This is the most current version of my semi-quasi-tri-annual prospect rankings. These were done in August of 2009.

Right here is where you can access -- at any time, free of charge -- previous versions of these rankings.

January 2008
April 2008 (21-30) (11-20) (1-10)
August 2008
December 2008
April 2009 (31-39) (21-30) (11-20) (1-10)

1.Tomas Tatar (+9) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), Slovakia U20 (WJC) ... Left Wing ... Age: 19
22 GP | 8G 9A, 17PTS | +11, 6PIM
It's a quick rise to the top, but it's an obvious choice in my mind. Tatar earns that top spot for one reason -- I have no doubts he's going to be a productive player at the NHL level. I don't believe the Wings have had a player of a similar caliber in a few years now, with the potential to put up big numbers in the NHL. Tatar earned a contract with Detroit after an impressive prospects camp and training camp, because Detroit wished to keep him in North America, either in Plymouth (OHL) or Grand Rapids, over the top men's league in Slovakia. After work permit issues kept him out of the first few games, Tatar made his debut with Grand Rapids, but production was low enough to think that Tatar might be sent to the OHL. In mid-November he hit his stride and became a big-time offensive threat in a league where he is the youngest player (just turned 19). Since that point, he's been scoring at roughly point-per-game. He recently left Grand Rapids to join Slovakia for the World Junior Championships, which will wrap up in the first week of January. He starred at the event last year, giving himself some major expectations to live up to this year.

2. Jakub Kindl (-) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), Detroit Red Wings (NHL) ... Defense ... Age: 22
[AHL] 27 GP | 1G 13A, 14PTS | +1, 22 PIM [NHL] 2 GP | 0G 0A, 0PTS | -2, 0 PIM
Kindl being passed over for the spot as the number one prospect is more a reflection of Tatar's abilities over Kindl's struggles. In fact, Kindl has been very good this season and made my decision a difficult one. Kindl, who is on a one-way contract starting next season, has become a top pairing defenseman in Grand Rapids and appears for the first time in his professional career to be ready for the next level. After a slow start to his AHL career, this season Kindl is limiting turnovers, improving himself positionally, and embracing his size and physical game. His play saw him earn a two game stint with Detroit. Despite a -2 rating, drew rave reviews from most, leaving a few to wonder if Kindl might pull a Jonathan Ericsson and work his way into Detroit's playoff lineup.

3. Brendan Smith (+1) | Wisconsin Badgers (WCHA) ... Defense ... Age: 20
17 GP | 8G 18A, 26 PTS | 26 PIM
Smith is putting on a show in college hockey right now, virtually guaranteeing that he's going to earn a contract from Detroit in April. After being scratched for the second game of the season, Smith has gone on a tear and leads all the nation's defensemen in scoring. He's also considered the front runner for the Hobey Baker, the award for the top player in college hockey, never before won by a Red Wings' prospect. Detroit's first round pick in 2007 is the clear leader on a blueline stacked with high NHL draft picks, on a Badger team that's poised to make a long run towards the Frozen Four (conveniently located in Detroit, MI). A junior, Smith does not need to sign after this season, but likely will as is the case with most top prospects. Smith's offensive explosiveness has not come at the expense of his defensive game, head coach Mike Eaves (father to Patrick Eaves) keeps every player accountable and Smith's game is ever-improving.

4. Thomas McCollum (+1) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) ... Goaltender ... Age: 20
15 GP | 7-6-0 | 2.89, .894%
McCollum jumps Larsson in these rankings, which is not necessarily an indicator of performance. So far, Larsson has outperformed McCollum fairly significantly in statistical categories, but McCollum's numbers are more than respectable for a 20-year-old netminder and there are no doubts that he is on his way to becoming a very competent AHL goalie. Despite being the youngest of Detroit's goaltending prospects, McCollum has more of the "tools" you look for in an NHL starter. His glove hand is lightning quick, he plays more of the modern butterfly/hybrid style, and he has that ideal size around 6'2. He has had his off nights, as is to be expected from a rookie, but the thought of where he will be in three or four years is very exciting.

