Draft Strategy in 2010

[thedatsyukian 7]

**UPDATED**

Well, the Red Wings have the 21st overall pick in the draft which is the best pick they've had in almost 2 decades(outside of the draft lottery). With that said, what should they go after? Do you think they should go for the best available talent or aim for a certain type of player like a stay at home defenseman?

Personally, I'd like to see them go after the best talent available in the first round and then really focus on getting some goal scorers in the system.

Just what are you general opinions about this upcoming draft?

If anyone is interested here are some mock drafts and rankings/player evaluations for the upcoming draft.

Mock Drafts:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=62937 - Adam Kemelman

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=62944 - Mike Morreale

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=62943 - Brad Holland

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/12207/hockeys_future2010_staff_mock_draft/ Hockey's Future(player evaluations in the article as well)

Player Rankings

http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=11963 - International Scouting Service Top 30

http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospectbrowse.htm?cat=1&year=2010&navid=DL|NHL|DraftMicrosite2010 - Central Scouting

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/allan_muir/11/06/2010.draft.preview/2.html - SI Top 30

http://www.thescoutingreport.org/tsr-2010-nhl-draft-final-rankings-top-1-25/ - The Scouting Report 1-25

http://www.thescoutingreport.org/tsr-2010-nhl-draft-final-rankings-top-26-50/ - The Scouting Report 26-50

http://www.thescoutingreport.org/tsr-2010-nhl-draft-final-rankings-top-51-75/ - The Scouting Report 51-75

http://www.thescoutingreport.org/tsr-2010-nhl-draft-final-rankings-top-76-100/ - The Scouting Report 76-100

If you have any other information that you would like me to add just send me a PM and I'll add it when I get the chance.

Edited June 18, 2010 by thedatsyukian

[Carman 387]

First priority is get the best scorer available. Then focus on a young physical big D man preferably a late round Swede.

[ben_usmc 253]

I hope for a defensive focus, but I believe d is the most important position for how the wings play. So I'd focus my 1st on the best dman available, then 2nd on a pure scorer

[dat's sick 1,002]

Just skip the early round picks and pick some swedes and maybe a russian or two late in the draft. That seems to work out okay.

But seriously I'd say go after someone with a bit of speed and scoring ability. Not that you can just choose "ooh we want this kind of player" and there will automatically be a good prospect like that available. But that's what I'd like.

Defensemen are usually easier to acquire via trade or free agency, and more difficult to develop.

[Marty Barry 230]

I would like to draft a puck moving, offensive defenseman. Somebody with that 1st pass out of the zone. Goal scoring can always be achieved through FA or trades. Nick isn't getting any younger.

[newfy 695]

I would like to draft a puck moving, offensive defenseman. Somebody with that 1st pass out of the zone. Goal scoring can always be achieved through FA or trades. Nick isn't getting any younger.

We already have a surplus in the system as it is. I would go for a pure goal scorer because outside of Tatar that seems to be what the pipe line lacks. Maybe a rugged forward that can score goals like Kassian last year if available around our pick. A stay at home defenseman wouldn't be bad but I wouldn't say first round. I think the one thing for sure we don't need is a goaltender.

[Miller Brew 0]

Just take a look how the future of teams like LA, Chicago, and Colorado turned around due to smart drafting.This is a great opportunity that management needs to take full advantage of.

Teams like L.A. and Chicago isn't successful because of smart drafting, but because they sucked so long to earn mindless picks.

So I hope Detroit doesn't have to suck forever to have successful picks. I like the way Wings brass does it now. Find diamonds in the late round. Like Ericsson, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Franzen and etc...

That said, I say they pick best available. Or, like they did 2009 was trade their first rounder for a bunch of late round picks and draft multiple superstars instead of just one.

One thing about Wings drafting team, they are by far the most brilliant in the league. That's why Detroit is the best team the past 15 years... and continue with their legacy.

[themule93 1]

dont we have a legitimate young goal scorer in tomas tatar ?

[Carman 387]

dont we have a legitimate young goal scorer in tomas tatar ?

Yeah, but that's about it.

[eva unit zero 271]

The Wings' priorities should be as follows:

1) Goal-scoring forward, preferably one comfortable on the wing.

2) Solid stay-at-home defenseman.

3) Strong two-way forward.

Pick those three player types in whatever order yields the best players.

