List Your Luggage

jkutswings

hot piss hockey
Jul 10, 2014
10,851
8,576
You have been granted the magical opportunity to make the selection for Detroit at 6 overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. But the game isn't about who you choose... it's about what you're basing your selection on.

Post the 3 most important assumptions you're carrying with you, for how you make your draft board.

This "intellectual luggage" might include evaluations of other Detroit players or prospects, who you're targeting in free agency, your plans for the front office this summer, or any number of other things.

But you need to list your top 3 factors.

I only have 2 stipulations that everybody must abide by:

1) You have to pick at #6. You can't trade up or down, because that introduces a whirlwind of other variables that are too unpredictable to really debate.

2) You can't just trash the whole organization. There's plenty of justified frustration over the years, but I don't want this devolving into, "Trade everybody, fire everybody, blow it all up."

So tell me what 3 beliefs/factors/assumptions you're carrying along for prioritizing your pick at 6. I'll post mine to get things started:

#1 I still believe that Zadina will eventually approach PPG NHL winger status. Maybe a little bit short of that, but I'm banking on the kid being a first line player, despite a slow start.

#2 I like both AA and Rasmussen...on the wing. I can see both helping with face-offs and other spot duty, but I think they shine best when not at center.

#3 I think Yzerman will join Detroit in some capacity this summer. I don't view this as a cure-all, but I do expect the Wings to become a bit more aggressive (and maybe a bit more savvy) in the trade market. (Ideally to land a defenseman, but we'll see what happens.)


So what's your trio of trunks? Your cache of carry-ons? Your body of baggage? What leads your list for what you base your draft board on?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fire Ken Holland

Rzombo4 prez

Registered User
May 17, 2012
5,980
2,698
1. The organization needs at least one defensemen who is better than anyone currently in the system. If we do not take Byram (who projects in my opinion to be such a defensemen), we will be forced to trade for one or restart the re-build. If the plan is to address the blue line through the draft, this can cannot be kicked much further.

2. I am not willing to pencil Veleno in as a second-line NHL center.

3. Wings have far less trade value than defensemen or centers. If we don't take Byram, we take a center in a draft with good center depth (i.e. play to the strength of the draft). Fingers crossed this yields a good center we can slot in behind Larkin or an asset that may be moved to acquire the defensemen discussed in 1 above.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fire Ken Holland

lomekian

Registered User
Oct 28, 2013
1,871
891
London
Excellent OP topic - :thumbu:

1. Centers and Defence are not only the most valuable commodity in the NHL but also specifically looking at Detroit's prospect pool. We should only pick a winger if, like last year, they appear at the time to have a significantly higher ceiling than the alternatives.
2. None of our D prospects look like potential #1 guys, though middle pairings look very well catered for.
3. 2 of our best 3 center prospects as things stand are possibly better at wing and can certainly thrive on the wings...and when the options seem well matched, why not choose that which gives you the greatest flexibility going forwards.
 

Goalie guy

Registered User
Jul 8, 2011
3,063
444
Taylor MI
1. The Wings didn't take a big leap forward, long-term, at the end of this season.

2. AA and Rasmussen are not centers in the long term.

3. Joe Veleno is more Valtteri Filppula than anything else (i.e. 2nd/3rd line tweener who eventually becomes a credible but not overwhelming #2).
1st, the kids took a huge step forward at the end of the year.

2nd, AA done fine at center at the end of the year and we have not seen Rass at center and hes still a kid.

3rd Veleno has not even played in GR yet and you know what he is going to be in the bigs?

We have needs huge needs on the back end.
 

SimonEdvinssonAtSix

It's possible to commit no mistakes and still lose
Nov 2, 2018
1,402
1,877
#1.) Larkin has stabilized as a legitimate #1 C and a leader who will become the next captain.

#2.) Our stable of forward prospects is deceivingly strong though lacking elite talent.

#3.) The blueline has some decent prospects who project into the top 4, but we lack a true top pairing player/prospect.

With this list in mind,
my personal draft in order based on availability : Byram , Turcotte/Cozens , Podkolzin
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: The Zetterberg Era

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->