The Red Wings fell again in the NHL Draft Lottery. In the 2020 Draft, Detroit will pick 4th overall.
Obviously an overwhelming bummer for the Red Wings, a team who had delivered a historically bad season finishing dead last in the league. I think as a fan, I feel not upset, but just tired. Tired of mediocrity and underwhelming results. Steve Yzerman hasn’t been at the helm for long, so all hope is certainly not lost, but it kinda feels that way.
The real story is that we have no idea who will pick 1st overall whenever the Draft happens.
The Order
- Team who does not win qualifying round for 2020 NHL Playoffs
- Los Angeles Kings
- Ottawa Senators
- Detroit Red Wings
- Ottawa Senators
- Anaheim Ducks
- New Jersey Devils
- Buffalo Sabres
The Top-Five
Alexis Lafreniere – LW (QMJHL)
The unanimous top pick for the 2020 class. An offensive juggernaut who was a workhorse for his team in the 2019-2020 season. At an estimated 25+ minutes per game, Lafreniere has seen the biggest minutes out of the top-50, and has a 100+ point season to show for it. He’s about as NHL-ready as they come. No doubt, Lafreniere would be a kickstart for any team.
Quinton Byfield – C (OHL)
A magnificent consolation prize to missing out on Lafeniere. What’s really promising about Byfield is that he’s a 6’4” 215 lbs. power-like center, and he doesn’t turn 18 until August. Coming off a 30-goal season, it’s clear that his ceiling is sky-high.
Marco Rossi – C (OHL)
The main knock is that he’s small, but the numbers speak for themselves. Explosive, dynamic, and dangerous from the slot. Any team picks 3-5 can’t go wrong with him, and any team beyond that got a steal.
Tim Stutzle – C (GER)
Lots of interest in Stutzle from Red Wings fans, and that’s because of the Moritz Seider connection. Stutzle is a beautiful skater with hands that can match. I don’t think he’s worthy of a top-2 pick, but anything outside of that is a good pick. Plus side for him, the Red Wings could have real control over his development — he would be eligible to start in Grand Rapids right away.
Lucas Raymond – RW (SWE)
One of my favorites of the top-5. I like them all, but Raymond reminds me a lot of a young Anze Kopitar. High-end skating and a great passer — while maintaining a strong two-way style of play. Having just turned 18 in March, he played 33 games in Sweden’s top league for the 2019-2020 season. That’s impressive.
What If The Season Doesn’t Resume?
Well, we’ll do it all again apparently. That’s according to Elliotte Friedman:
If, for whatever reason, the play-in cannot be completed….the remaining bottom 8 teams will have a one-in-eight shot at the top selection
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 27, 2020
While there’s a lot of frustration here with Wings fans, I think we should remind ourselves that the NHL operates on a really broken system. That’s how it works. Tonight, no one really celebrates. That’s how it feels for me. What we can look forward to, is that the Red Wings hold a pick that will get them a very, very good player. Let’s not forget, the Red Wing have potentially 10 picks in the upcoming Draft. I think Steve Yzerman did really well in his first Draft, I like our odds with him having so many picks.