After that, they should pick the best skater available; unless a top end goalie prospect drops much further than he should (such as a first-round type guy falling to the fifth round) they should avoid goalies given the four skilled young tenders in the system waiting for a chance.

[stuck in socal 56]

Only the top 5 picks are normally immediate players who can come and make an impact. So, even we go around this season the way we are, we are not tanking hard enough for that high impact player. WE need pure goal goal scorers and a nice offensive defense men for the the future. Goaltending seems to be ready. We have Howard and Larsson and McCollum.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Yeah, but that's about it.

Not necessarily. Mursak is the best offensive forward on that team (Nylander and arguably Rissmiller aside) outside of Tatar. He's having a fantastic bounce-back season.

Gustav Nyqvist is also having a whale of a year after turning heads in college hockey last year as a rookie. Gustav is currently tied for the lead in hockey east scoring if things haven't changed in the last week or so.

But yeah, we could still use some more scoring prospects.

To be honest this draft is going to be really dependent on how the current group of prospects look at the end of the year... Tatar could be NHL ready at age 20... who knows? Pyett is really picking up steam this season and Smith better be AHL ready by the summer. If Smith still needs to play more college hockey I'd expect the Wings will draft another offensive d-man in the 1st.

Really the defensive priority in the 1st round depends, in my opinion, on two key factors:

--> How NHL ready does Kindl look by June?

--> How AHL ready does Smith look by June? Smith is almost guaranteed to get AHL playing time once the college season is over so the Wings will have a better grip on where he is when they can get a look at him playing against men.

Smith and Kindl are the two heirs apparent for Lidstrom among the current group of prospects... if neither looks to be able to make the jump I'd expect the Wings to take another 1st round shot at a d-man.

But at this point I'd say "take the best talent available" is also a likely strategy since the D and O sides of the prospect pool seem fairly balanced right now.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Filpula, Kindl, 1st to Carolina for their 1st. Draft Hall, game, set, match.

In all seriousness though, a nice NA goal scorer would be nice. We might get a decent pick this year.

[Miller Brew 0]

Not necessarily. Mursak is the best offensive forward on that team (Nylander and arguably Rissmiller aside) outside of Tatar. He's having a fantastic bounce-back season.

Gustav Nyqvist is also having a whale of a year after turning heads in college hockey last year as a rookie.

Out of all our current prospects, who are you looking to make the biggest splash? Do you think we have any surprises like Zetterberg- Franzen- or Kronwall-type of guys that will rock the entire NHL?

[thedisappearer 291]

In all seriousness though, a nice NA goal scorer would be nice. We might get a decent pick this year.

Here's why I think you're an idiot. I don't care where they come from. If you want goal scorers, fine. But the hospital they were in when it happened... irrelevant.

[xBrave_Heartx 0]

What do we lack?

Forwards?

Goal Scoring Talent

Power Forwards

Gritty Two Way Players

Toughness

Defense?

Stay at Home

Toughness

Goaltending?

N/A

We lack, what our team has been lacking for awhile, overall abrasiveness, but kenny has made it a point that detroit isn't built on that, So i wouldn't suggesst that our draft strategy change much, if any.

1st Round, I'll say, Skilled Forward.

2nd through 4th, BPA, Skill Focused, Mixture of F/D

5th through 7th, Gambles, Whether it is a gritty player *Callahan* or a diamon skilled player *Almqvist*

I dont see detroit stretching to far, to get that big stay at home body. They had their chance with Petrecki over Smith in 2 drafts past. If they really wanted that stay at home body, they had there chances. Regardless. Detroit wont take chances on big bodies or too much grit until the later rounds. that way its less of a gamble.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Out of all our current prospects, who are you looking to make the biggest splash? Do you think we have any surprises like Zetterberg- Franzen- or Kronwall-type of guys that will rock the entire NHL?

Tatar has the tools to possibly be a superstar. He's the first player in the Wings 8 year relationship with the Griffins to be sent to the AHL in his draft year. He's the youngest kid in the league and he was not only holding his own but quickly became the best forward on his team.

Ericsson and Kindl both have the tools to be a Kronwall level impact player (not physically, though-- neither can deliver open ice hits like Kroner).

Smith could be a real gem-- he just need to prove he's the real deal in a men's league. He's got great skating, size and offensive instincts to spare. But he won't be a physical presence out there.

Nyqvist is a wild card. He's flat out dominating in college hockey but you can't make the same kind of predictions about the college-NHL jump that you can with a league like the AHL (and even there you get guys like Haydar who dominate in the AHL but can't play NHL hockey because they skate like a frigging pirate).

