Jun 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) comes off the ice after the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images It was a mixed bag for Team USA yesterday as the 47-person roster under coach Adam Nightingale was split in two to face off against Team Finland and Team Sweden in the opening games of the World Junior Summer Showcase.
All three of the Red Wings prospects for the US were on Team White, with 2026 draftmates Victor Plante and JP Hurlbert sharing a top line with potential 2027 first rounder Sammy Nelson as the center. USA Team White fell to Finland 4-1 with the US’ sole goal coming from Red Wings’ prospect Brent Solomon in the second period. Meanwhile, Team Blue upended Sweden’s star studded roster including Viggo Bjorck and Ivar Stenberg with a 6-1 victory led by a hat trick from Carter Sanderson.
The Red Wings could very well be looking at drafting Nelson next year in the draft given his skill at the center position. With the Red Wings future at top line center uncertain, Detroit is likely turning over every stone available as they look to end their playoff drought and avoid further regression. Life goes on for the rest of the NHL however, and this year was no different than last in that no player actually ended up taking his case to a hearing.
For the most part, it seems as if the players who did elect for the arbitration process managed to find happy middle grounds with their respective teams. However, there are still some restricted free agents who remain unsigned, including Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson. Red Wings Extra It’s no secret that the Red Wings have disappointed fans and even former management when it came to their spirit and physicality.
Now, a recent study commissioned by CasinoGuru revealed the statistics to back that disappointment up. According to the data collected and synthesized by CasinoGuru, the Red Wings ranked 32nd out of 32 teams in their aggression index. The outlet used a variety of factors to calculate ‘aggression’ for teams, including total hits, fighting majors, and even player suspensions.
Interestingly, one slot above Detroit in the rankings are the President’s Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche. This year’s Stanley Cup Winners, the Carolina Hurricanes, were in the middle of the pack at 16th.