Detroit Red Wings prospect Jared McIsaac’s window is closing fast

The Detroit Red Wings selected defenseman Jared McIsaac four years ago in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft with the 36th overall pick. McIsaac is yet to play in an NHL game for the Red Wings and is still working to crack the roster.

It’s been a long road with McIsaac; an inability to remain healthy has been a real downfall for him, but the Detroit Red Wings as well. His development has been curbed, and he has finally made the Grand Rapids Griffins roster and been able to stick there for the 2021-22 season.

It was a good step in the right direction for McIsaac, who has consistently found his way onto the injured reserve, but he’s been healthy this year and is still trying to piece it all together. The now 22-year-old defender has to kick things into gear to prove he’s going to bring benefit to this team still.

On a Red Wings team that is going to need some defensive help, there’s a shot, but there are some other options in front of him that might contribute to his window to make the roster shutting. He’s running out of time to figure it out and be what the Red Wings need.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jared McIsaac is running out of time.

With another first-round, top-ten defenseman on his way to Detroit in Simon Edvinsson, there’s some added pressure on guys like McIsaac to try and figure it out and become an asset for the Red Wings.

There was a lot of hope that McIsaac would exceed his second-round value and be more of a mid to late first-rounder talent player, but it’s yet to be seen. But, as mentioned above, the injuries have been detrimental to that development path.

This season, he has looked much better with the Griffins, logging 66 games for the team with five goals and 19 assists for 24 points overall. There’s still got to be a jump for him to be the player the Red Wings were expecting.

Though those expectations have likely soured, and him being a third-pairing helper at best might be one of the better outcomes here. There has to be a limit for McIsaac to figure things out, though; he cannot afford to spend another entire season in the minors, expecting to have a spot sooner or later.

Time is not on McIsaac’s side whatsoever. Especially with a crop of young defensemen waiting for their turns as well.