The Red Wings may already be thinking about next June.
With Dylan Larkin wanting out, Detroit suddenly has a glaring need at center, and the easiest fix may not be on the roster. Unless the front office finds a trade for a current player, the organization could be setting its sights on the 2027 NHL Entry Draft before preseason even begins.
That matters because this draft class looks loaded down the middle. Even if the lottery doesn’t break Detroit’s way, there should be real center help available well beyond the top five. And after the Hlinka Gretzky Cup wrapped up, there’s a fresh batch of names worth tracking as possible Red Wings targets.
At the top of the board, Landon DuPont is still viewed as the likely No. 1 pick, but Nazar Privalov is the one who could change that conversation. The Russian forward put up 49 points in 51 MHL games last season, with 30 goals, and he did it at 16. He’s 6-foot-4, he plays with force, and he’s shown he can line up both at center and left wing - exactly the kind of versatility Detroit could use in its top six.
The catch is obvious. Privalov is under a four-year contract with CSKA Moscow, so he won’t be headed to North America anytime soon.
If Detroit wants a big center who does not come with that same complication, Alexis Joseph is another name to watch. The Canadian stands 6-foot-5 and brings a cerebral style to go with that frame. He produced 60 points in 54 games in the QMJHL last year, though that offense hasn’t translated the same way when the stage gets bigger in international play.
Still, that combination of size and smarts fits what the Red Wings are missing.
If Detroit ends up outside the top five, Sammy Nelson is another center who could make sense. He skated between current Red Wings prospects Victor Plante and JP Hurlbert at this year’s World Junior Summer Showcase, and he’s one of the older players in next year’s draft because his birthday missed the 2026 cutoff by just a few days. That extra age could help him physically, and he’ll get a big test this season at Notre Dame.
Another name in the mix is Milan Sundstrom, a 6-foot-3 center with NHL pedigree who can move the puck at both ends. He scored the overtime winner against Slovakia at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and now heads into an interesting season with MoDo Hockey.
For a team looking for a center of the future, the options are there. The question is whether Detroit can land one.
In Other News...
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For Edmonton, the challenge may be less about interest than about price. If Detroits internal valuation of DeBrincat is anywhere near the sentiment coming from its fan base, the Red Wings would likely need a much stronger package to even consider moving him. That creates a familiar trade-board problem for the Oilers and any other suitor, because the gap between what a team is willing to offer and what Detroit believes DeBrincat is worth could be the difference between a serious negotiation and a nonstarter. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Front Office Search Hints At A Bigger Reset
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The move fits a broader moment for the Red Wings, who remain in the middle of trying to build something more sustainable while keeping pace in a tough division. Around the league, cap pressure and contract negotiations are forcing teams to make careful long-term calls, and Detroit appears to be approaching its own off-ice decisions with that same kind of urgency. The next hire will not just matter for the front office chart - it could shape how the franchise resets the way it evaluates talent, priorities, and the next phase of its rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Moritz Seider Just Strengthened His Case As Detroits Next Franchise Leader
Moritz Seider added another major line to his resume this week, earning The Hockey News Rod Langway Award as the NHLs best defensive defenseman for the 2025-26 season. It is another reminder of how central he has become to the Red Wings, with Seider logging all 82 games, skating more than 25 minutes a night and taking on top competition all season long.
For Detroit, the honor only sharpens the conversation around where Seiders rise leads next. He is already being viewed as the kind of player who can anchor a blue line for years, and the bigger picture now includes a possible Norris Trophy down the road and, eventually, the possibility that he wears the captains C for the Red Wings. [Read more 🡒]