Carter Mazur has proven himself at multiple levels since being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings three years ago.
The 22-year-old forward excelled in his two years of college hockey, held his own at the World Championship, and impressed in his first full season in the AHL. What that all adds up to is a good chance Mazur makes inroads towards joining the Wings as soon as next season. They didn't get much of a look at him last fall as he suffered a lower-body injury during the prospects tournament and ended up missing all exhibition season, finally joining the Grand Rapids Griffins at the end of October.
Mazur has been a member of the organization since the Wings selected Mazur in the third round, at 70th overall, in 2021, the year they drafted Simon Edvinsson and Sebastian Cossa in the first round. Mazur was playing in the USHL in his draft year, recording 20 goals and 22 assists in 47 games for Tri-City Storm, plus two points in three playoff games.
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Mazur graduated from the USHL to the University of Denver, where as a freshman, in 2021-22, he finished with 38 points, second among NCAA freshmen behind only Luke Hughes, the No. 4 pick in 2021 who starred for the University of Michigan. In his second year, Mazur led the Pioneers in goals (22), power-play goals (8), and game-winning goals (6). He turned pro and signed his entry-level contract on March 28, 2023 – his 21st birthday – and debuted with the Grand Rapids Griffins the next day. One game later he recorded his first assist in the AHL, and two games after that, he had a two-goal game, finishing with six points in six games. That helped earn him a spot on the U.S. team that competed at the 2023 World Championship, where he had an assist in the opening game against host Finland and scored the winning goal against Austria, racking up four points in 10 games.
Mazur, who shoots right, turned that experience into a strong first full year in the AHL, producing 17 goals and 20 assists in 60 games to finish second in team scoring behind Jonatan Berggren (56 points in 53 games). Mazur then proved himself in the AHL playoffs, with eight points in nine games.
There are still questions as to how crowded the landscape will be come fall. Currently, the Wings have six forwards under contract for next season; it'll be seven once restricted free agent Lucas Raymond is signed. Joe Veleno is also restricted. At his season-ending review, general manager Steve Yzerman expressed interest in bringing back unrestricted free agents Patrick Kane and David Perron. Daniel Sprong and Christian Fischer also are unrestricted. Berggren will be in the mix because he's no longer waiver exempt, and could slide into the role held by Sprong, who added scoring to the fourth line and served on the power play.
Mazur (6 foot, 175 pounds) has a good scoring touch and plays with an edge. As with all young players, the Jackson native still needs to get stronger, and his success this fall will depend partly on how good of a summer he has working out and adding muscle. But he should come to camp full of confidence from how he has developed over the past couple years, and ready to show how much closer he is to possibly being in the NHL.
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Carter Mazur could make Detroit Red Wings' lineup next season
