The Detroit Red Wings have set the stage for their upcoming NHL Rookie Tournament, and the headliners are exactly where you’d expect them: at the top of the roster. First-round picks Nate Danielson and Carter Bear anchor Detroit’s 24-player group for the four-team event, which begins September 12 at the Belfor Training Center.
Danielson, the ninth pick in the 2023 draft, and Bear, the 13th choice in 2025, are two of 13 Red Wings draft picks on the roster. Detroit also has its share of young talent in net, with Trey Augustine, selected 41st in 2023, and Michal Orsulak, taken 79th in 2026, both included.
The draft pedigree runs through the lineup. On defense, the Red Wings will have Anton Johansson, a 2022 pick at No. 105, along with Myles Brosnan, chosen 196th in 2026, and Will Murphy, selected 172nd in 2025. Up front, the drafted forwards include centers Kienan Draper, a 2020 pick at No. 187, and Adam Levac, selected 108th in 2026, plus left-wingers Michal Svrcek, Dylan James, Noah Dower Nilsson, and Lukka Arkko.
Detroit’s roster also features a few players with different paths into the organization. Center Sutter Muzzatti and right-winger Jesse Kiiskinen, both acquired in separate deals with the Nashville Predators, will be in the mix, as will center Theo Rochette, who was signed as a UFA in the summer.
Two defensemen on AHL contracts with the Grand Rapids Griffins are slated to take part as well: Jacob Truscott and Justice Christensen. The Red Wings’ list of free agent invites includes right-wingers Cooper Dennis, Michael Dec, and Headen Ellis, plus defensemen Brady Ness, Leo Laschon, and Carter Hicks.
Detroit opens the tournament Saturday, September 12, against the Dallas Stars rookies at 6:30 p.m. The Wings return Sunday for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, then close things out after a Monday off day against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
In Other News...
Red Wings Head Toward Camp With Dylan Larkin Uncertainty Growing
Detroit is heading toward training camp in a strangely unsettled place, with no general manager in place and the biggest question hanging over captain Dylan Larkin. The leadership group now in charge is viewed as temporary, which only adds to the sense that any major move involving the face of the franchise would be better handled by a new voice in the front office rather than a stopgap arrangement.
That uncertainty is why the Larkin situation feels like it could linger well into camp. He is expected to be there when camp opens, and the next steps may depend on how the broader market develops once a permanent GM is hired. If the list of acceptable trade options stays tight, the path forward could require Larkin to report, suit up, and let the season shape whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Still Have One Roster Concern Hanging Over This Season
Training camp at the BELFOR Energy Center marks a change of scenery for a Red Wings team trying to put the pieces together for the season ahead. The move out of Traverse City gives Detroit a new backdrop as it sorts through a roster that looks sturdier on the blue line and along the wings, with enough established talent there to feel reasonably settled as camp begins.
The unsettled part is still the middle of the ice, where the team has not yet solved every question behind Dylan Larkin. Andrew Copp, Marco Kasper and J.T. Compher are in the mix, but the depth chart there does not inspire the same confidence as the rest of the lineup, and goaltending remains a concern after last season. Before long, the Red Wings also need to sort out their front office situation, which adds another layer to a critical stretch of summer. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Draftee Suddenly Faces A Tougher Fight For SHL Ice Time
Charlie Forslund is trying to turn a camp invite with Brynas into a real spot in Swedens SHL, and the early message from the staff is clear: nothing is being handed to the Detroit Red Wings draftee. Coach Niklas Gllstedt has liked the development Forslund has shown, but he still wants more from his puck handling and his willingness to attack when the opportunity is there.
The timing of Brynas roster work does not help Forslund much either. The clubs recent addition of Calle Jarnkrok, another former Red Wings draftee, adds more competition in a battle that is already being judged shift by shift, leaving Forslund with a narrow path to prove he belongs before camp decisions get tighter. [Read more 🡒]