Mursak has shown why he's considered a potential impact scorer-- he has sick hands and can skate circles around the other guys on the ice. Think Helm with actual hands but not quite the skating ability (Mursak still looks like a speed daemon out there, though).

Ferraro? He's had a disappointing year so far but in the end he's still a guy who was projected as a 1st rounder and that was less than a year ago...

[Datsyerberger 279]

Honestly, with a mid first round pick, I'd just like to see them take the best player available (aside from the one they pick up in the 7th round, of course ). However, if it is close enough to narrow it down to a small handful of choices in the mid 1st round, I believe I'd prioritize in this order:

Goalscorer (of any sort, so long as he's a mid 1st talent. Power forward with goalscoring talent would be a huge bonus). More specifically, a winger.

Defensive (particularly physical) d-man with enough offensive upside to be worthy of a mid-1st.

The talent pool could really use either of those, and the middle of the 1st round is generally the best place to pick up those sorts of talents (most particularly the former). We don't get much of a chance at those, usually.

[Miller Brew 0]

Mursak has shown why he's considered a potential impact scorer-- he has sick hands and can skate circles around the other guys on the ice. Think Helm with actual hands but not quite the skating ability (Mursak still looks like a speed daemon out there, though).

Check out what redwingscentral.com have on Mursak

STRENGTHS

Best assets are terrific skating ability and stickhandling ability ... Excellent one-step quickness and acceleration ... Great moves and offensive smarts, with a Pavel Datsyuk knack for weaving through traffic and emerging with the puck ... Soft hands and scoring ability ... Willing to go to the net ... Good vision and playmaking ability ... Competitive ... Isn't afraid to get his nose dirty.

If he converts that to the NHL... I'm sold!

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Check out what redwingscentral.com have on Mursak

STRENGTHS

Best assets are terrific skating ability and stickhandling ability ... Excellent one-step quickness and acceleration ... Great moves and offensive smarts, with a Pavel Datsyuk knack for weaving through traffic and emerging with the puck ... Soft hands and scoring ability ... Willing to go to the net ... Good vision and playmaking ability ... Competitive ... Isn't afraid to get his nose dirty.

If he converts that to the NHL... I'm sold!

He's also a strong backchecker who plays the puck enthusiastically both ways. He plays a role on the PK (which is admittedly the Griffin's weakest point this season), so he's definitely not a scrub defensively. You could think of him as Datsyuk lite, I suppose.

[stuck in socal 56]

I saw some Tatar stuff on Youtube. He definitely has skill and that goal scoring flare. Kind of like Ovechkin.

[Dimaline312000 51]

This is the one thing I look at this season as it's stated in this thread the Wings are in the best position this season to get a very good draft pick. Do they really need it I'm not sure but it would be nice to get a high pick in this years draft. I'm really not sure if I'd go Defense or not. I'm actually leaning toward a high powered hight octane forward. Let's look. We are still almost at a log jam on D even when Liddy retires we still seem to have a pretty good defensive corps.

What happens when Holmstrom, Maltby, and Draper retire. That's three forward right there now not saying that they will are retire at once and yes we seem to have a pretty good offensive corp in the coming years but I'd prefer to see a 1st round draft pick be a Offensive player and than have the next rounds of the draft really focus on d. I know we did pretty good this past draft in getting Ferarro and Tatar as Forwards but we've done just as good on D as well. So I'm not sure.

To me I want a young forward that doesn't have to be rushed to the NHL but that can be ready in 3 years or less. Youth movement really going to happen in the next three years, I just want to be ready for it. Without scarificing to many points in the standings.

[Finnish Wing 110]

Filpula, Kindl, 1st to Carolina for their 1st. Draft Hall, game, set, match.

In all seriousness though, a nice NA goal scorer would be nice. We might get a decent pick this year.

You're so god damn stupid.

[Slabby 3]

Here's how I think the last few drafts have operated for the Wings:

The first priority is Hakan's picks.

If Hakan doesn't like anybody within range, they draft a depth guy with character and leadership. If there's nobody fitting that description that they like, they'll either try to trade down or draft for need (see McCollum). After they get the guy they want in the first or second, it's all about swinging for the fences. They seem to prefer getting steady character guys early in the draft and try for scoring in the later rounds.

[Echolalia 2,961]

The last I checked, the Stanley Cup winners get the last pick of the first round.