The Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators are going to be inextricably linked in the 2020 NHL draft for a simple reason: Detroit’s 4th overall pick is sandwiched between two Senators first-rounders, at 3rd and 5th.
Just as the Senators will take “whoever the Kings don’t pick” 2nd overall–i.e. Tim Stuetzle or Quinton Byfield–the Senators will also be taking “whoever the Red Wings don’t pick” 4th overall.
As a result, we’re getting some hints as to who the Red Wings might be leaning toward drafting per Ottawa scribes.
The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch penned an excellent draft summary which suggests that the Red Wings are going to go with defenseman Jamie Drysdale at #4…Maybe…
The Los Angeles Kings have the No. 2 selection and are expected to take either Quinton Byfeld of Sudbury or Tim Stuetzle of Mannheim (Germany). The Senators should get whichever of those two they don’t take and then nobody is certain which way Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings is leaning at No. 4
All this to say, to the Senators will have to keep their options open at No. 5 and they will be the first team since the New York Islanders in 2000 to have two picks in the top five.
Talk to the NHL scouts and many believe Yzerman will go in the direction of defenceman Jamie Drysdale of the Erie Otters with the fourth selection. That will leave the Senators with the option of selecting the likes of Saginaw centre Cole Perfetti, winger Lucas Raymond of Frolunda (Sweden), winger Alexander Holtz of Djurgardens IF (Sweden) and Ottawa 67’s forward Marco Rossi.
Garrioch continues also dishing dirt on Marco Rossi, Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz…
And former Ottawa Citizen scribe Ken Warren, writing for Sportsnet, also posted a very good summary of the players that both the Wings and Senators will have to pick from, with Warren reporting that the Red Wings are leaning toward a different player:
F Cole Perfetti: Likely headed to Detroit at No. 4, Perfetti was rated the best playmaker and second-best stickhandler (after Lafreniere) by NHL scouts in Grant McCagg’s Recrutes draft guide. This OHL Saginaw centre is slick and heady and speaks with the maturity of a player years older. Small at five-foot-10, Perfetti has focused on strength and skating this summer, and now weighs 180-plus-pounds.
Warren also continues, and his scouting reports are excellent as well.
At this point, the more information we can access regarding the draft, the better-prepared we’ll all be, and don’t be surprised if we end up finding out about the Wings’ tendencies via our friends from Ottawa.
