from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
Right now, maybe some of the Red Wings’ 11 draft picks might be viewed as a bit of a reach, maybe bit of gambles. But you get the sense that if any of them reach their potential, the Wings might have hit the jackpot.
“That’s our job really,” said Tyler Wright, the Wings’ director of amateur scouting. “It’s not to pick the best player today, but who is going to be the best player at age 21, 22, and 23 foremost.
“Some of these kids might not play and that’s just the nature of the beast we deal with. But at the end of the day, we’re trying to build something with what can they bring to the table that can excite us. We’re happy with the draft. We didn’t put an emphasis on saying we’re going to continue to take defensemen or take wingers.
"We got good size, we got good people who can skate and are real competitive kids.”
The Wings took five defensemen, five forwards and a goaltender — they obtained an extra seventh-round pick from Buffalo late in the day — and came away with several players who are generally considered to have large, untapped upsides.
“The only emphasis was trying to do our homework and make sure we knew all these kids well and pick the best possible prospects we could,” general manager Steve Yzerman said. “We’re drafting kids who we hope have a lot of upside.
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Below, Ansar Khan and Helene St. James with more on the Wings.
from Ansar Khan of Mlive,
Steve Yzerman wasn’t focused on position, nationality or size in his first draft as Detroit Red Wings general manager, but the collection of picks is highlighted by defensemen, Europeans and big bodies.
After taking German defenseman Moritz Seider sixth overall on Friday, the Red Wings selected 10 more players Saturday during the final six rounds at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
In all, this draft class features five defensemen, seven Europeans and six players 6-1 or taller. This is the first-ever draft the Red Wings did not select a player from the Canadian major junior ranks (CHL).
“The only emphasis was on trying to do our homework, make sure we knew all these kids well and pick the best possible prospects we could,” Yzerman told media at the draft. “As far as position or whatever, it just kind of plays out how it plays out from pick to pick.”
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from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
NHL teams can begin reaching out to free agents Sunday, getting a head start on the signing period that begins July 1. Yzerman repeatedly has said he isn’t going to make a big signing just for the sake of making a splash in his first offseason as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, but naturally he’ll do due diligence.
“I”m going to make some calls and see,” he said. “There are players we’re interested in. I’ll get a feel for, one, if they have any interest in coming to Detroit, and then what the parameters are of what they’re looking for.”...
The Wings are not likely to be a playoff team next season, but they do have roster spots available up front and on defense.
“Before doing it through trade I would look at free agency to fill those roster spots,” Yzerman said. “We also do want to have some opportunity for our younger players to fill those spots, but we will look at free agency. But the player has to fit what we’re trying to do. The value of the contract has to fit.”
One free agent who has earned the right to make his own call is defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall, 38, led the team with 79 games played last season. If he wants to take all summer to decide whether to retire or return — he’s 47 games shy of 1,000 and has said reaching that milestone is meaningful — Yzerman will wait.
read on
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