Rasmussen registered his second goal of the preseason Saturday, doing his part in a 3-2 road win over the Penguins.

EDGE Analysis

Rasmussen is considered one of the top prospects in Detroit's system. Listed at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, the left-shooting center puts a lot of steam into his shots, and he was prominently featured on the power play in the past three seasons with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. It's entirely possible that the 19-year-old never has to step foot on AHL ice because he's so skilled and the Wings have altered the pecking order down the middle to try and compensate for the loss of Henrik Zetterberg, who has retired due to back trouble. The BC native is bound to experience growing pains as he adjusts the NHL, but not enough can be said about his potential to be an impact player at the top level.

Not only does Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill think Rasmussen has a "real good shot" to secure a roster spot with the Original Six team, he's viewing him as a potential power-play option.

EDGE Analysis

It appears that Detroit's bench boss is having a hard time containing his excitement about Rasmussen, as Blashill added, "He's an excellent, and I mean excellent, net-front presence guy with his ability to tip pucks, his ability to score in tight areas, so we should be excited about that. He wants to do that, that's where he wants to be." The brawny pivot amassed 81 goals and 76 assists over 161 games for the Tri-City Americans between 2014-18 and captained the club during an abbreviated run at the 2018 WHL Cup, notching 33 points through the third round against Everett. The 19-year-old's progress is certainly worth charting if you want to get ahead of the prospect curve.

As expected, Rasmussen will compete for a roster spot with Detroit this fall, the Detroit Free Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Red Wings have shown acute interest in acquiring power forwards with a scorer's mentality -- burgeoning winger Anthony Mantha is the first to come to mind -- and Rasmussen likely finds himself behind only Evgeny Svechnikov among the team's forward prospects. Despite his imposing stature at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, the 19-year-old is graceful on his skates and carries tremendous upside as a playmaker, having accumulated 59 points (31 goals, 28 assists) over 47 games for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL during the 2017-18 regular season, plus he lit the lamp 16 times to complement 17 helpers in 33 playoff contests. While there's no question that Rasmussen is talented, being able to skip the AHL to join the parent club come Opening Night is an accomplishment that only the truly elite players are able to swing; time will tell if he's that guy.

One of the reasons the Red Wings traded Tomas Tatar to Vegas on Monday was to give Rasmussen a better chance of cracking the Detroit roster next season, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Trading a productive player to open up a roster spot for a 19-year-old kid is a risky move, but Detroit needs to do whatever is necessary to get more youth and skill into their lineup. Seen as a long-term project when the Wings drafted him ninth overall last June, Rasmussen showed far better than expected in training camp and he has had a productive season (49 points in 38 games) for WHL Tri-City despite missing a significant portion of the season with a wrist injury. There's no downside in giving Rasmussen a nine-game trial in Detroit to begin next season, but the worst thing they could do is keep him around if he shows he isn't ready.

Rasmussen has 16 goals, 31 points and a plus-9 rating through 22 games for the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League.

EDGE Analysis

Rasmussen has been a beast on the power play as well, accruing nine goals and three assists. At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, the 18-year-old has the size to become a serious threat as a NHL center, especially since he's won 56.9 percent of faceoffs this campaign. If the 2017 first-round pick can keep up the pace he's at, the Red Wings will likely give him a serious look for the 2018-19 season, since three of their centers are over 33 years old.

Rasmussen will make his NHL (preseason) debut Tuesday night, when the Red Wings take on the Bruins in Boston, MLive.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Wings are eager to get a look at their ninth overall pick from this year's draft, although it's already known that the 6-foot-6 pivot will head back to WHL Tri-City before the NHL season begins. Rasmussen has accumulated 50 goals, 48 assists and 87 PIM in 114 games with the Americans since 2014-15. Keep him in mind for future fantasy seasons.