2011 Draft

The draft this year seems to be a pretty deep one. It has been compared to the 2003 draft with a little less skill. Looking over a lot of the mock drafts that are floating around its hard to gauge who the red wings might pick at #24. Some of the favorites that may be around when the wings select are:

Vladislav Namestnikov - C 6'0" 170 A very skilled offensive center. A reliable finisher with an impressive wrist shot. A good passer and playmaker. An excellent skater. Takes advantage of open space very well. Solid two-way. Needs to gain strength. Compared to Pavel Datsuyk. He reportedly learned to skate in Michigan and his uncle is Slava Kozlov.

Jonas Brodin - D 6'0" 172 A two-way defenseman, Brodin has very good mobility and skating ability. Plays a calm, smart game in his own end. Does well in board battles. Has a solid frame, but could use some bulking up. Compared to Zbynek Michalek

Nicklas Jensen - RW/LW 6'3" 187 Jensen could be that player that becomes the steal of the draft and becomes an 80 point scorer at the NHL level. The real concern is that he becomes the player that never really finds his place in the top 6. Compared to Nikolai Kulemin

Tomas Jurco - RW 6'2" 193 Jurco is a wizard with his stick and his skills are top notch. He's 6'3 and has excellent hockey sense, his strength is also a very underrated part to his game. He is a skilled forward and he is extremely exciting to watch. Jurco needs to fill out of his 6'3 frame before coming entering the NHL. If you haven't seen this kid with the puck check him out on YouTube. Compared to Martin Havalt

Oscar Klefbom - D 6'3" 201 Solid, two-way defenseman who can play in your top four. Despite being a big defenseman, Klefbom has very strong skating skills. He a great first stride which helps him join the rush if need be. He can cover a lot of ice in a short amount of time, which helps him get back into position if he gets beat one on one. Compared to Brent Seabrook.

Other notables: Boone Jenner, David Musil, Brandon Saad