A significant chunk of the Detroit Red Wings' future will be on display during the WHL playoffs in center Michael Rasmussen and defenseman Dennis Cholowski, the organization's top picks in each of the past two drafts.

Rasmussen leads the Tri-City Americans in points per game heading into their series against Kelowna, which starts Thursday. Cholowski is one of the leaders on the blue line for the Portland Winter Hawks, who face Spokane starting on Saturday.

The Red Wings hope both, sooner than later, will join other recent top picks (Evgeny Svechnikov, Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha and Martin Frk) in Detroit.

Shawn Horcoff, the Red Wings' director of player development, called both prospects "a development guy's dream," and will travel West to watch a few of their games.

"These guys are focused," Horcoff said. "They want to make that jump to the NHL soon, and are willing to do anything it takes to speed up that process."

The 6-foot-6, 221-pound Rasmussen will get a good opportunity to make the roster next season as a 19-year-old. The Red Wings plan to use him at left wing in the spot vacated by the traded Tomas Tatar and eventually groom him to be a center, like they have with Larkin.

Rasmussen missed six weeks due to mid-season wrist surgery but led Tri-City in points per game (1.26) and power-play goals (17). He had 31 goals and 59 points in 47 games.

Taken ninth overall in 2017, he is the Red Wings' highest selection since 1990. The organization covets his size and hands, which contribute to his scoring instincts around the net, and is looking for him to increase his strength and quickness.

"We got to be able to get his first couple strides quicker, so when he tries to pull away from a checker he's going to be able to separate a little more, which will allow him to buy more time," Horcoff said. "He took another step forward this year. There were times in junior hockey that he looked like he didn't belong. He's a guy we expect to come to camp and vie for a spot."

Rasmussen impressed during his first training camp and preseason with the Red Wings. Because he has another year of junior eligibility, he can't play for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins next season. He'll either make the Red Wings roster or be sent back to Tri-City.

Horcoff believes Rasmussen will score a lot of goals early in his NHL career from around the net.

"He tips a lot of pucks; he's a big body, so he's tough to move," Horcoff said. "He already knows to get his stick open and get in the right lanes. As he gets more mature and figures it out, his skating improves, and he gets stronger, he's going to be a little more dangerous toward the top of the circles because he's got a fantastic shot."

Playing left wing early in his NHL career will free him from some defensive responsibility.

"If you want to play center in the National Hockey League, unless you're putting up 80-plus points, you got to play defense," Horcoff said. "That's not an easy thing to do against the best players in the world night in and night out. That can be a lot for a young guy to handle.

"Once he learns his craft, he's going to be real good on the forecheck, and when he gets the puck down below the circles it's going to be a real task for opposing defensemen to take it off him. So, he does have a lot of attributes that makes for a successful winger as well."

He has been playing some wing for Tri-City. Horcoff suggested it earlier this season to Americans coach Mike Williamson and told Rasmussen not to view it as a negative.

"You want to build yourself into the best all-around player you can be because the more options you can give a coach to play -- whether it's wing, center, penalty killing, power play -- the more ice time there's going to be for you," Horcoff said.

The Red Wings have a deep core of young forwards in Larkin, Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, Svechnikov and Frk. They aren't nearly as well-stocked with young defensemen, in Detroit or in their system. That's why it's vital for Cholowski, 20, selected 20th overall in 2016, to make significant strides in his lone junior season after a disappointing year at St. Cloud State. The left-shooting D-man produced 14 goals and 52 assists in 66 games split between Prince George and Portland.

"He made a bold decision to leave school and play junior hockey," Horcoff said. "He wanted to play in more situations and play in more games. In this organization, those decisions we leave up to the player. By going to Prince George, we felt comfortable and that he was going to get the necessary coaching (from former NHL defenseman Richard Matvichuk).

"He knew he needed to get stronger, get faster, in better shape. He committed to the whole summer in Detroit, worked out with a bunch of local players and was exposed to what it's like to train as a pro. Right from the drop of the puck at the start of the season he's been fantastic. We're hoping he goes on a nice, long run, so he can get some experience playing important games."

Horcoff sees the difference in confidence in the 6-1, 200-pound Cholowski.

"He's a guy we drafted as a good skating, puck-moving defenseman that can break the puck out with both his feet and his passing ability, which is an asset in today's game," Horcoff said. "On top of that, be involved in the offense.

"Most kids who go into college are physically immature and they're playing against men. You're just not strong enough, your body just doesn't let you do the things you want to do. We worked long and hard with Dennis, not just throughout the season but in the off-season, trying to put together a program that was going to suit his needs. I think he put on nearly 18 pounds in the off-season, lowered his body fat percentage and didn't get any slower, in fact got quicker. That's not easy for anyone to do, but he was able to do it in a short period of time. Physically, he's mature and ready to make that next step."

It's especially difficult for a defenseman to go from juniors to the NHL, so Cholowski is almost certain to play in Grand Rapids next season.

Horcoff said Rasmussen and Cholowski will join Grand Rapids this season once their junior teams are done, if the Griffins are still playing.

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