How Detroit's Prospect Pool Should Shape their 2026 Draft Strategy
Above: Steve Yzerman captains the Red Wings’ Draft Table at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Credit: Andrew Birkle, DFP
The 2026 NHL Draft is set to kick off in just a handful of hours. As conversation continues to revolve around the future of Dylan Larkin and to a lesser extent Sebastian Cossa, it can be easy to forget that a big component of their offseason is on the horizon. It does not help that they traded their first-round pick this year - 15th overall - for two seasons of Justin Faulk, but that does not mean all hope is lost. There is always value to be found deeper in the draft. So what does a successful 2026 Draft look like for Detroit?
The Pool
Before answering that question, we need to map out the Red Wings’ current prospect pool. With Kienan Draper signed in Grand Rapids, the Red Wings have 32 players in their prospect pool. For the purposes here, Emmitt Finnie is considered to have “graduated” - he was a full-time NHLer this year, and many hope he takes a big step this offseason to be a top-six winger or center. Let us break the pool down by positive and relative quality:
Assessing this chart, we can see that the Red Wings are deepest at left wing, left defense, and goaltending. Center depth past Nate Danielson looks okay on paper, but is actually rather dire on closer inspection. Becher played wing when healthy for the Griffins’ playoff run, Robertson-Palmer was scratched for Moncton several times, Mehlenbacher is a fourth-liner in the NCAA, and Ali played wing this past season in the NCAA. Right defense is also lacking and becomes even thinner once Sandin-Pelikka graduates, but with Seider and ASP locking down that side, they should not need more than third-pairing players there for at least the next five to ten years.
Especially with the current roster deficiencies well-known, and the impending departure of Dylan Larkin, it is clear the Red Wings need to do whatever they can to target centers in the draft. Furthermore Finnie, Kasper, and Danielson set the floor for the team’s center position going forward, so high-ceiling players need to be especially considered. Many centers as well often end up as wingers at the NHL level, so it makes a lot of sense to prioritize the position.
It is also worth noting that though there are a number of left defensemen on the chart, the quality of many is quite poor, and the best of the two are approaching bust territory.
With six picks in this draft, the ideal positional breakdown would be: two or three centers, one to three right defensemen, and zero or one left defense. This would help bring a bit of balance to the organizational depth and ideally take steps toward solving the center depth issue. A possible swing on a high-skill, high-upside winger would also be good to replace the kind of element that was lost when Buchelnikov was dealt to St. Louis in the Justin Faulk trade.
A common refrain is that teams should always just take the “best player available”. It is a statement that is obviously true on its face, but it comes with an important caveat: nobody really knows who the best player available is. However, what we do know is that players tend to fall into “tiers” of skill and probability. We have also seen organizations such as Detroit struggle over the years with organizational depth due to following the BPA philosophy with little regard for positionality. When comparing the number of centers Detroit has drafted to the number of centers on a 20-man game roster, the Red Wings are actually at a deficit since 2017, and that statistic worsens if you filter for selections in the first two rounds. It has resulted in an incredible amount of pressure being placed on guys like Rasmussen, Veleno, Kasper, and Danielson to reach levels beyond what should have been reasonably expected.
The Shortlist
After watching video, consulting major draft guides, and browsing NHL Draft Lab’s 2026 NHL Entry Draft Ranking Aggregate, I have compiled a list of five players I would target for each draft pick based on likely availability. While it is certainly possible the draft order could be upended entirely within 24 hours due to Dylan Larkin or some other trade, I am going to assume the Red Wings do not make any further moves for the purpose of this exercise. The Red Wings have the seventh-worst pool of picks in this year’s draft and mathematically should find at least one NHLer, with a 30% chance at a second. So with the odds stacked against them, finding value will be necessary if they hope to get this rebuild out of the gutter.
“With the 47th overall pick in this year’s draft, the Detroit Red Wings select…
Yegor Shilov, C
Height: 6’ 0”
Weight: 177 lbs.
Team: Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
Ranked: 38th in Aggregate with an average of 39.54 among 39 rankings.
If a high-skill, high-upside centerman is what the doctor ordered for Detroit, then Shilov is the cure. A prolific producer at the junior level, Shilov is noted by many as a high-IQ, high-creativity forward who can control offensive play from the middle of the ice. Rated highly and projected by some as a first-rounder, if Shilov falls to Detroit at 47 it will be the result of the flaws in his game, namely pace, competitiveness, and passivity. It is because of these flaws I do think it is unlikely the Wings select him (they tend to have a type that they draft), but if they can fix those flaws in him, it could land a legitimate top-six center with the offensive upside they desperately need. Shilov has committed to play at Penn State in the future.
