Detroit Red Wings 2013 draft preview

[wingfan]

I really would be shocked if we drafted Pulock at 18. Would I be disappointed? No as he seems to be a great talent and adding him would arguably give us the deepest prospect pool at defense in the league. The way I see it at this point is it seems the top 10-12 picks are pretty set, which means that one of Zykov, Mantha, Lazar, or Wennberg(highly doubt Wennberg) SHOULD be available at 18 and I really don't see how you can pass on any of those guys at 18. High end talent down the middle is a weakness in our pool, as are high end power forwards. Wennberg or Lazar would instantly give us two elite center prospects(coupled with Jarnkrok), and adding a guy like Zykov or Mantha would give us a high end talent power forward to add to our depth with Frk and Sheahan. Personally, I'm still excited to see how Tvrdon turns out. The kid is a beast and I really hope he can get his game back on track. A couple of seasons under Blashill will do wonders for his work ethic.

 

[Frk It]

My dream situation would be we draft a forward at 18 then trade back up to the beginning of the 2nd round or end of the 1st round and grab McCoshen. I think that kid is going to be really good in a couple years. Maybe similar to McDonagh with the Rangers.

 

[SportsballChic]

I really would be shocked if we drafted Pulock at 18. Would I be disappointed? No as he seems to be a great talent and adding him would arguably give us the deepest prospect pool at defense in the league. The way I see it at this point is it seems the top 10-12 picks are pretty set, which means that one of Zykov, Mantha, Lazar, or Wennberg(highly doubt Wennberg) SHOULD be available at 18 and I really don't see how you can pass on any of those guys at 18. High end talent down the middle is a weakness in our pool, as are high end power forwards. Wennberg or Lazar would instantly give us two elite center prospects(coupled with Jarnkrok), and adding a guy like Zykov or Mantha would give us a high end talent power forward to add to our depth with Frk and Sheahan. Personally, I'm still excited to see how Tvrdon turns out. The kid is a beast and I really hope he can get his game back on track. A couple of seasons under Blashill will do wonders for his work ethic.

Thanks! I didn't really know much about many of the players outside of the top 5 or so, I went and took at look at some clips of the guys you listed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGaDF4ZWPrc - Zykov: this guy seems too good to be the 18th player selected. Do we have a real shot at him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chwgUotURa8 - Don't like this guy (Mantha) as much. Seems fast, has a nice touch but watch how he's always coming in from off screen and does most of his damage with huge open spaces. Those spaces don't exist at the NHL level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpW1qYK6WZA - I also actually really like this kid; he's dirty. He likes to operate in small spaces and he takes advantage of his defender's body position to find shots. He's banging and hacking in the corners. My only issue is, notice how he kind takes 2-3 strides and then glides towards the goal, like...a lot? You'd like to see him keep driving more often when he doesn't have the puck. Still, like this guy a lot.

Cheers. Do we really have a shot at either the 1st or 3rd guy?

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Thanks! I didn't really know much about many of the players outside of the top 5 or so, I went and took at look at some clips of the guys you listed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGaDF4ZWPrc - Zykov: this guy seems too good to be the 18th player selected. Do we have a real shot at him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chwgUotURa8 - Don't like this guy (Mantha) as much. Seems fast, has a nice touch but watch how he's always coming in from off screen and does most of his damage with huge open spaces. Those spaces don't exist at the NHL level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpW1qYK6WZA - I also actually really like this kid; he's dirty. He likes to operate in small spaces and he takes advantage of his defender's body position to find shots. He's banging and hacking in the corners. My only issue is, notice how he kind takes 2-3 strides and then glides towards the goal, like...a lot? You'd like to see him keep driving more often when he doesn't have the puck. Still, like this guy a lot.

Cheers. Do we really have a shot at either the 1st or 3rd guy?

Zykov - skating concerns and nationality could drop him.

Mantha - probably goes earlier than he should because of his size.

Will be really disappointed if they draft Lazar with Pulock still on the board.

 

[SportsballChic]

Will be really disappointed if they draft Lazar with Pulock still on the board.

That's fair, I have not followed the career of either player so I can't tell you who has more potential. The Dman has a wicked shot; Lazar might just look good because he's more mentally aware than the other kids. Again it's a highlight reel but his ability to be "where the puck is about to be" was pretty noticeable.

Any chance we can get him in the 2nd round? #Greed #OkayIllShutUpNow

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

That's fair, I have not followed the career of either player so I can't tell you who has more potential. The Dman has a wicked shot; Lazar might just look good because he's more mentally aware than the other kids. Again it's a highlight reel but his ability to be "where the puck is about to be" was pretty noticeable.

