2025-26 Detroit Red Wings Top Prospects

** Different sites can use different criteria for determining who is still a prospect. Also, for Dobber Prospect lists they take a fantasy hockey approach – prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL.

Trey Augustine – Augustine is also viewed as a future NHL starter and sits right behind Cossa in most recent Red Wings prospect rankings. Evaluators have consistently liked his athleticism, compete level, and projection as a high-end goaltending prospect. He is one of the most important pieces in the system because Detroit has two goalie prospects with legitimate starter upside.

Carter Bear – Bear is viewed as a high-end support forward with real value because of his work ethic, compete level, and two-way utility. The big-picture concern is his Achilles injury, which makes teams want to see more before fully pushing him into star territory. Even so, recent rankings still place him among Detroit’s top prospects because scouts trust the work-skill combination.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård – Brandsegg-Nygard is a powerful, mature two-way winger who plays a direct professional-style game built around physicality, forechecking, puck protection, and a heavy, accurate shot. He uses his strong frame effectively along the boards and around the net, competes hard away from the puck, and has enough hockey sense to contribute in a variety of situations. His 2025–26 season with Grand Rapids produced 20 goals and 44 points in 60 games, with a 14-game NHL stint.

JP Hurlbert – Hurlbert is a highly intelligent offensive forward with excellent scoring instincts, quick hands, and one of the more dangerous releases from the 2026 draft class. He consistently finds open areas of the offensive zone, processes opportunities quickly, and can beat goaltenders with wrist shots, one-timers, and quick catch-and-release attempts, while also possessing enough vision to create opportunities for teammates.

Nate Danielsson – Danielson projects as a strong support player with a fairly high floor. The consensus is that he may not be a flashy star, but his intelligence, two-way reliability, and NHL-friendly habits make him a very useful prospect. In prospect tiers, he is consistently placed among the organization’s better young forwards, which reflects confidence in his eventual role.

2026 Detroit Red Wings Draft Picks

We had to restart our X account. Please follow @MyNHLRumorsX

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Rumor roundups and hot topics from around the league. We’re also posting some stuff on Instagram.

If you love our reporting, choose NHLrumors.com as a preferred source on Google.