The Detroit Red Wings are finally approaching the end of their rebuild. While it probably took longer than most of us would prefer, that's just the reality of a full teardown rebuild. Plus, the lack of a top-three pick in the entire rebuild's history and a few major swings and misses by former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland made this rebuild feel tedious and longer than many other full-teardown rebuilds.
Fortunately, even with the lack of luck from the draft lottery, Steve Yzerman has drafted incredibly well and has given the team a plethora of fantastic players to boost the Wings to the next level. There are enough young players either in the NHL already or getting ready to make the jump who I can confidently say will be a major part of the Red Wings' future success.
Some of these guys are already on the team, and others are on their way to the big club. The Red Wings need most, if not all, of these guys to reach their ceilings for the team to have sustainable long-term success.
These four Detroit Red Wings roster players need to continue to grow as players and leaders
Dylan Larkin
Drafted: 15th overall, 2014 NHL Entry Draft
This may be the most obvious of obvious choices. Not only is Larkin the captain of the Red Wings, but he's also been the team's heart and soul since being drafted. Not only that, but He's the longest-tenured active Detroit Sports Athlete out of all four major leagues.
On top of all of that, he's been the most consistent member of the Red Wings and, until recently, he's been by far the Red Wings' best player. While he's still been one of the team's best players, he's grown immensely into a leader and one of the biggest voices in the locker room.
His leadership isn't just seen and felt in the locker room but on the ice as well. Very, very seldom does Larkin have a bad game, and far more often than not, he's one of, if not, the hardest-working forwards on the team night in and night out.
Lucas Raymond
Drafted 4th overall, 2020 NHL Entry Draft
Raymond has solidified himself as a superstar and potentially the best player on the Red Wings. He was always destined to become a star in the league, but has recently become a massive leader on the ice.
After taking the reins at the tail end of the 2023-24 season, when Larkin went down with an injury in March, he went on an absolute tear. Raymond earned 21 points in the last 20 games and is dragging this team to continue being in playoff contention, kicking and screaming until the very last game of the season.
Raymond has continued his rise to stardom with the Red Wings in the 2024-25 season hitting a career high in both assists and points as he's become more of a setup man for the top line than the goal scorer he was in the 2023-24 season. Still, he's managed to maintain a point per game pace all season, and at 23 years old, he still has tons of room to grow.
Moritz Seider
Drafted 5th overall, 2019 NHL Entry Draft
The moment Mo Seider was brought into the NHL, he became the Red Wings' number one defender. Until the arrival of Simon Edvinsson, he was the team's only hope for consistent and physical defense night in and out.
Seider has consistently had some of the hardest minutes in the NHL since debuting in the 2021-22 season, all while being paired up with lackluster defenders. This never halted his offensive production, finishing his rookie season with seven goals and 50 points. That was good enough to net him the Calder Memorial Trophy.
He has shown off his leadership development on and off the ice and regularly voices his opinions on how he feels the team is performing during post-game interviews. He's only 24 and getting better every season.
Simon Edvinsson
Drafted 6th overall, 2021 NHL Entry Draft
One of the newest members of the Red Wings roster, and the latest in Red Wings' blueline pillars, Edvinsson has already solidified his spot as one of Detroit's cornerstones for the future. Not only is he on par with Seider in every facet, but he may just edge out Seider in terms of offensive talent.
Edvinsson was thrown to the wolves in his first full season with the Red Wings. He was paired with Seider on the top pair, and together, they logged the hardest minutes in the NHL. The tough competition didn't seem to hamper him at all; in fact, he seemed to thrive on it. He defended toe-to-toe with Seider while also showing off his offensive prowess. Edvinsson looks like a shoo-in to become a top defender in the league.
The sky is the limit for Edvinsson. If he's able to continue his current development path, then I have no doubt in my mind that the Red Wings are about to have one of the best (if not the best) top defensive pairings in the NHL. I may be so bold as to say it could even be the best defensive pairing the Red Wings have ever had.
These three Detroit Red Wings prospects need to reach their ceilings
Marco Kasper
Drafted 8th overall, 2022 NHL Entry Draft
Kasper came into his rookie season a few games later than he probably should've, but he very quickly made himself noticed just by his early play alone. While he may not have been showing on the scoresheet, he was certainly noticeable in the early half of the season and even more so after the coaching change.
The second half of his rookie season seemed to show a lot more of what we're likely going to see from him. His passion and work ethic paid massive dividends, allowing him to end the season with nearly 20 goals and the Red Wings' most consistent player after the Four Nations tournament.
Potentially becoming the team's future second-line center, Kasper has proven that he's potentially destined to be one of the team's most integral pieces of their future success.
Nate Danielson
Drafted 5th overall, 2023 NHL Entry Draft
Danielson may not have made it to the NHL just yet, but much like Kasper, he's got an insanely high compete level and is very responsible defensively. Leadership runs through him like it's second nature as well. He was captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League WHL and carried the Portland Winterhawks all the way to the WHL playoffs finals.
After being eliminated from the WHL playoffs, he was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins. He has become a big part of the team's overall structure and even had to take the reins of the team when Amadeus Lombardi was out with an injury. Danielson took control of the top line, as well as the brunt of the top six defensive responsibilities.
I've taken to calling Danielson the "Ginger Larkin" since they share so many of the same qualities. I would even go so far as to say that Danielson could potentially have a letter on his jersey in the future.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Drafted 17th overall, 2023 NHL Entry Draft
Axel Sandin-Pellikka (ASP) has been widely regarded as the Red Wings' best prospect currently in the pipeline. A Swedish Hockey League (SHL) star at just 19 years old, ASP was on the cusp of breaking several SHL under-20 records in the regular season, and even broke the SHL playoff record for most points scored by an under-20 defender.
The Detroit Red Wings haven't had a defenseman with the offensive prowess that ASP has shown in decades. And, it's something the Red Wings desperately need on the blueline. Seider and Edvinsson both provide good offense, but are ultimately both two-way defenders and are largely deployed as such. Meaning the Red Wings need an "Erik Karlsson-like" (or even a more consistent Shayne Gostisbehere-style) defenseman on the team who can be relied upon to provide consistent offensive scoring from the blueline.
The Red Wings need ASP to reach his potential ceiling if they want to have consistent future success, as he'll likely be called upon to carry the majority of the offense coming from the blueline.
