Larry Keenan has started to force his way into the conversation among the Detroit Red Wings’ prospects, and not just because of his size. The 6-foot-4, 206-pound defenseman has put together a steady climb at UMass-Amherst, and his most recent season gave him a real boost in visibility.
That’s the kind of rise that gets noticed in a hurry when a college coach starts talking like Greg Carvel did after Keenan’s goal-and-assist performance in UMass-Amherst’s 3-2 win over Northeastern last January.
“Quietly and unassumingly, he’s an unbelievable college hockey player,” Carvel said.
For Red Wings fans who had not been following Keenan closely, that was a strong signal to pay attention. He also brings NHL lineage to the table: his grandfather, also named Larry, played 234 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers.
Keenan’s latest season backed up the buzz. He was named to the All-Hockey East Second-Team after doubling his goal total from four to eight in 2025-26, and he finished at plus-eight. More than the numbers, he showed a cleaner offensive read on the game than he had as a freshman.
The appeal is pretty straightforward. Keenan looks like the kind of defenseman who can affect all three zones once he gets to the pro level.
He skates well enough to matter, can carry the puck out of trouble, and has a shot that can help him chip in offensively. On the other side of the puck, he can get his team moving the right way in its own end, play a physical style and shut down plays.
The challenge is the traffic jam ahead of him. Detroit has a strong group of young defensemen trying to break through, and Keenan will have to keep sharpening both sides of his game to push past names like Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Anton Johansson for NHL ice time.
The timeline points to more patience. Keenan is in his junior season now, and the expectation is that he’ll sign with the Red Wings afterward and finish the following season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Under the Steve Yzerman regime, the path would then have him in Grand Rapids for 2027-28 before he starts competing for a spot in Detroit the season after that.
That same route is likely even if there’s a new voice running the organization by then. The only question is whether that next decision-maker will be more willing to lean on younger players.
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