Adam Valentini, C/LW
Height: 5’ 10”
Weight: 183 lbs.
Team: University of Michigan (NCAA)
Ranked: 40th in Aggregate with an average of 40.71 among 34 rankings.
Valentini is a high-energy and high-pressure forward that, unlike Shilov, exactly fits Detroit’s style. Puck retrievals, corner battles, and play break-ups tended to be his specialty, and 27 points in 40 games for a draft-year eligible forward is a strong performance. The most obvious concern is his size, but also questions have arisen about his dynamic abilities and offensive ceiling. Furthermore, he lacks the elite skating that tends to make smaller players successful in the NHL. He was also listed as a center, but has been playing the wing at Michigan.
Ryder Cali, C
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 214 lbs.
Team: North Bay Battalion (OHL)
Ranked: 41st in Aggregate with an average of 41.97 among 31 rankings.
Similar to Valentini, Ryder Cali is a Red Wings-style prospect in every sense. He plays a straight-line, professional game, wins battles in the corners, does all of the defensive things you want to see out of a center. The reason why he is not ranked higher is that his offensive game at the junior level this year was lacking compared to peers, with just 36 points in 47 games with North Bay. However, he had moments where it looked like he was unlocking higher-end offensive skills. He could be poised for a larger offensive breakout, but that will be a larger challenge as he is going to a traditionally-defensive NCAA program in Providence next year. Still, as far as “safe” picks go, Cali seems likelier than most to be an NHLer. The question for him is this: what’s the ceiling?
Tomas Chrenko, C
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 172 lbs.
Team: HK Nitra (Slovakia Extraliga)
Ranked: 47th in Aggregate with an average of 48.73 among 33 rankings.
Chrenko is a skilled offensive centerman who spent the season playing in the Slovak men’s league, registering a strong 31 points in 44 games. This is the third-best offensive performance by a draft-eligible skater in the history of that league, behind Marians Hossa and Gaborik, and he also led the Slovakia U20 team in scoring as an 18-year-old. The biggest knock on Chrenko that has led to him falling down draft charts is his physical play. He struggles to win board battles, gets bodied off of pucks, and seems to be at his best when he has as much space as possible. Solving that issue likely turns him into a top-six center. Failing to do so means he struggles to even make the NHL. If Detroit believes they can develop that physical aspect of his game, then he could make a lot of sense at this pick.
Thomas Vandenberg, C
Height: 6’ 0”
Weight: 180 lbs.
Team: Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
Ranked: 56th in Aggregate with an average of 60.24 among 29 rankings.
Vandenberg plays in a similar style to Ryder Cali, but with less of a physical dimension. He is defense-first, but that does not mean he lacks an offensive game. At least, not at the OHL level. He had a strong rookie season this year with Ottawa and was one of their better forwards, but the offensive upside is the real question for him. Similar to Cali, he will also be going to Providence next season, where his defensive skills will fit right in. If he can find a greater offensive element to his game, he projects as a middle-six center. But if he cannot, his ceiling likely tops out as a depth center.
Potential falling players to watch: Maddox Dagenais, Jack Hextall, Brooks Rogowski
“With the 79th pick, the Detroit Red Wings proudly select…”
Beckett Hamilton, C
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 174 lbs.
Team: Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
Ranked: 73rd in Aggregate with an average of 71.29 among 21 rankings.
Much in the style of other Detroit picks, Hamilton is a high-speed, high-effort center who had a strong sophomore WHL campaign with Red Deer where he showed considerable offensive growth. Not only that, he outproduced everyone else on the team by at least 24 points. Outside of skating and attack, he is generally a well-rounded player, but perhaps lacks truly elite elements. Still, I like the bet on a guy who led a mediocre team offensively by such a margin. Worked out for Yzerman with Brayden Point, after all. Same size too.
Luke Schairer, RD
Height: 6’ 3”
Weight: 194 lbs.
Team: U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
Ranked: 75th in Aggregate with an average of 72.44 among 27 rankings.