5. Daniel Larsson (-2) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) ... Goaltender ... Age: 23
18 GP | 11-6-1 | 2.59, .913%, 1 SO
Despite a virtual split in ice time, Larsson has emerged now as the Griffins' better goalie. Larsson actually started off slowly after being lit up in each of his first two starts, but has chipped away at his then skyrocketed numbers and now sits with statistics more expected from someone who is capable of being an elite goaltender. Larsson is working this season on being more consistent night in and night out -- he hit a bit of a wall last season and lost a lot of playing time to Jimmy Howard down the stretch. While Howard cuts his teeth in the NHL, Larsson is poised to be Grand Rapids' starting goalie in the playoffs, and, in an ideal world, steps in within two years as the backup goalie as Howard assumes the starting role. Whether that actually occurs is definitely up in the air, but for now Larsson is a valuable asset to Detroit who might get a one or two game NHL tryout later in the season, should Detroit be secure enough in the standings to test him.

6. Gustav Nyquist (+5) | Maine Black Bears (HE) ... Left Wing/Center ... Age: 20
17GP | 11G 14A, 25PTS | 10 PIM
Nyquist was always a prospect I wanted to rank higher, and now I feel confident in doing so because he's proving his freshman year at Maine was no fluke. The problem with putting Nyquist this high last year (in my mind) is the same problem that occurs with most ridiculously high scoring players on bad teams. Are they producing because they have a very high level of talent, or because they're only good compared to the rest of the team. Given that Nyquist led Maine in scoring by a wide margain last season, and this season is 7th in the entire nation, it's becoming increasingly clear that Nyquist is the real deal. Maine is a much better club this year, currently third in the Hockey East, and Nyquist is a big reason why. There's been talk that Nyquist could turn pro after this season, his sophomore year, but Detroit hasn't pulled out a player that early in recent memory, so it's hard to say for sure.

7. Landon Ferraro (-) | Red Deer Rebels (WHL) ... Center ... Age: 18
17GP | 4G 8A, 12 PTS | -7, 19 PIM
Although Tatar is becoming "the" pick of the 2009 draft, it was Ferraro that was Detroit's semi-first rounder (2nd pick of the 2nd round). Ferraro's had a rough start to his life in the Red Wings' system. Ferraro has gone down with not one, but two knee injuries, one of which he received treatment for in Detroit. In between injuries, he got into some game action with Red Deer, but was not completely healthy so his game suffered. Clearly, in Detroit's system there's no need for Ferraro to make an immediate impact in the NHL, so getting him healthy and ready to play with no limitations is priority number one. Detroit has had too many prospects have promising careers cut short by injuries (Igor Grigorenko comes to mind, but in this case, look no further than Ferraro's coach, Jesse Wallin). Ferraro's injury is not as serious as the likes of those two, but it's still important to make sure it's treated properly. Ferraro is still on the shelf, but isn't expected to be out very long.

8. Cory Emmerton (+1) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) ... Center ... Age: 21
30GP | 5G 8A, 13PTS | +5, 6 PIM
There are few prospects Detroit publically raves about more than Emmerton. Now in his second professional year, with Grand Rapids' three graduations from last season up front, Emmerton has seen a greatly increased role that has seen him kill penalties with more regularity, as his two-way play has increased tenfold since his junior days. Still a gifted playmaker, Emmerton is on the powerplay from time-to-time and would really move himself up on the depth chart if he produced more offense in the second half of the season (the way he did last year). Emmerton is a smart player who is developing exactly as Detroit was hoping he would -- it's no wonder they view him as a future Red Wing.

