2022 Draft / UFA

[Akakabuto 1,842]

2 hours ago, F.Michael said:

My worries are with the draft lottery...Seeing how we got screwed 4/6 times.

Lady Luck is a *****

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

It will be in the 5-10 range. Still a good pick.

[Jonas Mahonas 1,872]

3 hours ago, F.Michael said:

My worries are with the draft lottery...Seeing how we got screwed 4/6 times.

we got screwed 6/6 times.  I think the NHL is gonna hook us up this year, tho. I mean, enough is enough with AZ, NJ, BUF, and NYR.  The NHL is pissing away money sending top talent to these teams.  NY, CHI, ad LA teams make sense to lottery ball favor, as the game still needs exposure.  But giving these teams 3 or 4 overall number 1s and them not doing anything with them is just nonsense.  The Red Wings are ready to grab Shane Wright and make some noise next year.  I really believe this is our year to "luck out".  And I think Bettman called Stevie and let him know that he wasnt going to be able to help us if we finished higher than bottom 6 or so.  

[Jonas Mahonas 1,872]

Lets Analyze this late season tank job a bit more closely.  With 20 games left, Detroit sits 9th to last with 8 pts separating them from NJ at 4th to last.  Should they/can they out-suck 5 teams to get into a 4th to last draw at the lotto wheel?  Shane Wright is a piece the Wings need BAD.  Im thinking that is does this team absolutely zero good to win another game this season.  

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

1 hour ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

Lets Analyze this late season tank job a bit more closely.  With 20 games left, Detroit sits 9th to last with 8 pts separating them from NJ at 4th to last.  Should they/can they out-suck 5 teams to get into a 4th to last draw at the lotto wheel?  Shane Wright is a piece the Wings need BAD.  Im thinking that is does this team absolutely zero good to win another game this season.  

Dont need to. Only need to pick in the top 10 to get an elite player this year.

[bIueadams 776]

We have an extra 2nd and two extra 4ths this year. I expect Yzerman will prolly sell his extra picks to move up in the draft again. Best case scenario we end up with zero 2nds and two 1sts. And maybe an extra 3rd. 

[TLGTrico 660]

5 minutes ago, bIueadams said:

We have an extra 2nd and two extra 4ths this year. I expect Yzerman will prolly sell his extra picks to move up in the draft again. Best case scenario we end up with zero 2nds and two 1sts. And maybe an extra 3rd. 

3 extra 4ths.  Colorado, Vegas and Dallas

[kipwinger 8,756]

I'm really at a loss for who we'll pick this year. I liked Nazar and Kasper when I thought we'd be picking in the 12-15 range. I might like Nazar higher than that still. He's now outscoring Cooley (the consensus #2 pick) and has probably worked his way into the top ten. I think Kasper continues to climb draft boards too. He's having a great 17 yo year in the SHL and gets nothing for minutes on one of the SHL's best teams. Worth noting that Yzerman seems to really like the SHL and USNTDP/College guys with his higher end picks. Aside from Cossa he hasn't taken anyone in the CHL with his 1st and 2nd rounders and both Nazar and Kasper would continue that.

I'd be pretty pissed if we took another defenseman considering we're pretty stacked there. And I don't really want any wingers (aside from maybe Slafkovsky) in that range.

So I guess I'd target Nazar with my first pick, using my extra 2nd to move up if necessary. If he's off the board when we pick, along with Slafkovsky, then trade back and take Kasper and try to get some extra draft capital for doing so.

My wildcard pick is Lekkerimaki, but only on the condition that we somehow nab a young (and legit) 2C before the draft. He's scoring VERY well in limited minutes in the SHL and reminds me a lot of Vrana. He's going to be good, just not what we really need right now.

Finally, I've mentioned these guys before but look at the following guys for depth picks in rounds 2 and 3:

Ostlund (2nd)

Bystedt (2nd)

Kaskimaki (3rd)

Sjodin (4th)

[Akakabuto 1,842]

I take it from your post that Nazar gets his minutes as a centerman this season? I’ve seen him listed as RW also.

Lekkerimäki played at center in juniors, I think. If the plan is for him to move back there next season in the SHL, he would be a very interesting prospect too.

Those two and Kasper would all be great picks in that 8-10 range. 

[kipwinger 8,756]

5 minutes ago, Akakabuto said:

I take it from your post that Nazar gets his minutes as a centerman this season? I’ve seen him listed as RW also.

Lekkerimäki played at center in juniors, I think. If the plan is for him to move back there next season in the SHL, he would be a very interesting prospect too.

Those two and Kasper would all be great picks in that 8-10 range. 

Nazar is the 2C for the USNDTP this year. I've seen some folks say they think he might be a winger in the NHL because he's smallish and they always say that about any guy who isn't 6'3/200lbs/freakishly skilled. They said the same things about Rossi, Zegras, Turcotte, Kent Johnson, etc. I think Nazar will play center because of his skillset. He's a great playmaker, highly competitive, and defensively responsible.