Schairer was one of the top defensemen on a mediocre U.S. National U18 Team this year. His hallmark is high-agility skating that he uses to shut down plays on the defensive end. The question for Schairer that has caused to him slip on some draft boards over the year is his offensive game, which often appeared hesistant and underdeveloped. Still, there is enough defensive promise that if he can refine the offensive side of his game, he has promise as a #4-5 defenseman. He is set to play at Boston University, but it is unclear if he will immediately join them next season.
Lavr Gashilov, C
Height: 6’ 2”*
Weight: 170 lbs.
Team: Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)
Ranked: 81st in Aggregate with an average of 75.61 among 18 rankings.
Lavr Gashilov is a playmaking center who just put up one of the stronger all-time draft-eligible seasons in the MHL. His 69 points in 51 games is good enough to place him in the company of players such as Kucherov, Trokozov, Chernyshov, and Kantserov. The offensive game looks really good, but the pace and defensive aspects are lacking. I have also placed an asterisk on his height because I have seen unconfirmed reports that he is actually 5’ 11”, not 6’ 2”. Still, the offensive acumen is great enough to be worth betting a 3rd-round pick on. If he hits, he is going to hit big as a top-six center.
Egor Barabanov, C
Height: 6’ 0”
Weight: 177lbs
Team: Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Ranked: 82nd in Aggregate with an average of 75.95 among 20 rankings.
Barabanov exploded into the OHL this year with 91 points in 68 games. And good thing he did so, because this is his third year of draft eligibility. He previously had two uneventful USHL seasons, but things really clicked for him in Saginaw. His flaws lie mainly in his skating and lack of strength, but the offensive tools looked good enough this year to potentially bet on. He is destined for the University of Massachusetts next year where he will play alongside Red Wings prospect Larry Keenan. If he can use that time in the NCAA to get tougher and faster, he could find a role as a middle-six NHL center.
Liam Lefebvre, C
Height: 6’ 3”
Weight: 201 lbs.
Team: Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)
Ranked: 87th in Aggregate with an average of 77.94 among 16 rankings.
Another overager, Lefebvre spent his draft year playing at a prep school in the US before arriving in the QMJHL and was part of the Chicoutimi team that defeated Moncton to win the QMJHL championship. He does a good job competing, battling, and using his size to protect the puck and make space for himself, though there is not much in the way of higher-end offensive talent. The physical and skating aspects, however, are enough to show genuine NHL promise. Beyond the offense, the other real question is that he is going to Vermont next year, a program that has not recruited or developed NHL talent since Ross Colton. Also of note: while he was listed as a center, he did play a lot of wing in the Q this year.
Potential falling players to watch: Adam Andersson, Alexander Bilecki, Rudolfs Berzkalns
“With the 108th pick, Detroit is pleased to select…”
Landon Nycz, LD
Height: 6’ 2”
Weight: 210 lbs.
Team: University of Massachusetts (NCAA)
Ranked: 99th in Aggregate with an average of 84.47 among 19 rankings.
A Detroit native, Nycz spent his draft year playing for the University of Massachusetts. He is a strong skater with good-looking defensive accumen, though there is not much in the way of offense to his game. He registered just three points in 35 games with UMass this season playing down the lineup. That said, the tools look good, and defensemen who play their draft year in the NCAA have a strong historical trajectory. A fourth-round bet on this Michigander would not be a bad one.
Jakub Floris, RD
Height: 6’ 3”
Weight: 194 lbs.
Team: Lukko U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
Ranked: 88th in Aggregate with an average of 78.92 among 12 rankings.
Floris is a fairly raw defenseman who displays some good tools in his game, namely skating and physicality that are apparent despite some mechanical issues. He had decent production in the Finnish junior league this season and wasn’t bad for Slovakia at the U18s either where he won silver. If he can hone his skills and continue to maintain his level of play against stronger opponents, there could be some real promise here as a bottom-pair defenseman.
Jakub Frolo, C
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 194 lbs.
Team: Ilves U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
Ranked: 100th in Aggregate with an average of 84.67 among 15 rankings.
Jakub Frolo is a playmaking center with almost NHL-ready size. He registered 40 points in 37 games in the Finnish junior league this season, but the real eye-popping stat was his 103 penalty minutes. He is noted as one of the biggest “pests” in this draft. One of the biggest criticisms leveled against him is that despite having the ability to piss people off, his effort level waxes and wanes with the moon. If he can continue to grow his offensive game, give a damn a bit more, and skate a bit harder, Frolo has genuine middle-six upside.
