Speculation: Who Should Detroit Pick at 4th?

[MBH]

This is an interesting post but off the mark imo. I certainly agree that because you can’t control how next draft will unfold that you can’t let it dictate how you play this draft.

Similarly though, you can’t control how the 2020 prospects develop. Therefore you can’t just draft a D or C because we previously drafted wingers. You have to take the player you believe has the greatest chance at having the greatest impact. If that’s Drysdale, Lundell or Sanderson, great! But you don’t just draft one of them because 4 of our last 7 top picks have been wingers. It’s the wrong rational.

If Raymond, Rossi, Holtz or Perfetti project to have the largest impact, then they are my pick regardless of what position they project to at the NHL.

For the record, Raymond, Perfetti & Drysdale look like the best prospects to me. I also really like Holtz and Lundell but they seem to be perceived as reaches at 4.

OK - keep drafting wingers and wondering why you suck on defense and center, and why you keep losing.
In Sanderson you're getting someone who will play 25 minutes a night and tilt the ice towards the other team's goal.
That's what wins hockey games.

The only winger in this draft that bests Sanderson is Lafreniere, IMO.

 

[ArmChairGM89]

OK - keep drafting wingers and wondering why you suck on defense and center, and why you keep losing.
In Sanderson you're getting someone who will play 25 minutes a night and tilt the ice towards the other team's goal.
That's what wins hockey games.

The only winger in this draft that bests Sanderson is Lafreniere, IMO.

Jesus

 

[ArmChairGM89]

OK - keep drafting wingers and wondering why you suck on defense and center, and why you keep losing.
In Sanderson you're getting someone who will play 25 minutes a night and tilt the ice towards the other team's goal.
That's what wins hockey games.

The only winger in this draft that bests Sanderson is Lafreniere, IMO.

Every time I read this Sanderson take it gets hotter and hotter.

 

[MBH]

Every time I read this Sanderson take it gets hotter and hotter.

Imagine that.
People having high expectations for the player they want to draft 4th overall.

 

[Frk It]

Every time I read this Sanderson take it gets hotter and hotter.

Let me double down
No let me triple down
Fine I’ll quadruple down

 

[Kingpin794]

OK - keep drafting wingers and wondering why you suck on defense and center, and why you keep losing.
In Sanderson you're getting someone who will play 25 minutes a night and tilt the ice towards the other team's goal.
That's what wins hockey games.

The only winger in this draft that bests Sanderson is Lafreniere, IMO.

I mean Larkin, Ras, Veleno (C’s), Cholo, Seider (D’s). Five first round picks recently that were either center or defense. Not to mention picking Hronek, Lindstrom, Johansson, Tuomisto, and McIssac all before pick 60. We suck at center and D because the guys we drafted to take over in those spots aren't ready yet and the guys we CAN put out there in the mean time suck. No one is wondering why we're losing. We all saw this coming for awhile when crawling into the playoffs was valued over the long term projection of the team. We certainly aren't losing just because we draft wingers.

 

[MBH]

I mean Larkin, Ras, Veleno (C’s), Cholo, Seider (D’s). Five first round picks recently that were either center or defense. Not to mention picking Hronek, Lindstrom, Johansson, Tuomisto, and McIssac all before pick 60. We suck at center and D because the guys we drafted to take over in those spots aren't ready yet and the guys we CAN put out there in the mean time suck. No one is wondering why we're losing. We all saw this coming for awhile when crawling into the playoffs was valued over the long term projection of the team. We certainly aren't losing just because we draft wingers.

I chose top pick for a reason.
I'd say a main reason why we're losing games has been our inability to draft a 2c and quality defense.

 

[newfy]

OK - keep drafting wingers and wondering why you suck on defense and center, and why you keep losing.
In Sanderson you're getting someone who will play 25 minutes a night and tilt the ice towards the other team's goal.
That's what wins hockey games.

The only winger in this draft that bests Sanderson is Lafreniere, IMO.

Scoring more goals than the other team is what wins hockey games.

I'm sure the guy with half a good season and not a lot of offense is easy to predict 25 mins a game for and tilting the ice for you, but you love the hot takes

 

[Hen Kolland]

I really like Sanderson as a player, but I already grew to hate Athanasiou because of similar ludicrous statements. I don't think I can take growing to hate my own players anymore.

 

[Kingpin794]

I chose top pick for a reason.
I'd say a main reason why we're losing games has been our inability to draft a 2c and quality defense.

you can't know if they haven't found that 2C or quality D yet.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

ding ding ding

There’s the question of what do we need... then the question of what does this draft have to offer.

When you force yourself to merge those two is when you make bad picks.

Moreover, I really don't think the Wings are strong enough anywhere on the ice to say that any position isn't a "need."

Out of our prospects/young roster players on the wing, I'd say you have:

Zadina: great prospect
Rasmussen: not really sure if he's a C or a W, not really sure if he's a middle six or top six guy.
Berggren/Mastrosimone/Soderblom/etc: some promise, let's wait and see.

Mantha, Bertuzzi, and Fabbri are good players, but in or near their prime imo.

