The post Red Wings Aren’t Second Best . . . At Least Not Yet appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
Under the leadership of general manager Steve Yzerman, the Detroit Red Wings have made 15 selections in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft.
During the 2025-26 season, only two of those picks were playing in the NHL. And just one of them was playing for the Red Wings.
Cause for concern? Perhaps.
A reason to sound the alarm? Not really.
When it comes to assessing Detroit’s second round selections, for the most part, the jury is still out.
While just one of these picks is an NHL regular wearing the Winged Wheel – defenseman Albert Johansson (60th overall, 2019), only six of the 15 choices definitely won’t play in Detroit. The Wings weren’t offering forwards Robert Mastrosimone (54th, 2019) and Theodor Niederbach (51st, 2020) contracts.
Forward Cross Hanas (55th, 2020) played for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. The Wings were allowing him to leave when his entry-level pact expired. Defenseman Donovan Sebrango (63rd, 2020) played last season with the Florida Panthers.
Defenseman Andrew Gibson (42nd, 2023) was dealt to the Nashville Predators. Winger Jesse Kiiskinen came back in that trade. He’s currently with the Griffins and is considered an NHL prospect. Winger Dmitri Buchelnikov (52nd, 2022) went to the St. Louis Blues in the Justin Faulk trade.
Griffins Are Loaded With Red Wings’ Second Rounders
In the midst of the AHL Calder Cup playoffs, the Griffins are well-stocked with Detroit second-round picks. Defensemen Antti Tuomisto (35th, 2019), William Wallinder (32nd, 2020), and Shai Buium (36th, 2021) are playing in Grand Rapids.
Goalie Trey Augustine (41st, 2023) and forwards Dylan James (40th, 2022) and Eddie Genborg (44th, 2025) are also with the Griffins.
Two other second-rounders remain in the college ranks. Minnesota-Duluth forward Max Plante (47th, 2024) just won the Hobey Baker Award as the most outstanding player in NCAA hockey. Defenseman Brady Cleveland (47th, 2023) will be entering his senior year at Minnesota-Duluth in the fall.
Plenty of Potential For Further Development
While only one of them is currently in the Red Wings, to write off Detroit’s second-round crop as a bust is both short-sighted and patently untrue. Players such as Genborg, Plante, Augustine, and Wallinder are all legitimate NHL hopefuls.
Research shows that 42% of second-round draft picks end up playing in the NHL. That means seven of Detroit’s 15 selections would need to make the show for the Red Wings to clear that bar.
It’s not unreasonable to think that could happen. Yes, it’s much too early to describe Yzerman’s second-round class as a success story. However, to categorize it as a failure at this juncture is an equally false narrative.
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