Any chance we can get him in the 2nd round? #Greed #OkayIllShutUpNow

Lazar will go in the first round and certainly won't make it far without someone trading up to get him if he starts falling. Would still expect the Oilers to try anything in their power to get him if he starts to fall trying to work their way back in, maybe dangling Hemsky in pursuit of a pick. They have even talked about him some at #7 not that I think they would ever pull the trigger all the way up there. I know they said they want to get better now, but Lazar is a guy some organizations will chase, especially if he is on the board in the 20's.

Personally hope Buffalo is sky high on him so I don't have to worry about us taking him over some of the guys I like.

 

[mindfly]

What's the difference between Pulock and Morrisey then?

 

[Frk It]

What's the difference between Pulock and Morrisey then?

For the most part Pulock is a better player all-around. Biggest difference would be Pulock has a rocket slapper and Morissey doesn't. But Pulock is better at just about everything from what I have read.

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

What's the difference between Pulock and Morrisey then?

IIRC Morrisey has less offense but is more well rounded, kind of a jack of all trades master of none. Pulock has the potential to be one of the best offensive dmen from this class but still has some work to do on the other parts of his game. Pulock has more of a bust factor but he has the higher ceiling while Morrisey has a higher floor & lower ceiling. I'd be fine with taking either guy, would prefer Pulock,I'd rather we pick a forward though.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Don't forget that Pulock is also right handed. I know we have some of those guys coming now, but they are harder to find in the league as we all know.

Don't mind Morrissey but prefer Pulock.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=62293 Morrissey

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=86761 Pulock

 

[mindfly]

Yeah, IMO Sproul and Jensen have both good chances of cracking the red wing roster in a not so distant future, Marchenko could also be in that mix, but he's harder to judge so far, must see how he plays in north america and on small rink first.

That's 3 right hand shots right there, but detroit would still prefer right-handers me thinks.

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

Just to add to the Pulock vs Morrissey debate here are Corey Pronman's view on the two of them. He has Pulock at 12 & Morrissey at 20.

On Morrissey:

Morrissey is a dynamic offensive defenseman with a ton of plus skills. He has amassed a considerable number of points for a 1995 birthdate over his last two WHL seasons. His strongest tool is his skating, which is easily high end, if not better. He has a very graceful stride, and his footwork is precise in any direction. His top gear, agility, pivots, and gap control stand out in each game he plays. He is also a top-end puck mover, frequently making aware and accurate passes. He can run the point on a top power play unit, jump into the rush, make a good outlet, and flash a highlight reel play with the puck. His defensive awareness is solid, and he has killed penalties at times. Still, he faces a significant issue in his physicality. I would not describe him as soft, as he can make a quality hit at times, but he often is outmuscled for pucks. Coupling this aspect of his game with his undersized frame makes him a risk at the top level.

On Pulock:

Finding the perfect spot for Pulock was difficult. Some scouts consider him to be a top-eight player in this draft, whereas others prefer him in the 11-15 range. Despite concerns, he has been one of the WHL's top offensive defensemen for the past three seasons. He tied for the points lead among all Wheat Kings this year. His best tool is his shot, which is elite, and NHL teams will utilize it atop the umbrella on their first power play unit. It has been clocked at over 100 miles per hour in skills competitions. His offensive game is well rounded, as he is a high-end thinker who has been described as a methodical puck mover. Pulock always seems to make the right decisions, whether it is to rush, pass, or shoot. Defensively, he is strong on his checks, controls his gaps well, and generally stays with his assignments. Still, he is prone to a breakdown at certain times. The biggest criticism of Pulock is his skating. Some scouts describe it as average, others as above average. Despite having solid mobility, he does not seem to have a blazing top gear. His game is more based on feel than dangling or pushing the pace.

http://hockeyprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1522

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

For the most part Pulock is a better player all-around. Biggest difference would be Pulock has a rocket slapper and Morissey doesn't. But Pulock is better at just about everything from what I have read.

I think the consensus is that Morrissey is the better skater of the two and uses that ability a lot in his game. I thought he looked really good at the U18. I am guessing though that most prefer Pulock to Morrissey. I could live with either as picks.

 

[snailderby]

hoping we don't draft pulock or any D-man with our first pick. would rather draft sizeable forwards , and in the later rounds get whatever we see fit. but big forwards should be our priority.

A decent sized right handed center with offensive potential would be really nice, like, say, Nathan McKinnon, or Elias Lindholm. Seriously, though, if Ryan Pulock were to drop all the way down to #18, I'd be delighted.

 

[snailderby]

I am looking and not finding it. I'm going to assume it was wishful thinking on the part of a Windsor Star writer; that would easily have been the least credible paper I read regularly at the time. Also they don't seem to archive much on the web.