Lekkerimaki is the opposite. He WAS a center at lower levels but probably won't be at higher levels because he's not competitive/physical, doesn't play defense well, and his best attribute his is shot (very Vrana-like).

Kasper is a true center. The question with him is his upside. A lot of folks don't seem to see the high end skill to be a true top center. I agree with them, in part. Most of his production in the SHL has been of the rebound/deflection/crash the net variety. But he's big, athletic, fast, and defensively responsbile. So I think his floor is that of a Bo Horvat or Ryan Kesler type player. But, I've seen enough flashes of skill to make me wonder if he's not playing conservatively because A) his coaches told him to, and B) that's how you grab minutes on a league-best SHL team when you're 17. Think Seider in the German League here. If that's the case then you're looking at more of a Larkin/O'Reilly type guy at his ceiling. I also like Kasper a lot because of the three he's probably closest to NHL ready. The other two probably need a few years to develop their bodies.

[Akakabuto 1,842]

4 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

he's not competitive/physical, doesn't play defense

Sounds like he’s a Red Wing, already!

[bIueadams 776]

Tyler Wright here,

Slafkovsky is my guy. He's big. Soderblom, Ras, Seider, Sundqvist, Edvinsson, Cossa, are also big. He will fit in well. They can be big together.

12 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

Nazar is the 2C for the USNDTP this year. I've seen some folks say they think he might be a winger in the NHL because he's smallish and they always say that about any guy who isn't 6'3/200lbs/freakishly skilled. They said the same things about Rossi, Zegras, Turcotte, Kent Johnson, etc. I think Nazar will play center because of his skillset. He's a great playmaker, highly competitive, and defensively responsible.

Lekkerimaki is the opposite. He WAS a center at lower levels but probably won't be at higher levels because he's not competitive/physical, doesn't play defense well, and his best attribute his is shot (very Vrana-like).

Kasper is a true center. The question with him is his upside. A lot of folks don't seem to see the high end skill to be a true top center. I agree with them, in part. Most of his production in the SHL has been of the rebound/deflection/crash the net variety. But he's big, athletic, fast, and defensively responsbile. So I think his floor is that of a Bo Horvat or Ryan Kesler type player. But, I've seen enough flashes of skill to make me wonder if he's not playing conservatively because A) his coaches told him to, and B) that's how you grab minutes on a league-best SHL team when you're 17. Think Seider in the German League here. If that's the case then you're looking at more of a Larkin/O'Reilly type guy at his ceiling. I also like Kasper a lot because of the three he's probably closest to NHL ready. The other two probably need a few years to develop their bodies.

Rossi is a beast in the AHL. Want.

[kipwinger 8,756]

3 minutes ago, bIueadams said:

Tyler Wright here,

Slafkovsky is my guy. He's big. Soderblom, Ras, Seider, Sundqvist, Edvinsson, Cossa, are also big. He will fit in well. They can be big together.

Rossi is a beast in the AHL. Want.

The guy's insane. He's 20, and AHL rookie, didn't play for a full year, and nearly died...and now he's the best center in the AHL. He's a freak.

[bIueadams 776]

1 minute ago, kipwinger said:

The guy's insane. He's 20, and AHL rookie, didn't play for a full year, and nearly died...and now he's the best center in the AHL. He's a freak.

Reminds me of Datsyuk the way he plays. Just a very mature cerebral game. He's making the correct decision all the time and out-thinking everyone. You can tell he's the leader/facilitator on his line. He's the kinda player we could have stuck on a line with Erne and Smith and all 3 would perform better than expected.

[kipwinger 8,756]

2 minutes ago, bIueadams said:

Reminds me of Datsyuk the way he plays. Just a very mature cerebral game. He's making the correct decision all the time and out-thinking everyone. You can tell he's the leader/facilitator on his line. He's the kinda player we could have stuck on a line with Erne and Smith and all 3 would perform better than expected.

Yeah, I think he plays a lot like Claude Giroux...who plays a lot like Datsyuk. So I see the comparison. Also, all three are really feisty for smaller guys. Rossi doesn't get pushed around on the ice at all. He was my guy in his draft year, and while it's hard to be mad at the Lucas Raymond pick, I wouldn't be heartbroken if we'd ended with Marco. The fact that him and Zegras (another guy I wanted in his draft year) both went 9th overall gives me a lot of hope that we'll nab a difference making center in that general area this year.

