Red Wings to draft 6th in the 2018 draft

The Detroit Red Wings will draft 6th in the 2018 draft. No lottery win for the Wings.

Update: Ken Holland spoke briefly with the Free Press’s Helene St. James regarding the news:

“You’re hoping to get into top three, but you know the odds,” general manager Ken Holland said Saturday. “We’re disappointed not to get a lottery pick, but it’s a good draft. We’ll get a good player for our organization.”

Sweden’s Rasmus Dahlin is the prize of the draft, the sort of generational player who will immediately improve a team. Instead the Wings could be looking at defensemen Evan Bouchard or Noah Dobson, or perhaps forward Oliver Wahlstrom.

The Wings will gather their scouts for final pre-draft meetings May 5-10. The draft is June 22-23 in Dallas.

While Dahlin is NHL-ready as soon as next season, the Wings might still get a player who can come right in and contribute.

“Let’s get to training camp and see them on the ice,” Holland said. “But it would not surprise me if three or four or five players out of this draft start out in the NHL next season.”

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, when MLive hired me to work their SlapShots blog, and I joined Kukla's Korner in 2011 as The Malik Report. I'm starting The Malik Report as a stand-alone site, hoping that having my readers fund the website is indeed the way to go to build a better community and create better content.

13 thoughts on “Red Wings to draft 6th in the 2018 draft”

  1. I guess Cleary can take his rosary beads and go home. Maybe stop off at the bank to cash another cheque from Kenny.

    1. Nah, KH has an endless number of cheques he can give Cleary and other people being paid to do nothing except pat KH’s butt.

  2. I’m realistic but I’m a little bummed out that we didn’t at least receive the fifth pick, that’s where it really starts IMO. This draft won’t only make or break(lol) the franchise but it will the scouting staff, Ryan Martin and yes, Kenny for the final time. You HAVE to hit on these prospects and by a hit I don’t mean another couple steady NHL players or another offensive complementary winger.

    Nothing new but this rebuild is another couple years longer now. Hopefully I’m wrong and the 11 picks, scouting staff etc really hits.

    1. I think there will be enough top level guys for the Wings to take at number 6, but my fear is they won’t get to choose, and be stuck with plan C or D, which may not be a defenseman. :/

      1. Is there enough room on this blog for all to fear so many of KH unknown Brain Farts

    2. Hopefully one of the top 5 teams will go off the board and make a wild pick? Agree, I was hoping for a Top 5 pick or higher. 11 picks should make me feel good but not feeling confident

  3. Top 3 is still undecided, but I would hate to see the Wings (1) get their last pick of the top 3 or 4 d-men, or (2) go for Tkachuk, or (3) trade back because they don’t like what’s left and go for a lesser guy while picking up an extra 2nd rounder.

    Kenny should trade up to get their choice (if not too costly), because I fear he’d trade down if say, boqvist and bouchard was gone and they don’t like Hughes/dobson (too many offensive defensemen in the system, need some muscle) So my little-researched prediction:

    Buffalo – duh
    Carolina – Zadina
    Montreal – Chevy jr.
    Arizona – defense
    Ottawa – defense
    Wings are left with hopefully Bouchard, but more likely Hughes/Dobson.

    As always, I am no expert. Just my two pesos.

    1. Trading up should be considered, if it works. I am worried KH will TRY and make the Wings next few years “Competitive (losing less). That will keep the Wings away from the Top 5 picks.

  4. Jack Huhges is a “local” USNDT Michigan boy. It might keep Kenny motivated next year.

    Mostly sarcasm.

  5. Eliteprospects.com has Dobson as great defensively and can log tons of ice time. Our goaltending is mediocre at best so we need a player like this, not a offensive defenseman. We got a lot of picks at least in this draft. Lets start praying right now that ” I like our team” Kenny doesn’t FU this draft.

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