What to keep an eye on at Detroit Red Wings prospects tournament
One of the signs that a young player is ready for the next level of hockey is to judge how he performs against his peers.
That's an opportunity the likes of Marco Kasper and Elmer Söderblom will have over the coming days as they partake in the prospects tournament that precedes main training camp for the Detroit Red Wings in Traverse City.
Those two are among the dozens of draftees and invitees who will compete against three other NHL teams' top young players while management and NHL coaching staffs watch from the stands. A standout performance could lead to a look next to a veteran once main camp begins Sept. 21.
The Wings have been holding these prospects tournaments for years, at times hosting as many as seven teams. But the events have become popular around the league — there are also prospects tournaments hosted by the Buffalo Sabres, the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights, among others — and this year the Wings host the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs for four straight days of round-robin action, with each team playing three games.
After that comes a three-day break, and then the veterans show up and other young players arrive.
INTRIGUE AHEAD: Why it should be fun to watch Red Wings sort out lines come camp, preseason
Kasper (the No. 8 overall pick in 2022) and Söderblom (No. 159 in 2019) already have dipped their toes into the NHL, with Kasper appearing in one game this past spring before a leg injury waylaid plans to see more of him. Söderblom, who looms at 6 feet 8, had eight points in 21 games with the Wings at the start of last season before being sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins to grow his game.
Forward Nate Danielson (No. 9, 2023) and goaltender Sebastian Cossa (No. 15, 2021) are also on the roster. This is a big year for Cossa, who is earmarked to be the go-to guy with the Griffins. Jan Bednar (No. 107, 2020) is one of the other two goaltenders.
The defense corps is headlined by Antti Tuomisto (No. 35, 2019), who had 20 points in 60 games in Finland's top league last season, and William Wallinder (No. 32 , 2020), who logged 26 points (seven goals) in 50 games with Rögle BK before joining the Griffins. Up front, there's also left wing Carter Mazur (No. 70, 2021), who registered 37 points (22 goals) in 40 games at the University of Denver before adding six points (three goals) in six games with the Griffins.
The Wings' prospects will be coached by Dan Watson, who was promoted to coach the Griffins in June (replacing Ben Simon).
Thirteen of the 24 players on Detroit's roster are Wings draft picks. In addition to the three first-rounders — Kasper, Cossa and Danielson — there are four second-round picks, one third-round selection, two fourth-round picks, one fifth-round choice, one six-round pick and a seventh-round pick, ranging in age from 18-22.
All games are at Centre Ice Arena. The Wings play the Stars at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Blue Jackets at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, and the Leafs at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available online at www.centreice.org/drwtickets and will also be sold first-come, first-served at the arena entrance on the day of each event.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why impressions matter at Detroit Red Wings prospects tournament
