I've noted before that the draft isn't as interesting to me as I acknowledge it should be, as I grew up in a time when the players the Red Wings drafted seemed unlikely to ever play for the team anyway. As such, while I think some of Detroit's draft picks this season are interesting, I'm not reading too much into any of it.
With no pick in the first round (sent to Tampa in the Kyle Quincey deal, the Lightning selected big Russian goalie Andrei Vasilevski), the Wings started in the second round at #49 overall. Here are their choices...
#49 - Martin Frk (F, Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL)
#80 - Jake Patterson (G, Saginaw Spirit, OHL)
#110 - Andreas Athanasiou (F, London Knights, OHL)
#140 - Mike McKee (D, Lincoln Stars, USHL)
#170 - James De Haas (D, Toronto Lakeshore Patriots, OJHL)
#200 - Rasmus Bodin (F, Ostersunds IK, SWE)
Bodin came in late to win the best name award from me. It would have gone to Frk but I have to go with a guy named Rasmus.
I like the Frk pick, it's a typical Wings move in that he had been highly-rated and slid, with the Wings willing to take a chance. The kind of thing we always point out Ken Holland doing with free agents like Danny Cleary or Mikael Samuelsson.
Same with Athanasiou, to a certain extent.
We're not going to see any of these guys in Detroit any time soon, though, so that's why you won't see me getting too excited right now.
Might as well kick off a thread for this, though I don't expect it to be too interesting. Let's see if the Oilers do something stupid at #1 here.
Well, they do the smart boring thing and take Yakupov. Smart interesting thing would have been a trade down.
Pierre says Larionov could push the kid to the KHL? Idiot.
We have a trade to announce!
Visnovsky to Isles for a second-rounder next year. Interesting.
Edit: Now they say this year. Whatever.
I bet the Jackets are really kinda p*ssed to select Murray, 'cause they should have had the No. 1 and gotten Yakupov.
We have a trade to announce!
Mirtle says Ribiero to Washington from Dallas.
Edit: For Cody Eakin and a second-rounder (#54).
Brian Burke comes through and does the unexpected. We'll see if Forsberg slides far now.
Lindholm is a great pick for Anaheim. And I'm not just saying that because I picked him in the DFHL.
Jordan Staal to Carolina? Knew that was coming.
Edit: For #8, Sutter and someone I've never heard of. Good for both sides.
Edit 2: Thinking more, liking it less for CAR. Overpaid when they could have waited a season and gotten Jordan for just the money.
We have a trade just as US coverage shifts channels?
Edit: No 14 from Calgary to Buffalo for No 21 and No 42. Boring.
Martin Frk to the Wings at #49. It's like the Jim Nill version of a Ken Holland move. Concussion issues scared people off, Wings take a chance anyway. Too much upside to ignore.
Comment on this Article
You must be logged in to add your comment.