[town123 233]

12 hours ago, TLGTrico said:

3 extra 4ths.  Colorado, Vegas and Dallas

Dallas pick is 2024

[bIueadams 776]

22 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

Yeah, I think he plays a lot like Claude Giroux...who plays a lot like Datsyuk. So I see the comparison. Also, all three are really feisty for smaller guys. Rossi doesn't get pushed around on the ice at all. He was my guy in his draft year, and while it's hard to be mad at the Lucas Raymond pick, I wouldn't be heartbroken if we'd ended with Marco. The fact that him and Zegras (another guy I wanted in his draft year) both went 9th overall gives me a lot of hope that we'll nab a difference making center in that general area this year.

You got me on the Rossi train. After your description and watching him play I was hooked. Raymond was the right choice, but I yearn to also add this guy. This is Minnesotas last real shot at the cup before cap hell comes raining down on them with their buyouts. I'd do just about anything to help them in the coming years if it meant Rossi coming our way.

I'm confident Yzerman will make a good decision in the 8-12 spot. If it's another Dman I won't be mad, but I'll laugh a bit.

[TLGTrico 660]

14 minutes ago, town123 said:

Dallas pick is 2024

Yep.  Took me a while to realize my mistake.

[kipwinger 8,756]

Just now, bIueadams said:

You got me on the Rossi train. After your description and watching him play I was hooked. Raymond was the right choice, but I yearn to also add this guy. This is Minnesotas last real shot at the cup before cap hell comes raining down on them with their buyouts. I'd do just about anything to help them in the coming years if it meant Rossi coming our way.

I'm confident Yzerman will make a good decision in the 8-12 spot. If it's another Dman I won't be mad, but I'll laugh a bit.

I will lose my s***. We've been looking for a legitimate 2C since signing Stephen Weiss. NINE YEARS. It genuinely reminds me watching Rafalski, Lidstrom, and Stuart leave over the course of a year and then watching Holland replace them with nobody. People are always like "pretty sure So-and-So General Manager knows more than you do", and then you see these glaring mistakes and wonder how true that actually is. I'll allow for the fact that we drafted Ras and Veleno each in the first round and maybe the HOPE was that one of them would be a 2C, but there were some pretty strong signs (even on draft day) that wasn't gonna happen. But to have shot after shot in the top ten of the draft and not walk away with a top end center is a problem at some point. HAVE to take one this year.

[bIueadams 776]

1 hour ago, kipwinger said:

I will lose my s***. We've been looking for a legitimate 2C since signing Stephen Weiss. NINE YEARS. It genuinely reminds me watching Rafalski, Lidstrom, and Stuart leave over the course of a year and then watching Holland replace them with nobody. People are always like "pretty sure So-and-So General Manager knows more than you do", and then you see these glaring mistakes and wonder how true that actually is. I'll allow for the fact that we drafted Ras and Veleno each in the first round and maybe the HOPE was that one of them would be a 2C, but there were some pretty strong signs (even on draft day) that wasn't gonna happen. But to have shot after shot in the top ten of the draft and not walk away with a top end center is a problem at some point. HAVE to take one this year.

It probably will be a center this year.

I'm caught between the rock and the hard place that is Steve Yzerman. Do I trust him completely? Yes. If he drafts a goalie with our first I'll believe it's the right move. But at the same time he keeps losers like Blash employed, which I disagree with, so maybe I should be more critical of him.

[Jonas Mahonas 1,872]

2 hours ago, bIueadams said:

It probably will be a center this year.

I'm caught between the rock and the hard place that is Steve Yzerman. Do I trust him completely? Yes. If he drafts a goalie with our first I'll believe it's the right move. But at the same time he keeps losers like Blash employed, which I disagree with, so maybe I should be more critical of him.

more important for him to be a good judge of player talent atm.

[marcaractac 3,963]

18 hours ago, bIueadams said:

You got me on the Rossi train. After your description and watching him play I was hooked. Raymond was the right choice, but I yearn to also add this guy. This is Minnesotas last real shot at the cup before cap hell comes raining down on them with their buyouts. I'd do just about anything to help them in the coming years if it meant Rossi coming our way.

I'm confident Yzerman will make a good decision in the 8-12 spot. If it's another Dman I won't be mad, but I'll laugh a bit.

Sadly Rossi's ELC is gonna be pretty crucial for them to not become a dumpster fire during the cap recapture penalty seasons. 

Edited March 23, 2022 by marcaractac

[bIueadams 776]

1 hour ago, marcaractac said:

Sadly Rossi's ELC is gonna be pretty crucial for them to not become a dumpster fire during the cap recapture penalty seasons. 

Yeah it's not happening. Just reminding all you turd burgers that Kip and I were right about Rossi. I'll take Raymond though. 

[marcaractac 3,963]

5 minutes ago, bIueadams said:

Yeah it's not happening. Just reminding all you turd burgers that Kip and I were right about Rossi. I'll take Raymond though. 

Team Nazar this year!

[bIueadams 776]

7 minutes ago, marcaractac said:

Team Nazar this year!

Nazar is a Muslim name. In shallah, our harem will grow large.