9. Jan Mursak (+12) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) ... Right Wing ... Age: 21
31 GP | 11G 8A, 19PTS | +11, 12 PIM
Mursak's a great example of patience in prospects, once top five, most recently out of the top 20, now top ten again. This doesn't necessarily mean I have no patience (mostly true), just that it's never a good time to write off a prospect completely. However, I feel it would have been ill-advised to just "assume" a scorer with a two-goal season is going to turn it around and leave him in the top ten, but he probably shouldn't have been 21. Mursak worked hard in the offseason to make sure he would earn more ice time this year. He started the season in an energy role, and I thought he had completely reformed his game as I always viewed him as a "top six or bust" type of player. However, once Tomas Tatar caught fire, Mursak's play followed. He now gives Detroit an excellent professional prospect. Once very weak and one-dimensional, Mursak is slowly gaining strength. He is useful on the penalty kill, and also throws his weight around. Elements of the old Mursak still remain -- many of his 11 goals have been of the "snipe" variety, and his hands still show flashes of the ones I once compared to Pavel Datsyuk's.

10. Joakim Andersson (-2) | Frolunda Indians (SEL) ... Center ... Age: 20
31 GP | 3G 8A, 11PTS | +7, 28 PIM
I still think it's a shame Andersson didn't turn pro after last season's impressive late season tryout with Grand Rapids, but Andersson is certainly still high on the radar. For players of his age, it's very hard to earn regular minutes, and Andersson is still reprising his role as the 4th line shutdown center. He started the season on a higher line which is where most of his current points came from, but the points stopped as Frolunda slowly gained all their players back and Andersson fell down the depth chart. I don't see much reason that Andersson should stay in Sweden beyond this year, so expect a contract from Detroit in the offseason -- it's time he tried North America.

11. Dick Axelsson (-5) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), Farjestads BK (SEL) ... Left Wing ... Age: 22
17 GP | 2G 3A, 5 PTS | +1, 6 PIM
I've been excited for few prospects more than Dick Axelsson, who, despite issues with work ethic haunting him in the past, is the most productive prospect Detroit has had in Sweden since Henrik Zetterberg. Axelsson had a rough start to the season, hurting his knee in prospect's camp and being held out of Detroit's main camp. He started the season on Grand Rapids' top line, scoring a goal in his first game, but managing only one more since that point. Through sickness, injury, and, true, work ethic, Axelsson slipped down the depth chart and was frequently scratched in favor of Griffins' goon Paul Crosty. Axelsson expressed a desire in November to move back to Farjestad, saying he was homesick. Detroit wished Axelsson to stay, but just last week Axelsson informed the team that he'd be spending Christmas break training with Farjestad. It's not official, but it is likely that Axelsson will not return. On one hand, it's tough to respect his decision when Detroit asked him to stay. On the other hand, not everyone can tolerate moving from the SEL to the AHL, where buildings can look 1/3 full. Unlike Johan Ryno, Axelsson gave the AHL a 30 game shot. I do believe his decision will hurt his development, but Axelsson will be able to play more in the SEL. He does have one more year on his contract, and given his obvious talent level, I think this is not the end of the world as long as he gives Grand Rapids another shot next season.

12. Andrej Nestrasil (+1) | Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL), Czech Republic U20 (WJC) ... Right Wing ... Age: 18
33 GP | 12G 25A, 37PTS | +0, 24 PIM
Nestrasil is the "free" pick Detroit got from swapping down from Tampa Bay for swapping pick #29 to #32. Not a bad pick either, considering Detroit believed he had first round talent. Nestrasil is more of a rare breed in Detroit's system -- a skilled player with some size. After a productive rookie season, most expected Nestrasil should be able to become a scoring leader on Victoriaville, and he's done just that. Nestrasil is top 20 in QMJHL scoring and led Victoriaville in scoring for much of the season. Nestrasil definitely has skill and with better skating could be considered a top prospect. However, to a certain degree skating can be taught (leg strength) so that will be Nestrasil's challenge in his last two seasons of junior. Nestrasil's play has earned him a spot at the Czech Republic's WJC camp, where he will battle for a roster spot among 16 other forwards.

