Red Wings Prospect Check-In: Forwards

J.P. Hurlbert: 68gp 42g 55a 97p WHL, 2026 Draft

I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of J.P. Hurlbert. He’s a skilled winger with a solid all-around game. He’s gotten minutes on both penalty kill and power play for Kamloops while playing all three forward positions. He’s a good offensive talent with a great shot and solid playmaking game. His speed and general pace of play will have to improve to translate to the NHL level. Player Comparison: Jack Quinn

Carter Bear: 53gp 36g 41a 77p WHL, 2025 Draft

Bear took a small step back in terms of production in his first season after being drafted. That can largely be attributed to having a slow start due to injury recovery. Bear’s second half of the season was very impressive, and he was back to showing his all-around talent. Bear is still a talented finisher and can score from both dekes and wrist shots. He competes hard along the boards and can push play well for Everett while he’s on the ice. All signs point to Bear being a good top-nine forward, but where he fits in that top-nine is still up in the air. Playing in Grand Rapids should give clarity there. Player Comparison: Brandon Hagel

Eddie Genborg: 43gp 9g 16a 25p SHL, 2025 Draft

Despite being Detroit’s second-round pick last year, there’s a very coherent argument that Genborg is on a better trajectory than Bear is. Genborg was impressive against grown men in Sweden. He was able to throw his weight around while creating offense. Against his peers at the World Juniors, he was over a point-per-game for Sweden en route to a gold medal. Genborg looks like he could be a solid top-six power forward, an ever-valuable archetype in the NHL. Player Comparison: Alex Laferriere

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard: 60gp 20g 24a 44p AHL, 2024 Draft

After getting a stint in the NHL, Brandsegg-Nygard tore up the AHL both physically and offensively. Consistently one of the most noticeable players on the ice for Grand Rapids, Brandsegg-Nygard is exactly what the Red Wings need now and in the future. All signs point to a top six role as early as next season. Brandsegg-Nygard needs to prove the offensive woes were due to a lack of support in the Red Wings depth, not a lack of talent. Player Comparison: Brady Tkachuk

Max Plante: 40gp 25g 27a 52p NCAA, 2024 Draft

Max Plante brought home the Hobey Baker award as the best player in the NCAA and will return to Minnesota-Duluth for one more season to play alongside his brothers. Plante’s season was certainly impressive, but his game still isn’t perfect. There are power and speed questions for Plante at the next level, but he still looks to be a promising middle-six distributor. Player Comparison: Troy Terry

Depth Forwards

Nate Danielson: 18gp 3g 12a 15p AHL, 2023 Draft

Over the course of the year, my opinion on Nate Danielson has changed. Last year at this time, I defended Danielson, saying he has the right tools but lacks the physical power on his shot to be dangerous in the NHL. I believed it was something he could develop and become a speedy top-six center. Now, three years out of his draft as an over-ager, Danielson still looks largely non-threatening and far too injury-prone. There’s still time to come along, but the ultimate upside for Danielson feels much lower than last year. Player Comparison: J.T. Compher

Jesse Kiiskinen: 54gp 17g 11a 28p Liiga, 2023 Draft

The buzz around Kiiskinen feels a little quieter a year later. He took a pretty serious step back in Finland’s top league, going from nearly a point-per-game to just above a half-point per game. He still has the same high compete and hard shot that can make for a solid depth option at the NHL, and a promising stint in Grand Rapids (albeit a very short one) leaves room for optimism. Player Comparison: Eeli Tolvanen

Organizational Depth

Beckham Edwards: 64gp 19g 26a 45p OHL, 2026 Draft

The best way to describe Edwards is safe. He’s a checking forward who can put himself in the right spots offensively and defensively. It certainly sounds similar to many other forwards in the Red Wings pool. While I wouldn’t call him exciting, I would say there’s a decent chance he moonlights on a fourth line at some point. His shot is also deceptively a strength. Player Comparison: Tyler Motte

Victor Plante: 20gp 8g 10a 18p USHL, 2026 Draft

I get why Detroit took Victor Plante, but I still don’t agree with it. With Mathis Preston, William Hakansson, and Tim Runtso being taken just a few picks later, Plante may have been a reach. Of course it’ll keep Max happy, but another undersized offensive forward who lacks high-end speed doesn’t inspire me with confidence. Player Comparison: Nick Abruzzese

