{"id":557982,"date":"2026-04-22T13:51:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/557982\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T13:51:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:51:27","slug":"red-wings-prospects-who-could-make-nhl-impact-in-2026-27-the-hockey-writers-detroit-red-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/557982\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Wings Prospects Who Could Make NHL Impact in 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers – Detroit Red Wings"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the Detroit Red Wings have seen their 2025-26 season come to an end after a disappointing final stretch of the regular season<\/a>, they still have plenty of prospects in the playoffs or preparing to start them with their current teams. Heading into an important offseason, there are a handful of prospects within the Red Wings\u2019 system who could very easily be playing at the NHL level and making an impact in the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n

W Michael Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd<\/p>\n

After making the opening night roster this season, Michael Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd<\/a> ended up playing in Grand Rapids with the Griffins (American Hockey League) for the majority of the 2025-26 season. In his first full season playing in North American professional hockey, the Red Wings\u2019 2024 first-round pick seemed to truly find his footing and showed exactly why there was so much hope and expectation surrounding him. <\/p>\n

Throughout the season, Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd showed a strong all-around game, playing responsibly in the defensive zone and showing no problem throwing his weight around on the forecheck or in his own zone. Offensively, the young Swede got acquainted early in the season and was consistently one of the Griffins\u2019 best players. Whether it was making a slick pass or showing off the lethal shot that he has, Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd was all over the place. In his rookie season in the AHL, he tallied 44 points, good for third on the Griffins, and was tied for the most power play goals on the team with Sheldon Dries (seven). <\/p>\n

As the Red Wings could be looking to shake things up with their forward grouping heading into next season, particularly in the bottom six, Brandsegg-Nyg\u00e5rd should have a strong chance to earn a spot on the opening night roster for the 2026-27 season if he can have a strong training camp and preseason.<\/p>\n

G Sebastian Cossa<\/p>\n

One that is almost a no-brainer at this point and one that Red Wings fans continue to push to see at the NHL level is goaltender Sebastian Cossa. After being drafted in the first round of the 2021 Draft, he has since been tied to Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild, who was picked after him in the same draft. Wallstedt is in the midst of his first full NHL season with the Wild and is in the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while Cossa has played in a total of one NHL game in his career. The path has been a long one and one that is certainly overdue at this point, but Cossa should be dressing regularly for the Red Wings in the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n

\"SebastianSebastian Cossa, Detroit Red Wings (Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports)<\/p>\n

Entering the offseason, Cam Talbot will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) and fully opens the door for Cossa to earn his way onto the NHL roster next season, but the young netminder has had his struggles to end the regular season in Grand Rapids and it does raise a bit of a question on how he will be able to perform on a regular basis in the NHL. But after playing professional hockey within the Red Wings organization for four seasons now, it is time for the organization to finally see what the 23-year-old netminder has and whether he is the goaltender of the future. <\/p>\n

With Trey Augustine signing his entry-level contract (ELC)<\/a> after his season ended with Michigan State University, the goaltender position is getting crowded in the minor leagues within the Red Wings system, and as mentioned, it is time to see exactly what Cossa is all about and what he can bring to the Red Wings.<\/p>\n

C Nate Danielson<\/p>\n

Another prospect who spent time at the NHL level this season, Nate Danielson<\/a>, becoming a full-time NHL player next season might end up being dependent on what happens at the center position this offseason. As part of the potential shake-up of the forward grouping, the center position is a key one. Danielson spent two months in a Red Wings jersey this season, put up only seven points, and was held pointless in the final 11 games he played before being sent back to Grand Rapids. <\/p>\n

But he is a player whom General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman drafted in the first round of the 2023 Draft because of his 200-foot game, and he displayed that with the Griffins when he was healthy and in the lineup. Danielson did average just shy of a point-per-game this season (15 points in 18 games) with the Griffins, but the majority of those came in the assist department (12 assists). If he can come into camp in the fall and build off a solid season in Grand Rapids and show some added goal-scoring touch, he could very easily push to make the opening night roster for the second season in a row, and hopefully stick around and make a bigger impact in the Red Wings lineup.<\/p>\n

W Carter Mazur<\/p>\n

After battling to stay on the ice the last two seasons, Carter Mazur finally found himself in the NHL toward the end of the season, earning a call-up while the Red Wings were in the thick of a playoff race. While he may not have gotten on the scoresheet in the eight games he played in this season with the big club, he did not look out of place and proved he could be a spark plug in the lineup. Will he be a top-six player long-term? Most likely not, but he has all of the tools and skills to be that third line player who can bring some energy, physicality, and secondary offense that the Red Wings lacked in the second half of the season.<\/p>\n

Other Prospects Who Could Crack the Lineup<\/p>\n

Defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka is another prospect who earned his way onto the opening night roster this season but as the year went on, he seemed to fall out of favor and ended up up back in Grand Rapids until being recalled<\/a> when trade deadline acquisition, Justin Faulk went down with injury. While in Grand Rapids, the young Swedish-born defenseman showed why he was so dominant at the international junior level (World Junior Championships) and seemed to find his confidence and footing. <\/p>\n

The 21-year-old only played six games with the Griffins, but was flying all over the ice and making plays in the offensive zone, while also helping refine his defensive game that was one of the downfalls of his rookie season with the Red Wings. With the upside and skill that Sandin-Pellikka has, there is no reason not to believe that he can not come into camp and re-earn his spot in the NHL. <\/p>\n

A bit of a darkhorse pick for a prospect who could make the 2026-27 roster is Carter Bear. The 2025 first-round pick had a strong preseason with the Red Wings this season before being returned to the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League (WHL). This season with the Silvertips, Bear built off the strong preseason and showed that he was fully back to being the player he was last season before an Achillies injury shortened his draft-year season. <\/p>\n

The style of game that he plays with is more of what Yzerman loves in his prospects, but he brings some added offensive flare to the ice than some of the other Red Wings\u2019 top prospects. In 53 games this season, he tallied 77 points and is in the midst of trying to help lead the Silvertips to a WHL Championship (12 points in nine games played as of April 21). <\/p>\n

Future Continues to Grow Near<\/p>\n

As Yzerman and the Red Wings continue to try and find the right mix of players to keep things on track for a full 82-game season and finally return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the prospects they have in their system are going to be pushing for spots in the NHL lineup and this offseason, which is going to be one of the biggest in recent memory<\/a> for the organization, could lead to seeing at least a couple of them becoming full-time NHLer\u2019s. On top of that, others will make the decisions for Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan hard to make.<\/p>\n

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