The Free Press’s Helene St. James suggests that the Red Wings should pick Jamie Drysdale with their 4th overall pick at the 2020 NHL draft, via answering a mailbag question:
Drysdale would shore up the Wings’ defense, headlining the depth chart next to Moritz Seider, Yzerman’s first-round pick from 2019. The Wings would have Drysdale, Seider and Filip Hronek to anchor the blue line for the next decade, complemented by prospects Antti Tuomisto, Jared McIsaac and Gustav Lindstrom.
Drysdale, 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, is an elite skater who is sound defensively and gifted offensively. Like [Quinn] Hughes, Drysdale isn’t a big guy, but he’s swift on his feet and capable with his stick.
If Drysdale isn’t available, Yzerman’s choices will include either Stutzle or Byfield. Yzerman could also surprise — like he did last year with Seider — and draft Marco Rossi, an elite playmaking center and the first European scoring leader in OHL history, or Cole Perfetti, a creative forward who amends for his less-than-stellar speed with goal-scoring ability
Continued; I’m on the Drysdale bandwagon, but I keep on hearing that the Wings are leaning toward drafting Perfetti instead. My hope is simply that the Wings pick the player they believe has the best “ceiling” in terms of his talent and possible development.
