Team: Detroit Red Wings
via Youth Hockey Hub

Fantasy Summary

High-pace playmaker who shows flashes of elite hockey sense. Lack of size and inconsistency make him a boom-or-bust prospect with top-six upside.


Observations

September 2026 – Plante won the 2026 Hobey Baker Award after a dominant sophomore year at Minnesota-Duluth – 52 points in 40 games, the most productive campaign by a UMD player since 2011-12. He scored in 29 of those 40 appearances and carried his team to the conference finals, firing seven shots in a losing effort against Michigan. He returns to UMD this year alongside brothers Zam and Victor, and a late-season move to Detroit or the Griffins looks possible depending on where both teams find themselves in the standings. His vision and play-driving ability project to the NHL level. Size remains the outstanding question – at 5-11, absorbing contact and making plays through it will define how far he goes. A dynasty hold with genuine top-six upside. Ryan Downey
December 2025 – As of December 2025, Max Plante leads the NCAA in points, with 30 points in 20 games. His speed and ability to guide pucks through small gaps of open ice allow him to create chances out of nothing. He knows when to let off a quick shot, whether for an assist or for a goal. Plantewas injured for chunks of last season and has come back effective for his Minnesota-Duluth team.
As he heads to World Juniors with Team USA for the second year, expect him to play important minutes in the top six. When he makes his transition into the professional league, he will be a noticeable presence with the Red Wings and eventually grow to be a steady pick on a fantasy squad. Katrina Liu

June 2025- Plante took the ice as an NCAA rookie in 2024-2025 and showcased the playmaking skill that was his calling card in his draft year. He scored nine goals and added 19 assists for 28 points in 23 games. That point pace for an 18 year-old sits him just outside the top-ten since 2009. His 19 assists (in only 23 games) put him 63rd by that same measure. Prospects often see a dip in their hype as the next year’s draft comes around, and they’ve moved from the top of the heap in a league they’re comfortable in to a league where they are just cutting their teeth. Plante isn’t a lock for an NHL top-six, but he has a standout skill, and his minimal playing time may present a buying window in your leagues, as his point-production was certainly buy-worthy. Alex Wyatt

June 2024 – Plante was selected in the second round, 47th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2024 NHL Draft. Hadi Kalakeche

April 2024 – Speed and skill is the name of the game for Plante. A pace-pusher who seems to improve as he turns on the jets, Plante loves to connect with teammates in high-danger areas. His passing is a clear standout trait — both in terms of versatility and accuracy. Constantly throwing pucks at the slot has its limits, though, and Plante doesn’t necessarily have the defensive or physical tools to win pucks back after those passes don’t work out. Still, the dynamism in Plante’s game gives him a boom-or-bust element. Top six or nothing. Hadi Kalakeche

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 7.5
NHL Certainty 5.5
Country USA
Position C
Roster Type NCAA
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth February 20, 2006
Height 5‘11”
Weight 170 lbs
Drafted 2024 Round 2; Overall: 47
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Stats – Frozen Tools – Profile on FT

SeasonLeagueTeamGPGAPTSPIM+/-
2026-2027NCAAUniv. of Minnesota-Duluth10220-1
2025-2026NCAAUniv. of Minnesota-Duluth402527522319
2024-2025WJC-20USA U20612343
2024-2025NCAAUniv. of Minnesota-Duluth2391928165
2023-2024WJC-18USA U187291121
2023-2024USHLUSNTDP Juniors256232969
2023-2024NTDPU.S. National U18 Team511546611616
2022-2023WHC-17USA U1770101000
2022-2023USHLUSNTDP Juniors3251924182
2022-2023NTDPU.S. National U17 Team54113546240
2021-2022USHS-MNHermantown High3118547240
2021-2022USA-S15Team Kelly400000
2021-2022UMHSEHLTeam The Base195111620
2021-2022MNHPB15 - District 11313400
2020-2021WSI U15Draftday Selects U159591400
2020-202114U AAAMinnesota Blades 14U AAA138101800
2019-2020MNBEL 14UMN Rangers 14U AAA421300
2015-2016Brick InvitationalTeam Minnesota643700

Highlights