NHL Prospect Pool Overview '26-27: Detroit Red Wings Must Rely On Deep Pipeline If Larkin Leaves

After yet another collapse, the Detroit Red Wings are potentially entering a new era without Michigan-born captain Dylan Larkin, who's requested a trade.

The Wings will look toward their young core of Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider for leadership, and they'll also be relying on some of their young talent to step up.

The Red Wings are next up in our NHL prospect pool overview series.

In our annual series, Tony Ferrari's digging into each team's top prospects, the strengths and weaknesses of its pipeline, an overview of its latest draft class and positional depth chart, and who could be next in line for an NHL chance.

2026 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 23rd overall - J.P. Hurlbert, LW, Kamloops (WHL)

Round 2, 47th overall - Victor Plante, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

Round 3, 79th overall - Michal Orsulak, G, Prince Albert (WHL)

Round 4, 108th overall - Adam Levac, C, Peterborough (OHL)

Round 5, 143rd overall - Beckham Edwards, C, Sarnia (OHL)

Round 6, 175th overall - Luka Arkko, LW, Pelicans Jr. (Fin.)

Round 7, 196th overall - Myles Brosnan, D, Dexter School (Mass. H.S.)

The Red Wings traded Cossa to the Utah Mammoth for the 23rd overall pick to ensure they had a first-rounder after a disappointing season. That allowed them to select JP Hurlbert, a hyper-skilled offensive force. In his first year in the WHL, he led the league in scoring for a big chunk of the season and finished with 97 points.

When he's in the offensive zone, Hurlbert is a handful because he is shifty and has great hands, opening up space for himself to make magic as a playmaker or shooter. He has some defensive holes in his game, but for a team that's often leaned on two-way talent high in the draft, it was good to see them go after some skill.

With their second pick, the Wings added a second Plante brother to their system, Victor Plante. The slightly undersized but feisty forward will join his brother in the NCAA next year, looking to replicate Max Plante's success. Victor is a worker who looks to hunt down the puck or win a battle. He was a crafty passer with the NTDP this past season, playing arguably the most consistent hockey of anyone on the team. This was an excellent value pick in the second round.

After trading Cossa, the Wings couldn't leave the draft without building their goalie pipeline back up. Michal Orsulak was a big reason why Czechia reached the final at the 2026 world juniors, putting up his best performances against his toughest opponents. In the WHL, he put his size and mobility on display, with excellent lateral mobility and an explosive lower body. Orsulak slots in right behind Augustine among Detroit's goalie prospects.

Adam Levac was a safe pick. He's a two-way presence who might be able to play down the middle and add some stability in the NHL eventually. His game is simple, physical and north-south. Levac isn't a dynamic player, and his scoring will ultimately hold him back, but he's a safe bet to be a pro one day.

Beckham Edwards has shown flashes of playmaking and scoring prowess built on his all-out effort. He brings a ton of energy and plays a pestering role on the backcheck. Edwards is the kind of player that coaches fall in love with, and he may get more rope to work with because of his high-end motor and commitment to the play on every shift. He could prove to have been a really nice pick in the fifth round.

The Red Wings only went over to Europe for one of their picks this year, drafting Luka Arkko out of Finland. While he must get quicker on his feet, Arkko plays a power game and drives the net often. Arkko understands how to protect the puck, and he has a pretty good shot. He's a solid forechecker and works on the backcheck. Skating is his biggest limiting factor.

Myles Brosnan was my favorite pick the Wings made as the high school defender was quite impressive at both ends of the ice this past year. He really came onto the scene at the USHL All-American game, looking like the best U.S.-born defender on the ice that day. Despite not playing much in the United States League, Brosnan was arguably the most dominant prep defenseman in the class this year.

Strengths

The Wings have always valued finding players with higher floors, even if that means their upside is limited at times.

Missing the playoffs for 10 seasons has left them with an impressive group of prospects in terms of depth.

Detroit has multiple players at every position who should be at least challenging for NHL jobs in the near future. They have built a deep prospect pool from center to goaltender and everything in between.

Weaknesses

Despite having all of that depth, the Red Wings lack true difference-making star power.

Hurlbert has some potential if he hits his ceiling, but picking him this year was the first time Detroit leaned into skill over a safe floor in the first round in quite some time.

Bear and Brandsegg-Nygard could be top-of-the-lineup skaters if they are complementary players on that line, but are they true stars? And Sandin Pellikka is a skilled puck-mover, but he's likely to be just short of being an elite defenseman in the NHL.

Hidden Gem: Michal Svrcek, RW

Although he struggled in the pro game last season, Svrcek was still quite an impressive scorer at the junior level in Sweden.

This season, Svrcek will be across the river from the Wings, playing for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. He'll play North American hockey for a very strong OHL team while staying close enough to the Wings for any support.

Svrcek is a highly intelligent forward who plays the game with gusto. Despite his size, he's a worker who is all over the ice. He should be a treat to watch in junior.

Next Man Up: Nate Danielson, C

Although he played in 28 games this past season and burned his rookie status, Danielson is still very much earning his spot with the NHL club.

The two-way center brings speed and good instincts with the puck, but his dynamism holds him back from being a high-impact player.

He struggled at times with the pace of the NHL last season. Detroit is hoping he can train over the summer and play the entire year in the NHL.

If Larkin leaves as expected, Danielson could have the opportunity to play a bigger role than expected.

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Carter Bear, JP Hurlbert, Michal Svrcek, Victor Plante, Max Plante, Carter Mazur, Luka Arkko

C: Nate Danielson, Beckham Edwards, Ondrej Becher, Noah Dower Nilsson, Adam Levac

RW: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Eddie Genborg, Jesse Kiiskinen, Brent Solomon

LD: Shai Buium, John Whipple, William Wallinder, Brady Cleveland, Eemil Viro

RD: Axel Sandin Pellikka, Anton Johansson, Myles Brosnan, Jack Phelan

G: Trey Augustine, Rudy Guimond, Michal Orsulak, Landon Miller, Michal Pradel

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.

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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 1:49 PM.