2) Sami Niku, D, 21                                       Acquired 116^th, 2017
              50 GP, 10G, 37P, +7 (AHL)
The Wings expected to see early returns when he was selected last summer, but even the most optimistic of projections couldn’t match what Sami Niku has been able to do this season as an AHL rookie. His 37 points lead all AHL rookies by a wide margin and place him firmly in the top 3 among all AHL defensemen. Niku fits the profile of a modern defenseman perfectly and has stood out as an exceptional powerplay QB. It isn’t hard to imagine Niku playing in the NHL next season, or even down the stretch this year.
Projection: Top Four Defense + Top Powerplay
Risk: Very Low
 
3) Matthew Grzelcyk, D, 24                           Acquired via trade
              36 GP, 1G, 9P, +17 (NHL)
GM Evans has always been a believer in Matt Grzelcyk. He was a standout in college that played a full four seasons at BU, and he stood out at WJC way back in 2014. After a strong rookie year in the AHL, Grzelcyk has not only broken into the NHL, but has proven to be an integral member of the Bruins defense corps. Despite being a 5’9” defenseman, Grzelcyk has proven to be a solid defensive player because of his speed and intelligence. It seems likely that Grzelcyk will continue to add offense as he adjusts to the NHL and his role increases.
Projection: Middle Pairing Defense + 2^nd Powerplay
Risk: None

4) Joey Anderson, RW, 20                             Acquired 80^th, 2016
              22 GP, 6G, 18P, +7 (NCAA)
              7 GP, 4G, 7P, +4 (WJC)
Anderson stumbled out of the blocks to start this year after a huge freshman year with Minnesota-Duluth. However, team USA still had enough faith in him to name him captain at WJC. Anderson delivered as USA’s captain and, despite a tough semi-final loss, was able to lead the team to a bronze medal. Since then he has heated up and looks like his old self in the NCAA. Anderson plays a disciplined 2-way game thanks to his speed and intelligence.
Projection: Middle Six Winger + Both Special Teams
Risk: Average

5) Rasmus Asplund, C, 20                             Acquired via trade
              43 GP, 7G, 27P, +5 (AHL)
Asplund is a small-ish centre that plays a strong 2-way game and stands out as a playmaker. Asplund, at age 20, has already played in a whopping 163 SHL games, 3 Champions Leagues, and 2 WJC’s and has a proven himself to be a strong player at every level. Asplund has little left to prove in Sweden and should make his way to the AHL next year, where he will look to play his way onto a Sabres team that needs forward depth, and needs it badly.
Projection: Middle Six Centre + Both Special Teams
Risk: Low

6) Erik Cernak, D, 21                                     Acquired via trade
              49 GP, 2G, 10P, +26 (AHL)
GM Evans sent Cernak to the Senators as part of the Jared Spurgeon deal last summer and missed him so much that he was recently re-acquired. Cernak is a mobile 6’3” defenseman who has excelled at every level and debuted as a pro in Slovakia at 16. After winning 2 championships in Slovakia he made his way to the Erie Otters. His OHL career was highlighted by a Memorial Cup appearance and two WJC’s with Slovakia. During this same era, he was the main trade piece used to pry Ben Bishop out of Tampa. This year Cernak has transitioned seamlessly to the AHL. Cernak is an effective shutdown defender thanks to his intelligence, size, and strength.
Projection: Middle Pair Defense + Penalty Killer
Risk: Low

7) Denis Guryanov, RW, 21                           Acquired 17^th, 2015
              48 GP, 10G, 20P, -7 (AHL)
Guryanov sure is a fun player to watch. His speed and puck skills really stand out, and he’s not afraid to dangle. The skill hasn’t translated into production just yet, but there is still hope for the young Russian winger. Guryanov was a standout for Russia at WJC last season despite struggling as an AHL rookie, reminding us all that he was probably too young for the league he was in. This year, Guryanov hasn’t shown much more in the AHL but continues to work on his game. Guryanov is still young enough that Dallas should allow him another year or two in the AHL to hone his skills and improve as a scorer against professionals. The ceiling remains high but he’s still a long-term project.
Projection: Scoring Line Winger + Powerplay
Risk: Extremely High

8) Mikhail Vorobyov, C, 21                             Acquired 125^th, 2015
              34 GP, 5G, 15P, -4 (AHL)
Vorobyov is a big Russian centre with good playmaking abilities that plays a solid 2-way game. He stood out with an impressive 10 assists at WJC last year and had a strong season in the KHL. This year he is making the leap to the AHL, with mixed levels of success. Vorobyov shouldn’t be expected to score many goals, but he can provide some production from the 3^rd line with his passing skills. He’s expected to need another year or two in the AHL.
Projection: Bottom 6 Centre
Risk: Average

9) Zack MacEwen, C/RW, 22                        Acquired 142^nd, 2017
              44 GP, 7G, 25P, -8 (AHL)
MacEwen earned a contract last season with a strong final year in the Q, and has carried that same grinding work ethic into his AHL rookie season. MacEwen has almost 0.60 points per game as an AHL rookie despite playing mainly a bottom 6 role. MacEwen is a 6’4” 2-way forward that is strong on the forecheck and drives hard to the net. It’s not hard to envision him as a future 4^th liner in the NHL.
Projection: Bottom 6 Winger + Penalty Killer
Risk: Low

10) Deven Sideroff, RW, 21                           Acquired via trade
              37 GP, 4G, 8P, -17 (AHL)
Sideroff is a smart, speedy winger. After a successful WHL career, he has struggled as an AHL rookie. It appears he needs to become more aggressive and add weight to succeed against professionals. He has the potential to be used as a shutdown winger in the mould of an Andrew Cogliano if he can continue to improve. His scoring upside seems to be low but with his speed Sideroff still has the potential to be a valuable NHLer.
Projection: Bottom 6 Winger + Penalty Killer
Risk: High

**Note: All ages listed are as of July 1st 2018**
**Risk Scale: None<Very Low<Low<Average<High<Very High<Extremely High