The Big D prospects

[RabbinsDuck]

Nedomlel, McKee, McNalty and Wheaton are all 6'4+, not skinny defenseman drafted recently.

Chances are, only one... Maybe two, of these hulking defenseman will ever make the team... Given the Wings depth on offensive and two-way defensemen.

Curios how people view Nedmlel, McKee, McNalty and Wheaton at this point. Who has the best chance to make the team and stay?

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[Birko19]

All these guys are long shots, and considering our future d-depth, they're even longer shots. But if I had to choose one, I think it would be Wheaton as he seems to be the better defensive player of the bunch.

 

[Wolverine Wings]

I'll go with Wheaton. His coach said his best asset was hockey sense and I really like to here that with big defensemen. However, I've also heard that McKee's skating is turning into an asset, which definitely piques my interest.

All four of them are really rough, the trick is having one of them develop into an NHLer.

 

[Spitfire11]

Hope it's McKee

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Nedomlel has a huge lead on those guys so far, because he's going to be a pro player next year. McKee is still figuring out how to become an ice hockey player and Wheaton/McNulty need more time to figure out the WHL.

 

[RabbinsDuck]

Nedomlel has a huge lead on those guys so far, because he's going to be a pro player next year. McKee is still figuring out how to become an ice hockey player and Wheaton/McNulty need more time to figure out the WHL.

Nedomlel seems the most 'offensive' of all of them, but maybe the weakest defensively.

 

[SportsballChic]

To be fair, McNulty is 185 and 6'6"; he looks pretty skinny.

I'm with Spitfire; I hope is McKee. Dude is built like a gorilla.

 

[ProPAIN]

They are throwing a lot of picks against the wall and hoping one sticks. It does address the issue we have with no real defensive defensemen with size and a bit of a mean streak.

 

[mindfly]

McKee needs to switch to forward and be a 4th line beast.

 

[BF3]

I think we'd be lucky if one of these guys pans out into a bottom pairing guy. No idea who it will be though.

 

[1st Line Interloper]

McKee needs to switch to forward and be a 4th line beast.

I think that's what is going to happen. If McKee's skating is as good as the Red Wings are making it sound, then he will be flipped to forward and will be the 4th line enforcer that can act like a power forward in certain situations.

Hell, he might be tried as a net front powerplay presence at some point.


I don't know which of the three left will have the best chance to make the Red Wings but McNulty and Wheaton have something working for them that Nedomlel doesn't have: The fact that Nedomlel will likely start in the ECHL because of the current logjam at the D position. The Griffins have a trio of good defensemen coming in from juniors and overseas. Those players will join AA and the veteran presences on the Griffins back end.

That isn't to say that Nedomlel cannot surprise everybody and rise to the Red Wings roster but the deck has been stacked against him in the current prospect pool. Those odds favor McNulty and Wheaton over him at the current moment even though many have stated Nedomlel has a unique skill set among our current prospects at the defense position.