The Red Wings have signed another one of their college prospects. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed winger Dylan James to a two-year, entry-level deal. The contract will begin next season. For the rest of this year, James will join AHL Grand Rapids on a tryout agreement. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal, which carries a $1.05MM AAV, breaks down as follows:
| Year | NHL Salary | Signing Bonus | Minors Salary |
| 2026-27 | $922.5K | $102.5K | $85K |
| 2027-28 | $967.5K | $107.5K | $85K |
Detroit drafted the 22-year-old in the second round back in 2022, picking him 40th overall. James was coming off an impressive season with USHL Sioux City, one that saw him finish in the top 20 in league scoring with 28 goals and 33 assists in 62 games.
From there, James went on to play his college hockey in North Dakota where it took a while for his offensive game to come around. He recorded 16 points in his freshman year before notching 19 and 22 in his sophomore and junior years, respectively. But James saved his best offensive performance for last, picking up 21 goals and 11 assists in 40 games, leading the Fighting Hawks in goals while making the AHCA All-Academic Team for the fourth straight time. His team had made it to the Frozen Four but lost to Wisconsin on Thursday, ending his season.
While James will get an early start on his professional career by joining the Griffins on a tryout, it seems unlikely that he’ll see any sort of extended action in the AHL playoffs with Grand Rapids carrying a veteran-laden roster that has already locked up the top spot in the Western Conference.