SBN Mock Draft: With the 24th Selection, Winging It In Motown selects...

First off, let me say that this is in no way a decision that was made by me or any of the other gentlemen. Instead, we called upon our good friend and draft enthusiast Michael Petrella from The Production Line. You all may remember Petrella picking our guy last year and it was dead on with what the Red Wings actually did as they selected Riley Sheahan from Notre Dame.

Naturally, Petrella was again our go-to-guy for this decision. So who did he pick? Follow the jump to find out.

So, with the Pittsburgh Penguins' blog PensBurgh picking Rocco Grimaldi, we were on the clock. Petrella/Winging It In Motown chose...

JONAS BRODIN, D of Farjestad (SEL)

6'1", 172-lb // Left

:: Why Brodin? ::

After Brian Rafalski's retirement and Nicklas Lidstrom getting closer to it (shhh...I know), the Wings best potential spot filler at this moment is Brendan Smith. With that talent pool thinning in the minors, why not take the opportunity to pick a highly talented guy at this point in the draft? The stock of forwards seems pretty thick at the moment with Jan Mursak, Cory Emmerton, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist and Riley Sheahan all waiting in the wings so defense is probably the correct route for the Wings to take at this point.

:: Analysis of Brodin ::

Here's a snippet of Petrella's take on Brodin, for the full thing (and more prospects) head here:

Beautiful skater, physical, great hockey sense, excellent mobility, outlet passing, incredible composure...

I like what I am reading so far.

danccchan of Hockey Wilderness offered up this take on Brodin:

When ranking prospects, one of my top priorities is hockey smarts. The ability to read plays under stress and make the right decisions in a split second. Jonas Brodin is one of the smartest defensive prospects in the draft and which is why I think he'll become a good player.

I'm liking what I read even more. 

EliteProspects.com 's profile of him states this:

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. Brodin's opening pass is quick and accurate. He could, however, improve his shot.

Overall, it seems like Brodin's strongest asset at this moment is his skating ability and his knowledge of the game. Some of the profiles of him indicate that he's lacking a physical presence, but at 17 years old he has plenty of time to mature physically and develop that aspect of his game. Will he be a good fit in the Detroit system? Who knows. He has to get drafted first.

To follow the full SBN Mock Draft, head over to the Mock Draft Headquarters.

Chime in with your thoughts on Brodin or if there's another player you'd like to see the Wings take at #24 let us know (keep in mind to check the SBN Mock Draft Headquarters for the players already selected).