Landon Hafele, C
Height: 6’ 0”
Weight: 179 lbs.
Team: Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
Ranked: 102nd in Aggregate with an average of 85.94 among 18 rankings.
Landon Hafele is a high-speed, high-energy forward who does it all with pace. Listed as a center but also played the wing in Green Bay, his speed is his game, and everything feeds off of that. When he isn’t skating at 100% though, his game struggles and the offensive tools dissipate. Still, the speed is good enough to build an NHL player around. If he can find some more offense, clean up his shot, and maybe learn when not to skate at top speed, he will find a solid bottom-six role in the NHL. He is destined for Arizona State next season.
Yaroslav Fedoseyev, RD
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 187lbs
Team: Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)
Ranked: 108th in Aggregate with an average of 90.25 among 16 rankings.
Fedoseyev is a strong, disruptive right defenseman who was good enough to earn VHL and even KHL looks this season in Chelyabinsk. He is not defense-only either, he can make strong passes and move the puck efficiently. If he can continue to earn pro reps early on next season and refine his offensive game at the KHL level, he could have promise as a bottom-pair defenseman sooner rather than later.
Potential falling players to watch: Beckham Edwards, Matias Vanhanen, Blake Zielinski
“With the 143rd pick, the Detroit Red Wings select…”
Tyus Sparks, C
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 190 lbs.
Team: Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
Ranked: 127th in Aggregate with an average of 98.23 among 13 rankings.
Sparks is another high-energy, high-motor forward, nearly registering a point per game in the WHL this season. He has strong offensive traits but has also been criticized for trying to do everything as fast as possible. Still, with adequate size, excellent skating, and a relentless motor, he has all the building blocks of a bottom-six NHL center. And if he can refine his offense even further and find another level, there is even greater promise.
Cooper Williams, C
Height: 6’ 0”
Weight: 168lbs
Team: Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
Ranked: 130th in Aggregate with an average of 99.50 among 18 rankings.
Williams is an interesting case. Some scouts love him, others don’t even think of him. TSN’s Craig Button rated him as a first-rounder, others did not even think of him. He has had flashes of genuine excellence at the junior level, but is significantly undersized. Not only that, he failed to build upon his production last season in any way, leading many to question if he has reached his ceiling. That said, there have been enough flashes to suggest there is a lot more here. At 143rd overall, that kind of player is absolutely worth a bet, and hopefully the weight issue will be taken care of when he starts at North Dakota next season.
Callum Croskery, LD
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 187 lbs.
Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
Ranked: 140th in Aggregate with an average of 104.60 among 10 rankings.
Croskery is a decent two-way defenseman who does a little bit of everything on the defensive side. There are no serious flaws to his game, but also nothing that stands out as elite. His tools look generally solid and could be enough to warrant a later pick on, with the promise that he will continue to grow his game.
Ola Palme, LD
Height: 6’ 2”
Weight: 201 lbs.
Team: Vaxjo Lakers HC U20 (U20 Nationell)
Ranked: 150th in Aggregate with an average of 109.33 among 12 rankings.
Think “low-rent Albert Johansson” with just a touch more size. Strong skating, decent production, good defensively. He is generally well-rounded, battles hard, and tends to look cool under pressure. This even earned him some brief SHL looks this season. I am not sure about the physical aspects of his defending, but he has all the tools for it. If he can continue to grow his game and get more SHL looks, he could follow in the footsteps of Johansson.
Braidy Wassilyn, LW
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 194 lbs.
Team: London Knights (OHL)
Ranked: 168th in Aggregate with an average of 116.25 among 12 rankings.
Wassilyn was expected to do a lot more this season, but fell down draft boards as the year progressed. Offensive skills are his bread and butter, but he did not produce the numbers one would expect for a player whose A-game is dangles and sick rips. The biggest criticism of Wassilyn is his skating and lack of agility. If he can make significant improvements to his skating and really turn those offensive skills into offensive results, there are the makings of a potential NHL scorer here. He is set to play for Boston University next season.
At this point and going forward, any players listed above would be falling players to watch as well.
“With the 175th pick, Detroit selects…”
Jasper Kuhta, C
Height: 6’ 2”
Weight: 194 lbs.
Team: Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
Ranked: 174th in Aggregate with an average of 118.80 among 5 rankings.
