2023 Draft Discussion

[Detroit Knights]

I feel like both first rounders should be centers. Centers can always play wing. When the Wings were dominant (1995-2009) we usually had like 6 natural centers on the roster.

If this team had a true second line center and Copp on the third line they would've been in the playoffs this year.

edit: I would go so far as to say all 4 first round picks this year and next should be Cs. Draft D and G with the later picks and hope for a home run. If the Islanders pick keeps dropping (a very real chance of dropping to 14 by the end of the season) I would see if Vancouver would accept one of each of our 2023 and 2024 picks for Pettersson.

Vancouver is going to ask for a huge haul for Pettersson, but he is literally what we need. If we had one pure goal scorer (supposed to have been Vrana probably) we would be in a crazy different position.

Trading 2 firsts, a good prospect, and a roster player or two for Pettersson and a cap dump they want to add would be phenomenal.

DET:
Pettersson
+ Cap dump (Tyler Myers? RD last year of contract 23-24)

VAN:
2023 NYI 1st
2023 STL or DET 2nd (they don't have a 2nd this year)
2024 Det 1st (if we had Pettersson, then this is a high pick)
Wallinder
Perron (seems like VAN wants this type of player and roster players)
+ another player?

Looking at this, I would do it in a heart beat, which means it probably isn't enough...We can keep Myers or flip him somewhere else at retention who wants him.

I get Yzerman doesn't want to trade draft picks and all, but Pettersson is that generational player in a location that he is either not happy or is not playing to his full potential (weird to even think about that).

Of course, we could just say screw this deal and go for Draisatl but that's a bigger pipe dream I'm sure.

EDIT: Or, instead of Wallinder, we could add Neddy? It doesn't seem like Yzerman wants him, but he has played well lately and wasn't Demko wanting out at the deadline or they were trying to trade him?

 

[WingsToPick4th]

VAN will never trade Pettersen unless he desperately wants out.

 

[lilidk]

I see the USDP guys differently

I have it

Smith
Moore
Perreault
Leonard

I don’t really get the angle of Leonard having this super high upside. Like being worth taking with the top pick. And if we are talking about playing a power game in the NHL, he’s not the biggest guy in the world.

There is something about Perreault, I will not be surprised if he is the best out of your group.
What if Yzerman will shock everyone and takes Perreault with his first pick

 

[Christien]

Just swing for skill this draft, preferably a center

 

[Killerjas]

Enough with the Wallinder trades already, let my boy retire as a Red Wing

 

[NickH8]

I see the USDP guys differently

I have it

Smith
Moore
Perreault
Leonard

I don’t really get the angle of Leonard having this super high upside. Like being worth taking with the top pick. And if we are talking about playing a power game in the NHL, he’s not the biggest guy in the world.

I don't know how someone can not see top 6 upside with Leonard. No shade I appreciate your perspective. He's got the tenacity to be one of those rougher medium sized guys. Like a Bertuzzi or a Perron. This guy takes board battles personally. That willingness to battle makes his physical game much more translateable to the NHL than other prospects. He has a hard shot and good speed. He see's the game well, he's no Will Smith but he's good at making the right play. There's all the makings of a really solid top 6 winger there.

 

[Detroit Knights]

Enough with the Wallinder trades already, let my boy retire as a Red Wing

I like Wallinder. I think he will be great, but Pettersson is and will be better for what we actually need. We are heavy on LD and someone around these parts have said that Yzerman wants lefty's playing LD and righty's playing RD. Well we only have 3 LD spots like everyone else does.

 

[Frk It]

I don't know how someone can not see top 6 upside with Leonard. No shade I appreciate your perspective. He's got the tenacity to be one of those rougher medium sized guys. Like a Bertuzzi or a Perron. This guy takes board battles personally. That willingness to battle makes his physical game much more translateable to the NHL than other prospects. He has a hard shot and good speed. He see's the game well, he's no Will Smith but he's good at making the right play. There's all the makings of a really solid top 6 winger there.

Didn’t say I don’t think he has top 6 upside, there are just a number of options at forward in this draft I think we could take with our first pick who have higher upside.

He reminds me of Ryan Callahan. Would I take Callahan on my team? Every time. Ideally this team needs a more impactful piece than that. We are not where Tampa Bay was when they added a player like that. We still need the high end pieces.

FWIW I’m starting to have a little of the same concerns with Moore, as I’ve seen you mention.

 

[Debrincat93]

yall are smart and quick at it - what team moved up the most in the draft lotto in recent (5-8y) years? i know Dallas moved up a lot for Heiskanen and i think IIRC Philly had moved up a solid amount for Nolan Patrick.

Chicago a few years ago i think did as well when they picked Dach but i might be wrong.

I guess, what were the large jumpers in the past?

 

[norrisnick]

yall are smart and quick at it - what team moved up the most in the draft lotto in recent (5-8y) years? i know Dallas moved up a lot for Heiskanen and i think IIRC Philly had moved up a solid amount for Nolan Patrick.

