BOSTON — One prospect looks on his way to being an NHL-caliber defender. Another is displaying a rare combination of skill and physicality.

As the 2018-19 Detroit Red Wings show growth from within thanks to the contributions of draft picks such as Dylan Larkin, Dennis Cholowski, Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi and Andreas Athanasiou, the next wave is showing progress, too.

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Shawn Horcoff, the Wings’ director of player development, spent part of November scouting the team’s European prospects. One defenseman who left an especially promising impression is Gustav Lindstrom.

“He looks like a complete package,” Horcoff told the Free Press. “He’s got a good shot on the power play, good poise, defends well, and he likes to hit.

“If he keeps progressing, he can be a big-minute guy.”

Horcoff also watched several prospects across North America in November, and shared his thoughts on all of them.

F Jonatan Berggren

Drafted: 33rd overall, 2018.

2018-19 stats (through Nov. 30): Three assists in 16 games with Skelleftea (Swedish Hockey League).

Buzz: Berggren, 18, is out three months after undergoing back surgery. Growing pains beset him early, but that was expected. “He’s real raw,” Horcoff said. “He’s playing in a men’s league, and that’s not an easy league to produce offense in. He tweaked his back, so he’s out for a little bit. But he’s a great skater, good hands. He’s had some bad luck as far as scoring, but there’s lots of offensive upside there. He’s a high-skilled player.”

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F Otto Kivenmaki

Drafted: 191st, 2018.

2018-19 stats: Three assists in 17 games with Pori (Finnish elite league).

Buzz: Kivenmaki, 18, is splitting his time between the junior and men’s league in his native Finland. “He’s showing good poise,” Horcoff said. “He’s a little more of a project because strength is his biggest issue.” (At development camp in July, Kivenmaki, who is around 5-foot-5, said he weighed about 150 pounds). “It’s going to take a few summers of intense training for him,” Horcoff said. “He’s small, but small players can play today’s game. And for his size and strength, he’s hard to knock off the puck. He’s great in tight spaces, more of a playmaker than anything.”

D Kasper Kotkansalo

Drafted: 71st, 2017.

2018-19 stats: One assist in 12 games with Boston University (Hockey East).

Buzz: Horcoff said Kotkansalo, 20, “is progressing well. He looks like he’ll be a defender at the pro level. Like with all college guys, we preach patience.”

D Gustav Lindstrom

Drafted: 38th, 2017.

2018-19 stats: Two goals, two assists in 22 games with Frolunda (SHL).

Buzz: Lindstrom, 20, is one of the top defense prospects in the organization. He’s playing top-pair minutes in the top Swedish league, he’s on the second power play, and learning how to penalty kill. “He’s got a great first pass and good poise with the puck,” Horcoff said. “if he makes a mistake, it doesn’t shred his game – he thrives and still plays the same game. And he’s physical – he likes to hit.”

D Jared McIsaac

Drafted: 36th, 2018.

2018-19 stats: Seven goals, 13 assists in 20 games with Halifax (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League).

Buzz: The Wings felt they got a guy in McIsaac, 18, who could have gone in the first round and that hasn’t changed. “He’s doing fantastic,” Horcoff said. “We got lucky getting him. He’s a very smart player, plays on the first power play, plays penalty kill. He can do a little bit of everything, is physical, jumps up in plays. He’s another guy who can be a big-minute guy, who can play in all situations.”

D Malte Setkov

Drafted: 100th, 2017.

2018-19 stats: No points in 12 games with Malmo (SEL).

Buzz: Setkov, 19, has divided his time between Malmo’s elite team and its junior team. He’s a 6-6 string bean, and needs to gain strength. Has a shot to play for his native Denmark at the World Junior Championship this month. “He skates well but still has to work on his mobility, which is typical of tall guys like him,” Horcoff said. “He’s got a good shot and makes a good first pass, but needs to learn some things defensively. The good thing is, on the junior club, he runs a power play, kills penalties, does everything. On the men’s team, he’s getting opportunities.”

F Joe Veleno

Drafted: 30th, 2018.

2018-19 stats: 18 goals, 22 assists in 24 games with Drummondville (QMJHL).

Buzz: Veleno, 18, just crammed 12 points into three games. He’s a smooth skater who sees the ice well and has a good shot. “He’s the type of guy, you draft them for their talent,” Horcoff said, “but the sooner they learn to play on the defensive side of the puck, the better. That’s what will earn him the trust of a coach. So that’s a main focus for Joe, but he takes information and criticism really well. We’re very pleased with him.”

More:Wings to Veleno: Try to make the team next year

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.