The Red Wings moved back from 45th overall in the 2nd round — they struck a deal with the Los Angeles Kings, which netted Detroit 51st overall and 97th overall. This gives Steve Yzerman a pick between 65 and 107 only at the cost of moving back six picks — But remember, the key here is that the 49th pick is void as punishment to the Arizona Coyotes for cheating the Combine testing policy.
With pick no. 51, the Red Wings selected their THIRD player out of Sweden in a row — Frolunda centerman Theodor Niederbach is their guy.
Niederbach isn’t a big guy by any means — 5’11” weighing in at 172 lbs., but he’s had strong numbers in both J20 SuperElit and J20 Nationell. Elite Prospects had him ranked as the 27th-best prospect in the 2020 Draft. Niederbach got high marks for his hockey sense and passing. Here’s more from their report:
“His office of choice in the offensive zone tends to be on the left side, below the face-off circle, and preferable from below the goalline when his team has the man advantage.”
Our friends over at Eyes on the Prize profiled Niederbach earlier this year. You can find their report here.