13. Max Nicastro (+4) | Boston University Terriers (HE), United States U20 (WJC) ... Defense ... Age: 19
16 GP | 1G 5A, 6PTS | 16 PIM
After spending the last two seasons in the USHL, it was time for a new challenge this season for Nicastro. Challenge being the word of choice there -- Nicastro faced the task of establishing himself an identity on a blueline loaded with NHL draft picks like himself that were coming off a National Championship. To the surprise of few, Nicastro hasn't missed a beat as he's won a regular spot and has even found a way to chip in some offense. Nicastro was excellent during his time in the USHL, but both years he was there, critics said he benefitted from playing with a "better" prospect -- the first year being Michigan-native Will Weber, and last year first round pick John Moore, both now property of Columbus. In an ironic and sweet twist, after being left off the preliminary roster of nearly 20 defenseman, Nicastro now finds himself among the final group of eight for the USA WJC team, alongside Lashoff. In the last group of cuts? John Moore. Bam. There will be one more cut on defense to be made on Wednesday, but Nicastro's experience here should be taken as a positive.

14. Adam Almqvist (+19) | HV71 Jonkoping J20 (J20), Sweden Jr. A (WJAC), HV71 (SEL) ... Defense ... Age: 18
[J20] 15 GP | 5G 29A, 34PTS | 14 PIM [WJAC] 4 GP | 2G 2A, 4PTS [SEL] 11 GP | 2G 3A, 5PTS | +6, 4 PIM
I'm going all out here -- Almqvist has been impressive enough to work his way this high. Detroit's 7th round pick, drafted for his great hockey sense, has been the real deal so far, the biggest leaper in all of the prospect rankings. Impressive are his numbers at the J20 level -- which led the league during his time there (and for a period of time after he left the league), and the team was undefeated with Almqvist in the lineup. However, production at that level historically hasn't led to much success in the NHL, let alone the SEL. Almqvist went on to a successful Junior A Challenge, with two goals on a weak Swedish team. After that tournament, Almqvist was given a trial in the SEL, before he was supposedly supposed to be sent to SWE-2 -- and this is where my justification to his ranking comes from. Almqvist's "few game" trial has been stretched into a month-long stretch, where he's excelled. He's put up some points, and by all accounts does not look out of place. I admit this is a generous ranking, but for now I'm sticking by it. To be certain, Almqvist is still very tiny -- too small to play in the NHL. He will need to work his physical game into overdrive to continue to advance up the ladder, points will only take him so far.

15. Brian Lashoff (-3) | Kingston Frontenacs (OHL), United States U20 (WJC) ... Defense ... Age: 19
33 GP | 4G 10A, 14PTS | +1, 51PIM
Lashoff is an interesting case: he was actually one of the most impressive Griffins last season. This came of a small sample size, as he only joined the team on a tryout after his OHL season ended. He is too young to play in the AHL this season. So it's back to the OHL, where he is the Frontenacs' captain and top blueliner. Playing alongside (when healthy) potential 2010 top five pick Erik Gudbranson, Lashoff has been one of the most consistent blueliners in the OHL. His play has not gone unnoticed, as he is among the USA's top eight defensemen. One of the two is guaranteed to be on the roster, with the chance that both could crack it. Depite offensive production not quite at the level expected, Lashoff continues to give Detroit excellent value as the highest ranked player not drafted.

16. Mattias Ritola (-2) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), Detroit Red Wings (NHL) ... Right Wing ... Age: 22
31 GP | 7G 7A, 14PTS | -4, 20 PIM
When you picture Ritola as the player seen in the pre-season, circa September 2009, #16 as a ranking is insulting -- that Ritola looked NHL ready. However, that Ritola was a little different than the one who has showed up for the Griffins so far. He hasn't been poor, and his production isn't too low, but Ritola has been given tremendous opportunity and hasn't shined the way I hoped. He's been on the top line for most of the season, along with the top powerplay, and I don't think his numbers reflect that. Curt Fraser does role lines, so it's not like Ritola is playing that much more than everyone else, but he does frequently play with the veteran players like Jeremy Williams and Michael Nylander. Detroit has a decision to make on Ritola, as he will need to clear waivers to play in the AHL next season. He has a chance to make that decision easier -- as well as prove me dead wrong on this ranking -- as he was just called up to Detroit today.

