Red Wings Notebook: Top Picks Chase Olympic Dream

The Summer Olympics are barely over, but two Detroit Red Wings first-round picks are getting set to help their countries bid for a place in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Olympic hockey qualifying is set for August 29-September 1. Red Wings top picks center Marco Kasper (eighth overall, 2022) and right-wing Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (15th overall, 2024) will both be participating.

Kasper will be suiting up for Austria in their qualifying tournament in Slovakia. Along with the Austrians and the host country, Hungary and Kazakhstan will also be bidding for the one available Olympic spot.

Meanwhile, Brandsegg-Nygard is going to be playing for Norway in their qualitying event at Denmark with the Danes, Japan and Great Britain. Again, one place in the Olympics is up for grabs.

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be held in Milan–Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Sandin Pellikka To Be At Red Wings Camp?

It’s already known that Brandsegg-Nygard will be attending training camp this fall with the Red Wings. Now, Swedish media site Norran.se is reporting that 2023 first-round pick Axel Sandin Pellikka will also be heading to Traverse City for Detroit’s camp.

Word via https://t.co/p0ADu4LvWs is ASP and MBN will both be at Red Wings camp in september.

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) August 15, 2024

The Swedish defenseman was chosen 17th overall in the 2023 NHL entry draft. Both players are projected to be teammates this season with reigning SHL champion Skelleftea. Each player is currently in training camp with Skelleftea.

Vrana Joining Capitals On PTO

Who says you can never go home again? Not Jakub Vrana. The former Red Wings forward will be attending the Washington Capitals training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO), the team was announcing on Thursday.

2018 Stanley Cup Champion, Jakub Vrana will be returning to the Capitals on a PTO. pic.twitter.com/heDxobydGn

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 15, 2024

It was in 2021 that the Red Wings were acquiring Vrana from Washington in a blockbuster deal. Anthony Mantha was the main cog moving from Detroit to the Capitals. Vrana was part of Washington’s 2017-18 Stanley Cup championship squad.

Soon To Be Former Red Wings Prospects

Three more players will become former Red Wings prospects if they aren’t offered an NHL contract by 5 p.m. ET today. Today is the deadline for NHL teams to be signing players they’ve drafted who are playing NCAA hockey and have completed their senior year.

That group is including three Detroit draftees – forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Sam Stange and defenseman Cooper Moore. Each of these players will be playing a fifth year of NCAA eligiblity in 2024-25 due to pandemic regulations.

Right-winger O’Reilly (98th overall, 2018) is transferring this year from Arizona State to Providence. Right-winger Stange (97th, 2020) is also transferring from Wisconsin to Nebraska-Omaha. Moore (128th, 2019) will be playing his fifth-year season with Quinnipiac. He transferred there after starting out with North Dakota.

Detroit Prospects Heading Outdoors

The Red Wings will be playing outdoors next season and so will a few of the team’s prospects. Detroit is meeting the Columbus Blue Jackets at the famous Ohio State Horsehoe in the NHL Stadium Series on March 1.

Meanwhile, both Michigan and Michigan State will be playing in outdoor games at Wrigley Field as part of the NHL’s Winter Classic.

Michigan, with right-winger Kienan Draper (187th, 2020), are playing Ohio State on January 3. The following day, Michigan State, with a roster including goalie Trey Augustine (41st, 2023) and center Red Savage (114th, 2021) are playing against Wisconsin.

However, it’s unlikely that Augustine will be participating in the outdoor game. He’ll be with USA Hockey at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa. That event doesn’t reach a conclusion until January 5.