Which Detroit Red Wings prospects should we expect on next season's roster?

Among the intriguing forecasts for the Detroit Red Wings as they plan for next season is the number of prospects who could vie for a spot on the team.

Defenseman Simon Edvinsson is a given after his performance when called up in mid-March, as the 2021 first-round pick showed he belongs in the lineup as a regular. But others project to make a push, too, and should make for a competitive training camp in September.

For one, there's forwardJonatan Berggren, a second-round pick (No. 33 overall) from 2018. Like Edvinsson, Berggren isn't really a prospect anymore — not with 79 NHL games under his belt. He had a hard time convincing coach Derek Lalonde to put him in the lineup, but while Berggren, 23, does lack size and assertiveness, he is a skilled scorer. In 2022-23, Berggren put up 15 goals in 65 games and seemingly had a spot locked up. But he appeared in only 12 games in 2023-24, scoring twice. He can't be sent back to the minors again without being exposed on waivers, and general manager Steve Yzerman already has said Berggren will be on next season's roster.

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Ditto for defenseman Albert Johansson: The 23-year-old from the 2019 draft (No. 60 overall) is no longer exempt from waivers, so he'll be on the roster, too. Johansson has developed well during his two seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins, improving at both ends of the ice, and projects to get plenty of looks during exhibition season as the Wings figure out if he can help their team.

Forward Carter Mazur, a 2021 third-rounder (No. 70 overall), could also make a push for a spot. The former Denver University star had an excellent showing in his first season in the American Hockey League, producing 17 goals and 37 points in 60 games for the Griffins. Mazur, 22, had a brief showing with the Griffins (six points in six games) in the spring of 2023, making the jump after two seasons at DU, where he served as an assistant captain. He's helping the Griffins with their playoff run this spring, but last May he was part of Team USA's World Championship team, contributing a goal and three assists in 10 games. Mazur (6 foot, 172 pounds) is a nice package of skill and bite, relishing any chance to chirp an opponent.

Marco Kasper, the Wings' top pick (at No. 8 overall) in 2022, joined the team last spring after his season in Sweden ended, but an injury limited him to just one game. An uninspiring performance during training camp/exhibition season last fall landed Kasper in Grand Rapids, but he has shown signs of growth that send an encouraging message about what he might look like next fall. Kasper had 35 points in 75 games with the Griffins (plus two goals in their first four playoff games) — not wild numbers, but his two-way game improved, and that's a stepping stone towards the NHL.

Then there's Elmer Söderblom. The 6-8, 246-pound forward made a favorable enough impression at camp in 2022 that Yzerman asked Lalonde to give Söderblom top-six minutes during a couple games in exhibition season that October, and Söderblom did indeed make the roster on opening night. Söderblom appeared in 21 games (five goals, three assists) but was sent to the minors when a roster crunch materialized. His rookie season in the AHL was cut short when he suffered a head injury March 10 in Grand Rapids, which also hampered his offseason training. Söderblom, drafted in 2019's sixth round (No. 159 overall), has good skills to go with his size, but has had to work on doing a better job protecting the puck and at being better overall defensively.

Yzerman has been vocal about wanting to keep a number of his free-agent veterans, including Patrick Kane, David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere. They made the Wings better — but just as vital to the team's continued resurgence is growth from within, and having prospects come in and show they belong in the lineup.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. 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.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings prospects: Who to expect on next season's roster