17. Logan Pyett (+10) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) ... Defense ... Age: 21
31 GP | 4G 9A, 13PTS | +8, 10 PIM
Pyett has enjoyed a resurgance in Grand Rapids this season, and his +10 jump represents one of the highest on this list. Pyett was frequently a healthy scratch last season and was out of the lineup entirely when Brian Lashoff came rolling through on his successful amateur tryout late in the season and into the playoffs. For this reason, I expected that Pyett's roster spot would be challenged by rookies Sebastien Piche and Travis Ehrhardt. Pyett has proved me wrong though, already topping the offensive totals he put up last season and proving himself as a legitimate top five defenseman on the team. He looks much more comfortable on the ice this season than he did at this point last year. He rushes the puck again and is not afraid to take risks. It's definitely paying off for him, as he appears to be back in the mix with Detroit's most relevant prospects.

18. Willie Coetzee (NR) | Red Deer Rebels (WHL) ... Right Wing ... Age: 19
35 GP | 16G 31A, 47PTS | +8, 12 PIM
Detroit's newest prospect has been the most productive -- no Detroit prospect has more points than Coetzee. In fact, only seven players in the entire WHL have more points than Coetzee. Undrafted in June, Coetzee earned a contract from the Red Wings after an impressive prospects camp. Coetzee was Landon Ferraro's linemate in Red Deer last season, and with Ferraro in and out with injuries, he's been the Rebels' top gun this season. Coetzee is speedy, aggressive, and has a cannon of a shot -- a recipe for success in the WHL. He even had a (long) shot at Canada's WJC roster when he was named to the WHL All-Star team (typically, a way Canada selects players to attend the main WJC camp) against the Russian selects. Coetzee scored a nice goal in that game, but did not make Canada's WJC team. That shouldn't be taken as a slight at all, though. It's virtually impossible for players drafted outside of the top two rounds to be selected, let alone players passed over in seven rounds.

19. Brent Raedeke (+7) | Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) ... Center ... Age: 19
38 GP | 17G 13A, 30PTS | +4, 54 PIM
Wrapping up the top half (or starting, in this case) of the list is another Detroit free agent find in Raedeke. Like Coetzee, a hot start saw him on the WHL All-Star team, but he did not gather an invite to Canada's WJC team despite being one of the most impressive in the game I saw. Raedeke has blazing speed, he's smart with the puck, he's aggressive and gritty, and he's very proficient in his own zone. His production has tapered off slightly, but he still leads Edmonton in scoring as the team's alternate captain. On pace to crush career highs in all offensive categories, Raedeke should turn pro after this season as Detroit looks to explore whether or not they've made a worthwhile investment on so many free agent finds.

20. Francis Pare (-2) | Grand Rapids Griffins (WHL) ... Right Wing ... Age: 22
29 GP | 4G 11A, 15 PTS | +15, 4 PIM
Pare had a bit of a rough start to the season, but responded about as well as one can. After earning a contract from Detroit in the offseason, the former QMJHL MVP did not score a goal in the first two and a half months of the season. He then scored four in five games en route to winning the AHL Player of the Week award, and has since kept up his solid pace. His +15 is tops on the Griffins, as Pare continues to be one of those players who produces offense despite not having many elite qualities. Whether he ends up in the NHL, or as one of those consistent 50-60 point AHL players every year (the Darren Haydars and Alexandre Girouxes of the world) will be decided in the next two years.

21. Gleason Fournier (-1) | Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) ... Defense ... Age: 18
28 GP | 6G 18A, 24PTS | +6, 50 PIM
Fournier missed traning camp with an injury, but made up for lost time quickly, winning the QMJHL Defensive Player of the Week right out of the game. Despite his position, the Wings drafted Fournier for one reason -- offense. Fournier skates like the wind, moves the puck well, and makes great decisions in his own zone. Fournier has produced around the level that an elite offensive defenseman is expected too, but his real challenge will be to refine his defensive game, which is still very unpolished.