To be honest the only reason I remembered is because he was a name I knew from an actual hockey game; I catch Spitfires games whenever I'm in town to visit my mother. Oh well, I'm not gonna pretend I'm not greedy: I want the best players for our team and I knew he was REALLY good

Yeah, Fowler was still ranked #5 in the final ISS rankings put out in June of 2010. But I don't doubt that there may have been some article out there suggesting that he was falling in the rankings.

 

[snailderby]

IIRC Morrisey has less offense but is more well rounded, kind of a jack of all trades master of none. Pulock has the potential to be one of the best offensive dmen from this class but still has some work to do on the other parts of his game. Pulock has more of a bust factor but he has the higher ceiling while Morrisey has a higher floor & lower ceiling. I'd be fine with taking either guy, would prefer Pulock,I'd rather we pick a forward though.

Same here...I'd prefer a higher risk, higher reward type of player in the 1st round, generally speaking, unless the risk is much higher for not much less reward, but I'd also prefer a forward...unless Pulock is the clear BPA, which he may be if he slips all the way down to #18.

 

[snailderby]

Also, it is true that we don't have that many really exciting goalies in our system after Mrazek, and I wouldn't mind if we took 1 (or even 2) goalies in some of the later rounds, but Jimmy Howard is still only 29 years old and is signed for another 6 years. If Mrazek turns out to be a capable backup, we'll be all set at that position for a long time...unless Howard gets traded or injured or starts playing a lot worse than he is now.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Also, it is true that we don't have that many really exciting goalies in our system after Mrazek, and I wouldn't mind if we took 1 (or even 2) goalies in some of the later rounds, but Jimmy Howard is still only 29 years old and is signed for another 6 years. If Mrazek turns out to be a capable backup, we'll be all set at that position for a long time...unless Howard gets traded or injured or starts playing a lot worse than he is now.

Paterson is an exciting prospect. If they do pick a goalie I hope that goalie is going the NCAA route.

 

[InjuredChoker]

stuart trade? damn and the huskins as well .. 3 7th rounders next year , to bad we just pick up 7th round picks lol shoulda traded white and filppula when we had the chance

Won't get 7th from Huskins trade unless he is re-signed, apparently.

 

[AD1066]

Same here...I'd prefer a higher risk, higher reward type of player in the 1st round, generally speaking, unless the risk is much higher for not much less reward, but I'd also prefer a forward...unless Pulock is the clear BPA, which he may be if he slips all the way down to #18.

Agreed, that's how I feel about Lazar. How much upside does he really have?

Would rather go for Mantha, Wennberg, or Zykov. Pulock if he's there, but we seem set on D for awhile.

 

[TheNextDaigle]

This seems like an odd weakness. Typically, distance from the NHL is taken to be a negative quality in a prospect. It's almost to say that a weakness of Detroit's prospect pool is that their prospect pool is too strong.

It is indeed a weakness if you consider the logjam that might arise. You can compare it with having 10 cartons of milk all expiring in 5 days. It would be better for most people if the milk cartons expired at a more regular rate, ex 1 week at a time...

On the other hand of course, if you plan on trading your milk for some potatoes or onions (ie veterans, picks etc), it is not a weakness anymore. :-D

 

[snailderby]

Paterson is an exciting prospect. If they do pick a goalie I hope that goalie is going the NCAA route.

Fair enough. Paterson has potential. We'll see how he turns out. Why do you say you hope that if we pick a goalie, he'll go the NCAA route?

 

[InjuredChoker]

Why do you say you hope that if we pick a goalie, he'll go the NCAA route?

To give him more time to develop, not take roster/contract spot, to give more time Paterson/Mrazek in minors, prevent logjam etc.

 

[snailderby]

To give him more time to develop, not take roster/contract spot, to give more time Paterson/Mrazek in minors, prevent logjam etc.

I see. That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[vanleusen26]

One first or TWO seconds?

I'm a big fan of this draft. There's lots of talent and a few players with holes in their game that, if worked on, can become key players to any team.

When I saw Pulock as their likely pick on HF, I shook my head. Detroit has so many good D-men and don't need to waste a pick on a one dimensional guy just because he has a good shot. I a mock draft having Detroit pick Wennberg and figured it's probably just because he's Swedish.

What I would like to see Detroit do is either keep their pick and draft a top 6 forward like Curtis Lazar OR trade the pick and try to get (D) Ian McCoshen and (F) Mike McCarron.

McCoshen is considered a very good 2-way D-man, but probably translates as a Defensive defenseman who plays a physical game. McCarron to me looks like David Backes re-encarnated. Big guy, nice hands and if he can put it together consistantly will be a top 6 power forward.

There's a lot of good players in this draft, but Detroit needs to pick a legitimate top 6 forward and that's going to be tough to project at pick 18 and beyond.