Luka Arkko: 42gp 11g 14a 25p U20-SM, 2026 Draft

It would be nice if there was literally anything out there on this guy. HockeyDB didn’t even have his stats. His frame seems promising at 6’3″ and 212 pounds. I want to make the assumption he’s the hard-compete type, but frankly, I would need a scouting report to do that, and I can’t find one. Player Comparison: John Doe

Adam Levac: 60gp 16g 28p 44p OHL, 2026 Draft

I’ve actively confused Levac and Edwards when I was doing my post-draft episode on Kicking Tires. The two players are really similar. He’s a solid forechecker and defensive player who is going to make coaches happy no matter where he plays. The question, as usual, is if the offensive game will translate. Player Comparison: Luke Glendening

Brent Solomon: 54gp 24g 29gp 53p USHL, 2025 Draft

Solomon is deceptively becoming a really decent prospect. He’s a sharpshooter who can create offense on the power play well. Solomon’s campaign is one that has won the attention of some Red Wings fans and even earned him a spot at the summer showcase, where he is tied for second in points. Player Comparison: Kevin Fiala

Michal Svrcek: 10gp 0g 0a 0p Swe-1, 2025 Draft

There was talk about Svrcek being one of the steals of the draft. He was projected around the second round but fell pretty far, and it’s not hard to see why now. Svrcek was always advertised as a crafty offensive player who struggled physically and defensively. Now that the offense isn’t coming, it’s hard to feel optimistic about Svrcek. Player Comparison: Amadeus Lombardi

Dylan James: 40gp 21g 11a 32p NCAA, 2022 Draft

After an impressive collegiate campaign, James got his first look at the AHL this past season. He’s found his goal-scoring both in the NCAA and during his AHL stint, scoring 21 in college and scoring in both of his AHL games. There may be more to James than I had given him credit for last season; frankly, I didn’t expect his shooting to take this jump, and I’m thrilled it did. Player Comparison: Emil Heineman

Charlie Forslund: 28gp 5g 4a 9p Swe-1, 2024 Draft

As big-bodied as they come, Forslund has all the physical tools to be an enforcer at the NHL level. Forslund, much like countryman Eddie Genborg, plays a physical style. Unlike Genborg, Forslund is still yet to break the SHL lineup, so any news about a future in North America is still distant. Player Comparison: Austin Watson

Kevin Bicker: 27gp 2g 2a 4p DEL, 2023 Draft

Despite having a pretty promising U-20 stint for Germany back in 2024, Bicker is yet to find a real offensive game. He struggled to produce this season in Germany, bouncing between Frankfurt and Mannheim, including a stint getting sent down to the DEL-2. You may see him get minutes with Mo Seider, but it’s far more likely to be for Germany than Detroit. Player Comparison: Tyler Motte

Ondrej Becher: 60gp 9g 19a 28p AHL, 2024 Draft

Becher has always been a personal favorite of mine. Steady to his core, Becher has the tools to get minutes in an NHL lineup one day. He’s fairly sound defensively while having the right offensive habits. Any NHL upside would require a serious leap in speed and offensive production, but a fourth line role is still in play for Becher one day. Player Comparison: Casey Mittelstadt

Noah Dower Nilson: 48gp 6g 10a 16p SHL, 2023 Draft

There is a group of believers for Dower Nilson, and after a solid SHL season, there is reason to believe in him. While his regular season was pretty ho-hum for an offensive player, his four points in six playoff games are hopefully a sign of things to come. He will almost certainly see time in North America next season. Player Comparison: Easton Cowan

Grayden Robertson-Palmer: 55gp 6g 5a 11p QMJHL, 2025 Draft

Hopefully this was a bad blip for Palmer, who is heading to the NCAA next season. He’s a playmaking center who looked decent in his draft year. Unfortunately, despite playing in one of the highest-scoring leagues for major junior, Robertson-Palmer looked largely uninspiring. Player Comparison: Austin Czarnik

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Defensemen and goalies coming soon!