NHL
Corey Pronman details what to expect from the Detroit Red Wings’ new prospects and how they fit into the farm system.
I liked what Detroit did with its first few picks. Carter Bear projects as a top-six forward who brings legit skill and a high motor. Eddie Genborg won’t point at a high level, but he can be a playoff-style bottom-six forward who wears down opponents. Michal Pradel was also a goalie I rated reasonably high, and I see a path for him to the league.
13. Carter Bear, LW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
November 4, 2006 | 6' 0" | 179 pounds
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Player comparable: Troy Terry
Analysis: Bear was a leading player on a top team in the WHL this season before a recent injury knocked him out for the remainder of the year. He’s a very skilled forward with the quick twitch hands and high-end creativity to create offense at the NHL level. He makes a lot of plays through defenders and to his teammates. Bear’s skill stands out, but the way he creates offense should likely translate to higher levels. He gets to the net to generate chances, plays fast and is a good enough skater. He’s also a highly physical winger who creates a lot of chances in traffic. He projects as a top-six winger who coaches will feel comfortable using in any situation.
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Thoughts on the pick: The Red Wings have a type of player they like, and they continue to take that profile in Bear. He’s very skilled and skates well, but has a high motor and can play at both ends of the ice. He projects as a top-six winger in the NHL.
44. Eddie Genborg, LW, Linköping HC J20 (J20 Nationell)
April 20, 2007 | 6' 2" | 205 pounds
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: High-end
Analysis: Genborg took positive steps this season in his development into an important player on Linköping’s junior team and Sweden’s U18 team. He did get a good chunk of games up with the SHL club, too. Genborg plays a likable style. He’s a decent-sized winger who skates well and plays hard. He is quite physical, wins a lot of pucks and creates offense at the net. He uses his speed and skill well to drive wide and get pucks to the middle. Genborg has a decent finishing touch, but doesn’t see the ice very well, and can fight the puck at times. His style gives him a real chance if he can show some offense versus men.
75. Michal Pradel, G, Tri-City Storm (USHL)
March 10, 2007 | 6' 5" | 194 pounds
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Analysis: Pradel came over to North America midseason from Slovakia, where he looked solid in the USHL and at the international U18 level. He’s a tall goaltender who shows strong poise and sense in the net. Pradel is an efficient goalie who tracks the puck well and often seems in the right spot. He competes well enough for second chances but can struggle to get to pucks that require him to move a lot. Without that premier quickness, he could struggle at the NHL level, but he has a chance to make it in a backup role.
109. Brent Solomon, RW, Champlin Park High (USHS-MN)
January 2, 2007 | 5' 11" | 165 pounds
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Analysis: Solomon was a highly productive high school player in Minnesota. He’s a good skater with the stick skills and shot to score at higher levels. His hockey sense is just OK, and whether he’s truly special enough at his size to make it is a question, but his talent is good enough to be a long shot to make it to the NHL.
119. Michal Svrcek, C, Brynäs IF J20 (J20 Nationell)
January 26, 2007 | 5' 10" | 176 pounds
Tier: Has a chance to play games
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Svrcek was a productive junior player in Sweden and for Slovakia’s national teams. He also got some limited ice time with a top SHL team in Brynas. Svrcek is a very good skater with a high skill level. He creates offense on the move effectively. He sees the ice well and has a very good shot. Svrcek is undersized, though, and for a guy his size, he strays to the outside too much. I don’t think he’s talented enough to play that way and make it to the NHL.
140. Nikita Tyurin, LHD, MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)
July 2, 2007 | 6' 0" | 174 pounds
172. Will Murphy, LHD, Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL)
August 24, 2007 | 6' 4" | 205 pounds
204. Grayden Robertson-Palmer, C, Phillips Academy Andover (USHS-Prep)
August 29, 2007 | 5' 10" | 181 pounds
211. Yan Matveiko, C, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)
August 13, 2006 | 6' 1'' | 146 pounds
In first-rounder Carter Bear, the Red Wings added the kind of high-skill, hard-edged player that shows up come playoff time. He was one of the top-scoring draft eligibles in the WHL and arrived at that production by being able to produce both with creativity and fearlessness around the net. That blend makes him look like a future top-six wing and the clear headliner of the class.
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On Day 2, Detroit added another hard-to-play against winger in Swede Eddie Genborg (second round, Pick 44), who is more of a bottom-six banger, but also took some upside swings — most notably on a pair of Slovaks: goaltender Michal Pradel (third round, Pick 75) and forward Michal Svercek (fourth round, Pick 119).
Both were notable players at the Under-18 World Championship this spring, and Svercek was a point-per-game player in Sweden's J20 league this past season as well.
The Red Wings system was already deep coming in, but Detroit helped itself with a balance of skill and edge entering the system. — Max Bultman
(Photo of Carter Bear: Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images)
Corey Pronman is the senior NHL prospects writer for The Athletic. Previously, Corey worked in a similar role at ESPN. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreypronman
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