Kuhta is an overager that had a breakout season with Ottawa after coming over from the Finnish junior league. He had a strong WJC performance as well, putting up 8 points in the tournament, better than many drafted players such as Julius Miettinen and Emil Hemming. With good size and decent offensive skills, there is a chance he continues his upward trajectory and could become a depth NHL center with offensive zip. He is set to play for Massachusetts in the NCAA next season.
Alofa Tunoa Ta’amu, LD
Height: 6’ 2”
Weight: 227 lbs.
Team: Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Ranked: 184th in Aggregate with an average of 122.88 among 8 rankings.
The son of a former NFL lineman, Ta’amu is beyond NHL size-ready. A respectable skater for a palyer of his build, he uses his size in the WHL to physically dominate smaller and weaker opponents. There has not been much to his offensive game at the junior level so far, but its not impossible that he could improve this enough to find an NHL role. His size and skating is enough to get him most of the way there.
Julien Maze, LW
Height: 5’ 8”
Weight: 165 lbs.
Team: Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Ranked: 158th in Aggregate with an average of 111.00 among 8 rankings.
Perhaps a polar opposite of the player above, Julien Maze is a classic low-size, high-offense swing. 78 points in 68 games in the WHL this year, his production exploded after he was traded from Regina to Calgary midway through the season. If he is going to make it at the NHL-level, its because his skating is one of his strongest assets. The offensive creativity isn’t bad either.
Yaroslav Bryzgalov, LW
Height: 6’ 4”
Weight: 220 lbs.
Team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Ranked: 197th in Aggregate with an average of 127.12 among 7 rankings.
Bryzgalov had a breakout year as 19-year-old in the WHL this season, playing on a strong Medicine Hat team led by the Ruck twins. He has NHL-ready size and strong offensive accumen, but lacks top-end skating speed and agility. But for a later-round swing, his offensive and physical traits are enough to warrant taking a swing. He is set to play in the NCAA with Merrimack next season.
Axel Brongel-Larsson, LD
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 194 lbs.
Team: Frolunda HC U20 (U20 Nationell)
Ranked: 203rd in Aggregate with an average of 129.67 among 6 rankings.
I saw this kid at the U18 World Championships last year, he is truculent to put it mildly. When Canada was beating up on Sweden, he was out there trying to make them pay for every inch. He is also a good enough skater and the offensive skill isn’t completely lacking, unlike some other defensive prospects. Still, mean and physical shutdown defense is his A-game and there is decent promise in that to warrant a later-round selection.
“With the 196th pick, the Detroit Red Wings select…”
Benjamin Wilmott, C
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 188 lbs.
Team: Barrie Colts (OHL)
Ranked: 206th in Aggregate with an average of 130.20 among 5 rankings.
Ben Wilmott made his D+2 year his rookie season in the OHL and seemed to get better as the season went on. He started with London, was traded midway through the year to Barrie, and became one of their better players down the stretch. He plays a strong net-front game as a center that centers around winning battles in and around the paint. The rest of his offensive game is fairly vanilla, but this archetype is very much in-line with some other Detroit picks. If he can continue to grow his offense, and improve his skating speed some, he could become a high-pressure depth forward.
Jiri Kamas, RD
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 187 lbs.
Team: Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
Ranked: 213th in Aggregate with an average of 133.33 among 3 rankings.
Kamas is a mobile defenseman who was traded from a good Penticton team to a mediocre Red Deer team midway through the season. The skating is good, his effort level is high, and there are flashes of more to his game, though the tools have yet to result in much offensively. If he can refine his rawness, there can be a lot more to his game and he could have promise as a bottom-pair NHL defenseman.
Joseph Erickson, C
Height: 6’ 4”
Weight: 194lbs
Team: Blake School (USHS)
Ranked: 208th in Aggregate with an average of 131.50 among 6 rankings.
Erickson is a tall, high-effort center who dominated at the Minnesota high school level this year, registering 64 points in 28 games with Blake School. While not particularly impressive when compared to other historical performances, this is the highest production seen at Blake School in its history. He also saw brief stints in the USHL and NAHL, but did not find much success. He has strong pro elements to his game, but needs to increase his skating speed and strength. If he can make those improvements, he has promise as a depth NHL center.
Will McLaughlin, LD
Height: 6’ 3”
Weight: 185 lbs.
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Ranked: 218th in Aggregate with an average of 135.00 among 6 rankings.