Chicago a few years ago i think did as well when they picked Dach but i might be wrong.

I guess, what were the large jumpers in the past?

NHL Records

records.nhl.com

Devils got to jump on 4 different occasions.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Didn’t say I don’t think he has top 6 upside, there are just a number of options at forward in this draft I think we could take with our first pick who have higher upside.

He reminds me of Ryan Callahan. Would I take Callahan on my team? Every time. Ideally this team needs a more impactful piece than that. We are not where Tampa Bay was when they added a player like that. We still need the high end pieces.

FWIW I’m starting to have a little of the same concerns with Moore, as I’ve seen you mention.

Ryan Callahan with hands.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

leonard to me is a lot of Oshie. just a pit bull even tho he’s not the biggest

 

[norrisnick]

leonard to me is a lot of Oshie. just a pit bull even tho he’s not the biggest

Oshie is fine. But if he's not playing behind OV, Backstrom, and Kuznetsov, that's not really helping.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

leonard to me is a lot of Oshie. just a pit bull even tho he’s not the biggest

That’s not a bad one either. Callahan, Dustin Brown, TJ Oshie, Perron, Bertuzzi all fall into that category of winger that makes their linemates lives easier. They are usually the 2nd or 3rd best guys on their line but take them off and things fall apart.

On the high end, guys like Rantanen, Tkachuk(s), JT Miller, Kadri, Svechnikov and guys like that are in the same category of player but a step up in talent.

I would not be surprised to see Leonard become a 25-30 goal, 60 point guy most years. I could also see him turning into a guy in the higher talent tier. He plays a physical but smart game.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

So far in the mock:

Danielson
Perreault
Wahlberg
Willander
F. Nilsson

 

[NickH8]

I think Gabe Perreault would be an interesting pick, mostly for the potential as a linemate with Kasper. Kasper is very puck hungry, good at skating the puck, winning battles. Perreault is a great connector. One touch plays, give and goes, etc. I think they could feed off each other well.

 

[Realgud]

I like that Leonard has good shooting mechanics up close. He can get his shot off fast and in uncomfortable positions which I always like to see in potential goal scorers. I'm not too sure about his upside compared to the other 3 but he's going to be pretty good. I agree with the comparisons to Perron, Oshie, Callahan...

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Oshie is fine. But if he's not playing behind OV, Backstrom, and Kuznetsov, that's not really helping.

Do you seriously think we are walking away from the first round with a player better than Oshie?

 

[NickH8]

Do you seriously think we are walking away from the first round with a player better than Oshie?

This year? It's very possible. Cristall, Perreault, Perron, Sale, Dvorsky, all have huge upside and could be available with our picks.

 

[norrisnick]

Do you seriously think we are walking away from the first round with a player better than Oshie?

If we aren't drafting a guy with potential to be better than Oshie just trade the pick+ for someone that is.

 

[Holden Caufield]

Do you seriously think we are walking away from the first round with a player better than Oshie?

With two top 20 picks in a good draft?
I think it should be expected the brass draft someone better than Oshie.

Oshie is a solid 200 foot, 2nd line winger, with one 60 point season in his entire career. The bar needs to be higher with this draft class and our high draft capital.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

With two top 20 picks in a good draft?
I think it should be expected the brass draft someone better than Oshie.

Oshie is a solid 200 foot, 2nd line winger, with one 60 point season in his entire career. The bar needs to be higher with this draft class and our high draft capital.

Look, I would absolutely love to have someone better than him but I think this is a classic example of fans overrating draft eligible prospects and the quality of players taken outside of the very top of the first round. This is a good draft because of the talent in the top four. Outside of that it is pretty standard.

If you guys want to set yourselves up to be disappointed, be my guest...

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

This year? It's very possible. Cristall, Perreault, Perron, Sale, Dvorsky, all have huge upside and could be available with our picks.

I will let you reconsider this position before I hold you to it.

None of these guys have huge upside. Reasonably good upside would be a better, more honest description. Hell, none of them project as first line players if we are being honest apart from maybe Cristall (who I still think will simply prove to be a really good junior player).

 

[NickH8]

I will let you reconsider this position before I hold you to it.

None of these guys have huge upside. Reasonably good upside would be a better, more honest description. Hell, none of them project as first line players if we are being honest apart from maybe Cristall (who I still think will simply prove to be a really good junior player).

Huge maybe wasn't the beat figure of speech but my point is they have higher upside than an Oshie level player. I think Leonard does as well.

 

[tyhee]

VAN will never trade Pettersen unless he desperately wants out

Two summers ago, while his elc had expired and he hadn't signed a new contract, Pettersson was quoted in Sweden as saying he wanted to win and would see how it looked after his next contract expired.

I don't know how he feels now. Vancouver hasn't exactly shown signs of coming great success, though their management now isn't in any way at the level of incompetence of the previous management and the team has, probably in an attempt to keep Pettersson, has been making moves to try to win in the near term.

Just as I don't know Pettersson's current feelings on staying in Vancouver, I don't know what he would feel about the Wings' future prospects.