22. Sergei Kolosov (+2) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) ... Defense ... Age: 23
30 GP | 1G 2A, 3PTS | -1, 6 PIM
Kolosov has picked up where he left off last season, with reliable, steady defensive play. Once a very raw prospect, since he's turned pro he's slowly started climbing the ladder. Detroit likens his game to Andreas Lilja's, and expect that Kolosov can be a bottom pairing defenseman who kills penalties. Kolosov is mobile and moves the puck well -- two qualities that made Lilja so successful. An injury kept Kolosov out of pre-season action, which is a shame as it would be nice to see how he does against NHL talent. Kolosov may get that chance before next September though, as he's considered a pretty safe bet for Belarus' Olympic team, to be announced on Wednesday.

23. Evan McGrath (-8) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) ... Center ... Age: 23
30 GP | 7G 5A, 12PTS | -5, 10 PIM
It's looking more and more likely that McGrath is going to fall victim to the numbers game, and his future may lay outside Detroit's organization. Now a fourth year pro, McGrath has come a long way since Detroit was forced to send him to the ECHL as a rookie. McGrath has been vocal the past two training camps that he wants to prove he can play in the NHL, but was unable to crack the roster. This season, he had to clear waivers and did -- and so far has struggled in the AHL to prove that Detroit made the wrong choice. His contract is up again after this season, and with a lot of forward prospects slated to be rookies in Grand Rapids for next season, McGrath may try to find employment in another city.

24. Nick Jensen (+4) | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), United States Jr. A (WJAC) ... Defense ... Age: 19
21 GP | 0G 8A, 8PTS | +10, 4 PIM
Jensen is Detroit's new long-term project, in his final season of the USHL before joining St. Cloud State next season, giving Detroit five years to watch him. Jensen is a no-frills defenseman who does everything right. He skates well and has a hard shot -- though his offensive totals don't necessarily reflect that. Still, Jensen is regarded as one of the most consistent defensemen in the USHL. Jensen also won gold this season in the World Junior A Challenge, scoring a goal and adding two assists as the United States captured their second straight gold medal.

25. Mitchell Callahan (+5) | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) ... Right Wing ... Age: 18
37 GP | 10G 16A, 26PTS | +5, 91 PIM
Detroit's resident agitator and middleweight scrapper is off to a fine start to his second WHL season. Last season saw a deep Kelowna team win the WHL, and Callahan played a limited 3rd/4th line role. This year he was expected to emerge as an offensive leader, possibly seeing some time on the second line. As you can see, his totals have reflected that, but they're nothing earth-shattering. Callahan's game is mostly physical, as you can see from the 90+ PIMs he's wracked up.

26. Stephen Johnston (-7) | Belleville Bulls (OHL) ... Center ... Age: 19
18 GP | 6G 4A, 10 PTS | -3, 16 PIM
Johnston is the lone Detroit prospect who needs to sign a contract in the offseason, otherwise Detroit will lose his rights. So far, Johnston has had a very poor season and looks to be on a path to not getting an NHL contract from Detroit. He's been injured on two separate occassions, currently still out of the lineup. But the OHL favors big players with speed -- something that Johnston has. Detroit expected something close to the development of Johnston's ex-teammate, Shawn Matthias, a 2006 draft pick that Detroit traded to Florida. Matthias exploded offensively in his final two seasons of juniors, but Johnston's totals will barely surpass what he put up last season. He doesn't appear to be a go-to offensive player in Belleville, and could be a candidate to be traded to a contending team at the deadline.