I certainly wouldn't say that we're in position to turn our nose at an elite winger (if you think that's what Raymond/Perfetti/Rossi/Holtz is).

 

[FabricDetails]

In my ideal mind we already have a #2C. That kid who was born in Waterford. It's drafting that future #1C I want who has a Hart-like season during a Cup winning year and right before his big contract, thus allowing for that one year of quality depth. #PieInTheSky. Although that's kind of like when Zetterberg had his Conn Smythe playoff run before his big contract.

 

[ArmChairGM89]

Moreover, I really don't think the Wings are strong enough anywhere on the ice to say that any position isn't a "need."

Out of our prospects/young roster players on the wing, I'd say you have:

Zadina: great prospect
Rasmussen: not really sure if he's a C or a W, not really sure if he's a middle six or top six guy.
Berggren/Mastrosimone/Soderblom/etc: some promise, let's wait and see.

Mantha, Bertuzzi, and Fabbri are good players, but in or near their prime imo.

I certainly wouldn't say that we're in position to turn our nose at an elite winger (if you think that's what Raymond/Perfetti/Rossi/Holtz is).

While I agree with this in general I would shy away from RW.

 

[Frk It]

In my ideal mind we already have a #2C. That kid who was born in Waterford. It's drafting that future #1C I want who has a Hart-like season during a Cup winning year and right before his big contract, thus allowing for that one year of quality depth. #PieInTheSky. Although that's kind of like when Zetterberg had his Conn Smythe playoff run before his big contract.

When Byfield slides to 4 you’re all set

 

[raymond23]

Still fully on the Perfetti train. Too many elite qualities to his game.

Drysdale is intriguing tho. He seems like the safest pick, I just question his offensive upside a bit.

I’m all aboard the Yzerplan tho, so I’ll be hyped no matter who we pick lol.

 

[FabricDetails]

When Byfield slides to 4 you’re all set

Exactly. That's what happened...

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

OK - keep drafting wingers and wondering why you suck on defense and center, and why you keep losing.
In Sanderson you're getting someone who will play 25 minutes a night and tilt the ice towards the other team's goal.
That's what wins hockey games.

The only winger in this draft that bests Sanderson is Lafreniere, IMO.

What wingers? This team has next to zero prospect depth on the wing. Berggren has lost serious development time. Mastrosimone looks good, but he's not someone to hitch your cart to. And everyone else is a late round pick.

Or, what? Are we talking about future NHL star Givani Smith? The organization has already said they consider Rasmussen a center.

Wingers are actually a need on this team now. I'd argue defenseman are not. They've drafted a ton of D, now we have to let them develop. I'm not saying you ignore the position, but taking one with your first would be a sketchy idea. You can't win games -1 to 0.

And before someone says it, Mantha, Bertuzzi, etc do not fit our window. They are not long term solutions. So, we've got... Zadina, and that's about it.

 

[njx9]

Taking yet another W with a premium pick is like putting gold plating on your oars while ignoring the fact that the bottom of your boat looks like a colander, if you're trying to actually build a decent team.

That said, I'm ultimately fine with whatever we do. Yzerman should figure out how he wants to build/fix the team and shouldn't feel bound to build around whatever garbage picks were made before he got here. I'm mostly assuming we're essentially starting over, and that it's unlikely the Manthas and Larkins of the team will be around the next time the Wings are even a little bit competitive.

 

[jkutswings]

I feel like this thread and the personal draft board thread are a bit redundant, but:

Lafreniere
Byfield
Stutzle
...
Perfetti
Raymond /Drysdale
Drysdale / Raymond
...
<insert several roughly equivalent but less inspiring choices here>
...
Happy Gilmore
The Hanson Brothers
Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar
...
Whatever the name of that blasted goalie is that Bench has a man crush on.

 

[Bench]

Whatever the name of that blasted goalie is that Bench has a man crush on.

Sorry, but I can't respect any list that has the legendary Hanson Bros behind such a poor skater like Happy Gilmore. Your judgement is clearly not to be trusted.

 

[jkutswings]

Sorry, but I can't respect any list that has the legendary Hanson Bros behind such a poor skater like Happy Gilmore. Your judgement is clearly not to be trusted.

Agree to disagree.

Elite shot for the power play. Not to mention his improved short game.

 

[avssuc]

I think we should just pull a Monopoly Deal Breaker card and draft Lafreniere with it!

I think the NHL owes Detroit for the time they tried to draft Pavel Bure, were told he was unavailable by NHL officials, only to watch the Nuks grab him later in the same draft.

 

[avssuc]

I

It's an older article, but one that might be worthwhile reading.

The Danger of Drafting 'Defensive' Defensemen

I'd wager that's more true today than it was in 2013 when this was written. Nice find.

 

[lilidk]

When Byfield slides to 4 you’re all set

Possible

 

[Frk It]

We need puck possession drivers that make the players around them better. Period.

I care about that more than if they take faceoffs or not. Look at what Patrick Kane does in Chicago, he makes any 2 players you put on his line 10x better.

Larkin has elite skating ability and can play good defense. Throw him 2 game breakers on the wing (no disrespect to Bert/Mantha) and let him play the Kessler/Bergeron role.