from Jamie and Stoney of 97.1,

As Red Wings fans are surely aware, the team hasn't done itself any favors in the draft lottery of late.

By winning eight of their past nine games, the Red Wings have fallen from second on the lottery board to fifth. This is magnified by the fact that the team with the first overall pick will have the chance to draft a possible superstar in center Jack Hughes. Winger Kaapo Kakko lingers just below him.

General manager Ken Holland said on Tuesday he values the continued growth of Detroit's young players over the team's odds in the lottery. Still, would the Wings be better off resting some of those players, who have collectively fueled the hot streak, to effectively forfeit the final two games of the season and perhaps improve their positioning in the draft?

Not going to happen, Jeff Blashill told the Jamie and Stoney Show on 97.1 The Ticket.

"The question of sitting some of those players, we’ve got a whole bunch not in our lineup right now. For me to go and ask a Larkin, a Bertuzzi, a Mantha to take a seat in this game, I think it sends the wrong message to where we’re trying to build to as quickly as possible," Blashill said. "We don’t want to be great eight years from now. We want to be great or better next year. The best way to be better next year is for Bertuzzi, Larkin, Mantha, Athanasiou to continue to take the steps that they’ve shown and progress along the arch that they’re on right now, and the best way for them to do that is to continue to gain experience and confidence.

continued and you can listen to the full interview too...