With the 4th overall pick in the 2020 SB Nation NHL Mock Draft, WIIM selects forward Tim Stützle for the Detroit Red Wings.
While it’s entirely unclear what Steve Yzerman will actually do with the pick, there’s a good chance he could use another top pick on a German prospect. After selecting defenseman Mortiz Seider with the 6th overall pick in 2019, Yzerman finds himself in the unique position of drafting Stützle, a guy who has played with Seider for some time now. The two German prospects have headlined what has been a meteoric rise for German hockey.
Vitals
Age: 18
Position: C/LW
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 187 lbs.
2019 Stats: 34 points (7-27—34) in 41 GP (DEL)
There’s a lot to love about Tim Stützle’s game — and it personally wasn’t that difficult of a decision to choose him over players like Cole Perfetti, Jamie Drysdale, and Marco Rossi. Stützle wasn’t even considered an adult in the U.S. when he broke out in Germany’s top pro league. Throughout his debut season with Alder Mannheim, he played at a near-point-per-game pace — again, at only 17 years old. North American hockey fans got a first look at the flashy forward at the 2019 World Juniors, and his game has been all the hype ever since.
Now, I tried to trade back in this mock draft — Offering pick no. 4 to Ottawa in exchange for pick no. 5, and a late second-round pick. Ottawa understandably declined seeing that they were about to get either Marco Rossi or Stützle with the 5th pick. I personally like Stützle over Rossi, but it’s very close. What I see in Stützle is the early coming of another Sebastian Aho or Johnny Gaudreau. He’s a high-level skater with real smooth hands and playmaking ability. I envision him being a headache for other teams on the power play if he were to be given a chance to be a high-circle passer and shooter.
The Red Wings are in dire need of jumpstarting this offense, and I see Stützle as the type of player that could mesh well with what the organization has in the pipeline — especially a guy like Mo Seider. Stützle may not be an immediate NHL player, but I give him another year of playing in Germany’s top league before jumping across the pond.
Here’s how the picks have shaken out so far:
- New York Rangers: Alexis Lafreniere (F)
- Los Angeles Kings: Quinton Byfield (F)
- Ottawa Senators: Lucas Raymond (F)
- Detroit Red Wings: Tim Stützle (F)
Ottawa is now back on the clock.
So what would have happened if Stützle were off the board by the time we were on the clock? For me, it comes down to just a few names: Lucas Raymond, Marco Rossi, Cole Perfetti, and Alexander Holtz. Jamie Drysdale has my attention, but I see far better talent ahead of him this early on in the 2020 Draft. Now, here’s the real question: Does Steve Yzerman and his scouting team feel the same way? Impossible to tell until we get to Draft night, but there should be plenty of confidence that the Red Wings will get a real good player at 4th overall, whoever it ends up being.