McLaughlin is a smooth-skating defenseman who plays a good two-way defensive game. His rookie year WHL production was solid, was a top-three defenseman in Portland this season, and is bound for Colorado College next year. He is also a kid who is growing rapidly, having added over fifteen pounds since D-1, and will need to continue to add strength and more of a physical element. If he does so, he could have promise as a depth defenseman.
Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen, LD
Height: 6’ 0”
Weight: 182 lbs.
Team: University of Michigan (NCAA)
Ranked: 292nd in Aggregate with an average of 176.00 among 3 rankings.
Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen is a re-entry from last year. He was one of the highest players ranked that went undrafted, which is unusual for defensemen who play a full season in the NCAA in their draft year. Rheaume-Mullen had a good (but not eye-popping) sophomore year at Michigan, spending most of it bouncing around the bottom four of the defense corps, including multiple stints playing his off-side. Still as far as later-round gambles go, this is a solid one. From all the research I have seen, he doesn’t have any red flags either that would have indicated reason for him to go undrafted. He is also a Detroit-native and the son of former Red Wings broadcaster and now PWHL Detroit General Manager Manon Rheaume.
“With the 207th pick in the draft, Detroit selects…”
Rylan Singh, RD
Height: 6’ 0”
Weight: 187 lbs.
Team: Guelph Storm (OHL)
Ranked: 215th in Aggregate with an average of 134.00 among 3 rankings.
Singh is a high-effort defenseman in the OHL. There isn’t too much flashiness or offensive talent demonstrated, but he skates hard as he can and competes on every play. Apart from the effort level, he lacks any singular elite trait that makes him standout from the rest. However, if he trains as hard as he competes, then it is possible that he has quite the growth curve ahead of him and could make the NHL as a bottom-pair defenseman.
Jonas Woo, RD
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 175 lbs.
Team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Ranked: 235th in Aggregate with an average of 144.75 among 4 rankings.
Jonas Woo just completed his fourth full WHL season as an offensive leader on the blue line in Medicine Hat. He registered 29 goals in 56 games with a whopping +63. If he were a few inches taller, he would have been drafted two years ago. All of the offensive and skating tools you would hope to see are there, he’s just a small kid. He will play for Arizona State next season. If he can add a bit more weight in college, he could have promise as a third-pairing / power-play specialist defenseman.
Jonas Kemps, LD
Height: 6’ 6”
Weight: 195 lbs.
Team: Chicago Steel (USHL)
Ranked: 237th in Aggregate with an average of 145.67 among 9 rankings.
Kemps would have been right at home in last year’s size draft. a towering defenseman at 6’ 6”, his skating is surprisingly respectable for his size. The question is really, does he have anywhere near enough offensive accumen to hang at higher levels? The Red Wings have gambled on low-production USHL defensemen in the past, and so far none of them have shown any signs of even being worthy of the Griffins. A prospect like this though can be worthy of a seventh-round pick as the skating and size are good enough that you can hope to develop the rest of the game. Kemps is committed to Michigan State, but will play in the WHL next season with Seattle.
Lukas Sawchyn, RW/C
Height: 5’ 10”
Weight: 174 lbs.
Team: Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Ranked: 254th in Aggregate with an average of 156.00 among 3 rankings.
Lukas Sawchyn is a high-skill, high-offense winger that has also played some center in the past. He went undrafted last year but continued to build on his offensive game, increasing his WHL scoring by over 30 points year to year. He could be an interesting offensive bet and is set to play for Arizona State next season.
Layne Gallacher, C
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 177 lbs.
Team: Guelph Storm (OHL)
Ranked: 257th in Aggregate with an average of 156.80 among 5 rankings.
Gallacher is a quick-skating center out of the OHL who spent the first half of the season playing down the lineup on a very strong Brantford team before being traded to Guelph, where he played a bigger role on a worse team. He had decent production for a rookie OHL season and if he can find a next level offensively, could have some real promise to become an NHLer.
I am certain the Red Wings’ actual draft order will look nothing like this. They tend to do things their own way, have their own ranking, and in later rounds tend to go off the board. Hopefully whichever scout recommended Emmitt Finnie is getting a lot more say at the draft table this year. Still, there will be good options likely available at every pick. It is incumbent on the team to make good use of them and not take low-value swings. After all, the notion that later-round picks are worthless can, if a team is not careful, become a self-fulfilling prophecy.