27. Travis Ehrhardt ( +7) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), Toledo Walleye (ECHL) ... Defense ... Age: 20
[AHL] 16 GP | 0G 2A, 2PTS | -2, 20 PIM | [ECHL] 3 GP | 1G 1A, 2PTS |+4, 0 PIM
The Wings could have sent Ehrhardt back to the WHL for a final overage season, but they felt he was ready for the professional ranks. It's been tough for Ehrhardt to find icetime in Grand Rapids, but he hasn't looked out of place in the AHL when he's played. He had one stint in Toledo, but was since recalled and has been able to get into a string of games with Doug Janik in Detroit. Easy to see what Detroit liked in him, but it's just a matter of continuing to adjust and making the most of the ice time he gets.

28. Bryan Rufenach (+4) | Clarkson Golden Knights (ECAC) ... Defense ... Age: 20
15 GP | 4G 7A, 11PTS | 31 PIM
Now a junior at Clarkson, the former 7th round pick is continuing to establish himself as one of the best offensive defensemen in the conference. Despite Clarkson being a weak club overall, Rufenach has found a way to chip in offensively and continues to grow with the ice time thrown at him. It's tough to say where he stands on Detroit's radar -- as the ECAC isn't known for being as tough a conference as the likes of the WCHA or CCHA, but Rufenach will most likely have his senior season to aid Detroit in the upcoming decision.

29. Sebastien Piche (-7) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), Toledo Walleye (ECHL) ... Defense ... Age: 21
[AHL] 9 GP | 0G 0A, 0PTS | -1, 4 PIM [ECHL] 8 GP | 2G 5A, 7 PTS | +6, 23 PIM
Piche was the second free agent defenseman that Detroit signed out of juniors and stuck in Grand Rapids. Early on, Piche battled Travis Ehrhardt for ice time, but Ehrhardt seems to have won that battle -- which is not great for Piche, a player who is a year older. Piche struggled in his own end in the QMJHL and seems to be having trouble adjusting his game to the professional ranks. As an offensive defensemen, zero points is not what was expected. Piche is now in his second stint in Toledo, one that looks like it might last for longer than the weekend they had him stay the first time. He's able to produce in Toledo, but was suspended one game for an elbow last week.

30. Julien Cayer (-5) | Clarkson Golden Knights (ECAC) ... Left Wing ... Age: 20
15 GP | 1G 2A, 3 PTS | 6 PIM
Cayer has taken a step back this season. Teammates with Bryan Rufenach at Clarkson, as one of the only drafted players, Cayer should be stepping up as an offensive leaders, despite the fact that he's only a sophomore. However, he hasn't been playing like it, with just three points on the season so far. Cayer isn't a writeoff though, as he's a strong skater with good size who's been a proficient scorer at other levels -- if the offense comes in his final two and a half seasons of college, he could be a top prospect.

31. Johan Ryno (-15) | AIK Hockey (SWE-2) ... Left Wing ... Age: 23
23 GP | 3G 3A, 6PTS | +1, 10 PIM
Ryno is the biggest faller on this edition of the prospect rankings and it should be pretty clear why -- he's likely done as a Red Wing. Ryno has all kinds of skill and at 6'5, has the size that makes him a sought after package. After leaving Grand Rapids after 15 games in the first year of his contract, Ryno got hurt last year in Sweden to burn of most of the second, but still had another chance from Detroit to pursue an NHL career. Instead, Ryno said he would go back to Sweden if he did not make the NHL, really showing that he does not understand the process of becoming a Red Wing. Detroit is high on Ryno, but they'd have to be absurdly fond of him to give him another contract after this, knowing that he has three times burned the AHL. To make matters worse for Ryno, he isn't in the top level of Sweden and his production is very poor -- a player who thinks he can play in the NHL should have more than three goals.

32. Jordan Pearce (-3) | Toledo Walleye (ECHL) ... Goalie ... Age: 23
14 GP | 6-6-1 | 3.82, .881
Notre Dame's star goalie the past few seasons, Pearce has found professional hockey to be a difficult adjustment. I expected he might be able to push Thomas McCollum for time in the AHL, given that he is three years older, but Pearce did not play up to that level in the pre-season and has since struggled in the ECHL. He's splitting time with Alec Richards, a Chicago prospect, and so far Richards has posted better numbers. Pearce's numbers were sky high for most of this season, but over the past few months have showed signs of trending in the right direction.

