Wolverines-bound OHL standout could be Red Wings’ long-term prize

There are more directions the Detroit Red Wings can go in Friday’s draft than I can count. Okay, that may not be the case, but math has only been my strong suit if it had something to do with sports stats. 

Forced to attend boring math classes during my formative years did nothing to boost my interest (and that of many others) in the subject. That said, the Wings have so many options here it’d be tough for me to zero in on a pick before the clock hit zero, and Malcolm Spence is one reason for that.

Who is this guy, anyway? A teammate of Matthew Schaefer’s who isn’t getting enough credit after what’s been a pair of stellar seasons with the Erie Otters. Three, really. He’d been in Erie since the 2022-23 season, but Spence never seemed to need much of a learning curve, if we’re looking at stats alone. 

Malcolm Spence is about as consistent as they come in the OHL

Spence broke onto the scene in 2022-23, when he put up 16 goals and 42 points in 64 games. That foreshadowed brilliant play over the next two campaigns. In 2023-24, Spence’s playmaking ability went on full display, when he recorded 43 assists, 19 goals, and 62 points in 66 games. 

This past season, Spence upped the ante again, with 73 points and 32 goals in 65 games. No, none of these numbers are off the charts. But you don’t see many forwards hitting the ground running the way Spence did in the OHL. 

Sure, he’s an older prospect, though not overaged, and that helps. Spence also boasts size that could get him into pro hockey tomorrow if he had the skill set to match. But he’s not ready yet, so it’s feasible for him to attend the University of Michigan and keep prepping for the big time with the Wolverines. 

Still, at 6’2, 201 lbs, I’m sensing that Spence will be a power forward in Ann Arbor. And once he’s in the big leagues, he’ll take on that same role, likely in the middle six. 

Where would Malcolm Spence fit with the Red Wings if drafted?

If Malcolm Spence ends up with the Wings, expect a few years at the collegiate level, something I implied earlier. Give him three seasons there, and he’ll make his NHL debut late after Season 3, putting him on track to debut in a winged wheel sweater during the late stages of the 2027-28 season. 

Depending on how he performs, he’ll either get a shot to join the club full-time in 2028-29, or he’ll revert to the AHL and spend a season in Grand Rapids. This would, at the latest, give him full-time status in 2029-30. Or, if the Wings look like a stacked team at that point, and they may, he could also be trade bait. 

The latter is something we should strongly consider, since, at some point, the Wings will shift from hoarding prospects to moving some of them, especially their most high-potential ones. But if that isn’t the case with whomever they take at No. 13, there’s a good chance Detroit ends up with a high-end player.