Victor Plante keeps making the most of his World Junior Summer Showcase run, and the Red Wings’ second-round pick has been a steady source of offense for Team USA.
Playing on the top line with Sammy Nelson, Plante has been held off the scoresheet only once so far in the event, and that came in the opening game against Finland. Since then, he’s stacked up production: three assists against Sweden on Monday and another yesterday with the combined USA roster.
One of those assists came on a simple chip-and-go play, with Plante setting up Nelson. Red Wings Prospects highlighted the sequence on July 29, noting the assist from the 2026 second-rounder.
JP Hurlbert, another Detroit draft pick, has also turned in a solid showing. He has not scored yet, but Team USA coach Adam Nightingale has taken notice of his play. Nightingale will keep crossing paths with Hurlbert after the Showcase, since the University of Michigan commit will be a familiar face when Nightingale takes over as head coach at Michigan State.
At the NHL level, the salary ceiling has already moved again. Just a couple of weeks after Leo Carlsson reset the market with an $18 million AAV extension from the Anaheim Ducks, Macklin Celebrini topped it yesterday with an $18.8 million AAV extension.
Celebrini was among the league’s best players last season, and some had him in the Hart Trophy conversation. The 20-year-old Sharks center finished with 45 goals and 70 assists, good for the fourth-most points in the NHL. His 45 goals were also tied for fourth in the league.
It’s another reminder that the future is looking bright for California hockey.
Another Red Wings prospect drawing attention is Eddie Genborg. The Swedish forward made his name last season with a physical edge, even though he was one of the youngest players in the SHL. After his season with Timra IK ended, he also spent time with the Grand Rapids Griffins, which was the last many Red Wings fans saw of the hard-hitting winger.
For now, the SHL season is still months away, with the league not starting until September. Until then, fans will have to settle for a video in which Genborg, wearing No. 18, can be spotted a couple of times.
Genborg finished last season with 25 points in 43 SHL games and added a goal and two assists in 12 games with the Griffins.
In case you missed it, Bob Duff has the details on Carter Gylander’s extension with the Red Wings. Pittsburgh Hockey Now reported on the Penguins getting help from their former ECHL affiliate in resolving a somewhat awkward situation, while Sheng Peng has the latest on Mike Grier’s plans to resign his other stars. Philadelphia Hockey Now also took a look at William James’ top five Flyers prospects heading into the coming year.
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Red Wings Face A Defining Offseason Choice They Cant Dodge
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Red Wings Goalie Logjam Just Hit A Frustrating New Level
The Red Wings goaltending pipeline has been crowded for a while, and the latest moves only underline how tricky the situation has become. Sebastian Cossa, Michal Postava, Danila Tarasov, Carter Gylander and Trey Augustine all sit somewhere in the organizations future plans, which is a good problem to have until it becomes a roster-management puzzle. Detroit already traded Cossa to the Utah Mammoth and brought in Tarasov as a backup for the 2026-27 season, adding another layer to an already packed group.
What makes this logjam frustrating is that every young goalie needs a path to real game action, and Detroit cant open those doors for everyone at once. The Red Wings may eventually have to move one of their other promising netminders just to create room for the rest, a decision that would say a lot about which arms the organization values most. It is the kind of problem teams spend years trying to build, then just as long trying to sort out. [Read more 🡒]