Max Plante has been back on the ice, and that’s a welcome sign for both the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and the Detroit Red Wings prospect’s family storyline.
The Red Wings’ 2024 second-round pick has been out since Oct. 2 with a shoulder injury, forcing him to miss time in a season that was supposed to feature all three Plante brothers together for the first time in their lives. Max, the middle brother, is in his third year at Minnesota-Duluth and serving as co-captain while trying to build on last season’s Hobey Baker-winning form.
He’s not fully back in the mix yet, but the latest step is encouraging. Plante was recently seen skating with the team and working through skating drills.
“The nice thing about that injury is he’s been able to skate. He’s been skating for a while.
Now he’s been able to get out there and be (part of) a little bit more of the no contact stuff.” UMD head coach Scott Sandelin told Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune.
Plante’s injury interrupted what was shaping up as another big year after he put together 25 goals and 27 assists in 40 games last season. That production helped carry the Bulldogs during their run to the NCHC Frozen Four, before they were eliminated by the University of Michigan Wolverines in the quarterfinals.
His freshman year had already hinted at this kind of ceiling. An upper body injury limited him to 28 points in 23 games, but the talent was obvious then, too.
The family angle has been just as compelling as the hockey. Older brother Zam, a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect, posted 20 goals and 30 assists for the Bulldogs last year and has kept rolling this season with 12 points in 12 games. Victor Plante has also started to settle in, with three points in his last five games, and has at times lined up on the top line with Zam at center.
Victor’s adjustment has shown up in another way as well. After piling up 71 penalty minutes with the US Men’s National Development team last year, he has yet to take a penalty in the NCAA and carries a +3 rating as a freshman on the no. 6 ranked team in the country.
For now, the focus is on getting Max back into the Bulldogs’ lineup. With the season moving along and his college career likely nearing its end, both Minnesota-Duluth and the Plante brothers are waiting for the middle sibling to rejoin the picture.
In Other News...
Red Wings Have A Bigger Problem Than This Losing Streak
The Red Wings five-game skid has put them in an uncomfortable spot, but the bigger concern may be the way they are trying to stop it. Todd McLellan said the team has become so focused on avoiding mistakes that it is playing too cautiously, a mindset that can drain the pace and confidence from a group already searching for answers.
Detroit has been through longer losing streaks before and still found a way to recover and reach the playoffs, so the current slide is not automatically fatal. Still, the way the Wings respond now matters, because getting out of this stretch will require more than just tightening up. It will take a team willing to take some risks again and trust that playing to win is better than simply playing not to lose. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Have A Goalie Story Fans Need To Watch
Trey Augustine picked up his first professional win in style, stopping 31 shots in Grand Rapids 3-0 shutout of the Iowa Wild and giving the Griffins another reason to feel good about the crease. The young goalie has been steady through his early run with a 5-1-2 record, a 2.26 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, and he did it for a team that has been rolling under Dan Cleary with a 12-2-1-1 record.
The goalie picture gets even more interesting because Michal Postava has been just as sharp, going 6-0 with a 1.50 GAA and a .944 save percentage, and he is expected back in Detroit this season. With Grand Rapids getting strong play from names like Carter Bear, John Leonard and Jesse Kiiskinen, the organization suddenly has real depth developing in net, and the next move on the goalie front is worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face A Brutal Roster Squeeze Shawn Horcoff Must Solve
A busy stretch is already forming for Shawn Horcoff, and the Red Wings interim general manager has a roster puzzle that reaches well beyond the usual early-season housekeeping. Detroit has to sort out restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson by the December 1 deadline, while also weighing what to do with a group of pending unrestricted free agents that includes John Gibson, Andrew Copp and Justin Faulk. At the same time, the club is keeping an eye on its next wave of talent, with prospects such as Carter Bear and Jesse Kiiskinen in the conversation as the front office looks for ways to balance present needs with future flexibility.
The wrinkle is that Detroit is not operating in a vacuum. Reports say Edvinsson and suspended former captain Dylan Larkin both have multiple suitors, and the team is actively scouting potential trade partners as it tries to navigate a crowded market. For a club trying to stay competitive while reshaping parts of the roster, the next few weeks could determine whether Horcoff is merely managing a squeeze or making a far more consequential move. [Read more 🡒]