33. Jesper Samuelsson (-10) | Timra Red Eagles (SEL), IF Sundsvall Hockey (SWE-2) ... Center ... Age: 21
[SEL] 15 GP | 0G 1A, 1PTS | +0, 6 PIM [SWE-2] 18 GP | 1G 5A, 6 PTS | -9, 0 PIM
Curse of an awful last name? Sammy II drew all kinds of draft comparisons to Henrik Zetterberg, given where he was drafted from, his SEL club (Timra), and his draft position. However, this season Samuelsson has taken a step back in his development. Samuelsson has been back and forth between the SEL and SWE-2 all season, most recently sticking in SWE-2 after getting very little ice time with Timra. What's hurting Samuelsson the most is what he's doing with his SWE-2 minutes -- he could be a top six player there, but he hasn't produced like it and his +/- is among the worst on the club. With no transfer agreement, Samuelsson does not need to sign a contract this year, but if he did, he'd likely be in trouble.

34. Nick Oslund (+4) | St. Cloud State Huskies (WCHA) ... Left Wing ... Age: 22
18 GP | 3G 4A, 7PTS | 16 PIM
Oslund has been pretty low on this list almost every time, but he's finally showing signs of life. A big scorer in high school, Oslund not a factor in his first two seasons at SCSU. This season, while his totals aren't earth-shattering, he's set career highs and is among the top five scorers on a low scoring team. Oslund does have the tools -- size, skating ability, and grit -- of the type of grinder that Detroit likes, so he could be working his way back onto their radar as a junior.

35. Anton Axelsson (-) | Timra Red Eagles (SEL) ... Left Wing ... Age: 23
27 GP | 3G 6A, 9PTS | -4, 4 PIM
Axelsson is one of the most NHL ready players on this list, but there have always been concerns that he is not interested in coming to the NHL. As he gets older and older, that concern becomes more of a reality and the likelihood of him coming over decreases. One of the big bargaining chips Detroit had, which was the fact that brother PJ was having NHL success, is now gone as PJ Axelsson is also playing in the SEL. Axelsson's totals are impressive for a checking line player, but with no indication that he's changed his mind on his North American boycott, he'll continue to frequent the lower half of the list.

36. Ryan Oulahen (-5) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) ... Center ... Age: 24
Injured
I suppose it's not fair to hurt his ranking because of it, but Oulahen has not played a game this season as he's still recovering from a horrendous hip injury he suffered late last season. He isn't expected back until next month. Also hurting his stock is the fact that he's 24 going on 25 -- making future NHL contracts in his future very unlikely. The rehab process is going to be very important for Oulahen's slim NHL chances. He was their top defensive forward who was more than capable of chipping in offense before he went down, so his stock could still rise if he can regain that form in the second half of the season.

37. Gennady Stolyarov (-1) | HC MVD (KHL) ... Right Wing ... Age: 23
Injured
Like Oulahen, Stolyarov has been held out of play this season because of injury, also out until January or February. And like Oulahen, that hurts his stock because he's not getting any younger. Stolyarov moved to a new KHL club this season, one where he will hopefully get more ice time. Detroit likely has an eye on him, but a contract is unlikely as long as he continues to live up to the skilled but lazy stigma that's followed him around his whole career.

38. Jamie Tardif (-1) | Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) ... Right Wing ... Age: 24
31 GP | 8G 4A, 12 PTS | -9, 23 PIM
I hate ranking players "last," because no one deserves to be called the worst prospect in the organization. It's been easy in the past, with a chronically injured goalie, an unwanted Griffin, and a college senior who was eventually plain released -- Tardif kind of takes over by default. He's hardly as awful a prospect as the previous prospects in this slot, as the Griffins' captain and one of their top six wingers. But due to his age, average skating ability, average size, mediocre defensive play, and streakiness, I don't think he would make a career in the NHL. However, he's a valuable piece to the Griffins' success this season.

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