Detroit Red Wings: Red Savage is a niche prospect to keep an eye on

The Detroit Red Wings have done a great job piecing together their draft classes over the last few seasons. Since General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman took over things in Hockeytown, he started to piece together a core of prospects that will feed this organization for years to come.

Between goal scorers, trade bait, defenders, and niche players, the Detroit Red Wings have it all. There are a lot of prospects who may not even see the light of day in a Red Wings uniform but could still play a role as a trade chip.

But beyond that, some prospects are likely to be used in niche roles. One of those players who comes to mind is Red Savage, a fourth-round selection of the Red Wings from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

The former United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) product has moved on to Miami University, where he competes with the RedHawks, the same school his brother attends and the same school his father attended. His father, Brian Savage, is a 12-year veteran of the National Hockey League. It’s a true hockey family.

Detroit Red Wings prospect Red Savage is a niche prospect.

Miami’s program is going through a rebuild and trying to work its way back up in the best conference in college hockey. But, with things being in rebuild mode, Savage is near the team’s top grouping of forwards.

That being said, he’s getting plenty of ice time and opportunities and developing his game before hopefully making the jump. As a fourth-round pick, Savage’s expectations are far different than a second-rounder or so, but there’s still plenty to be excited about.

Savage has the ability to excel in many facets of the game. In his freshman campaign with the RedHawks, Savage would log 35 games, adding six goals and ten assists for 16 total points. He finished fourth among forwards on the team’s roster and sixth overall.

As someone who can contribute on both ends of the ice and viewed as a center who can win draws, there’s a lot to like with Savage. A few more seasons of him playing for Miami and fine-tuning things could result in great things.

It’s not to say that he’s going to wind up as a first-line center for the Red Wings, but he could wind up exceeding expectations and being an excellent player who anchors a bottom-six line and contributes on special teams.

Savage is someone that Red Wings fans who follow prospects should keep an eye on.