The Red Wings brought a total of twelve players into the organizational fold over the course of two 2020 NHL Draft days–one startlingly fast, and the other achingly slow–and Wednesday’s eleven-player haul gave both GM Steve Yzerman, director of amateur scouting Kris Draper and all the Wings’ scouts and executives a real workout.
The Wings’ beat writers were put through their paces, too, and when all was said and done:
- The Free Press and Detroit News posted profiles of each and every one of the Wings’ 12 picks;
- And Helene St. James, Ted Kulfan and MLive’s Ansar Khan all reviewed the final remarks made by Yzerman, Draper, and some of the prospects who are now members of the Red Wings family, too.
The GM told the Detroit News’s Kulfan that, on the whole, he was happy with his managerial team’s hard work:
“The accumulation of 12 picks and players we liked in those particular spots, everyone feels pretty good,” Yzerman said. “We were able to add 12 prospects. Hopefully a few of them become NHL players someday.”
This was the first virtual draft in the NHL because of the pandemic, and Yzerman was satisfied with how it went. There were minimal glitches with the broadcast, and teams selected smoothly – albeit slowly.
“I don’t think there was any hiccups,” Yzerman said. “At least technically. We got it done.”
There was a balance between forwards and defense, which wasn’t intended, but the Wings were pleased with it.
“I look at the balance of the picks and I’m comfortable with that,” Yzerman said. “It’s not the biggest priority, we want to get the best prospects available, but I’m OK with the balance. We’re pleased we’re developing a pool of prospects and now they have to get to the NHL. We have good prospects we feel good about. But we have to get them to the NHL.”
Kulfan continues, with Draper agreeing that “now the work starts” in terms of developing drafted players into NHL’ers…
While both Khan and St. James delve into the prospects’ pluses and minuses. We’ll stick to the general-narrative script here, with you, the reader, having the option of clicking on the stories to read further.
Here’s what Khan noted from Yzerman and Draper’s remarks…
Their success will be determined over time, but after selecting winger Lucas Raymond fourth overall on Tuesday, a player they believe has elite potential, the Red Wings feel they addressed several needs by adding five forwards, five defensemen and a goaltender.
“Just try to add as many picks as we can,” general manager Steve Yzerman said. “I think everyone feels pretty good that we were able to add 12 prospects. I can’t tell you how many, but hopefully a few of them become NHL players one day.”
Kris Draper, in his first draft as amateur scouting director, said, “We feel we touched on a lot of needs. We feel we have a good balance of what we added to the organization.”
The Red Wings used their three second-round picks on big defenseman William Wallinder (6-4, 191), who played for Modo in Sweden’s junior league, center Theodor Niederbach (Frolunda Juniors, Sweden) and left wing Cross Hanas (Portland, WHL).
…
“I always joke when people ask what you’re looking for, I say we’re looking for good players,” Yzerman said. “They come in all different forms. But the reality of the NHL is it is becoming faster and so, like every other sport, you got to keep up. You got to be able to skate to eventually play in the league. I can’t tell you every single player we drafted is an NHL skater today, but we’re getting the projection and the hope for some of them that they can develop this (skill) or that (skill) and that they do become NHL players.”
Again, Khan continues…
So St. James will take us out with a couple more quips from Yzerman, as well as a prospect who couldn’t remember his new general manager’s name:
“At the top of the draft, you’d like to think you have a little bit more certainty as to what the player is going to be and who the top, top prospects are,” Yzerman said after Wednesday evening.
Working from home — Yzerman has tested negative for COVID-19 after being exposed to the virus — his dog by his feet angling for attention and dinner on his desk getting cold after an eight-hour Day 2, Yzerman sounded pleased with his haul in his second draft as the Wings’ general manager.
“Hopefully a few of them become NHL players,” he said.
The Wings selected forward Lucas Raymond at No. 4, defenseman William Wallinder at No. 32, forward Theodor Niederbach at No. 51, forward Cross Hanas at No. 55, defenseman Donovan Sebrango at No. 63, defenseman Eemil Viro at No. 70, forward Sam Stange at No. 97, goaltender Jan Bednar at No. 107, defenseman Alex Cotton at No. 132, defenseman Kyle Aucoin at No. 156, forward Kienan Draper at No. 187 and forward Chase Bradley at No. 203.
Eemil Viro is the one who had a bit of a stumble, and he, like Kienan Draper, found out that he had been drafted in a roundabout way:
All of them spoke to media via Zoom calls. There was a funny moment where Viro couldn’t remember Yzerman’s name, referring to him as “the Y name,” and he recalled waiting to find out he was drafted because of a delay with his TV.
“I was watching the draft and there was (a) commercial break, only black on the screen,” Viro said. “Then when the break ends, there was my name. I was really happy.”
Viro has a good combination of solid skating and smarts, someone who prides himself on being a leader.
“I really want to show an example to others,” he said. “Off the ice, I really get along with everybody. I think I’m a quick learner. I think I have a lot of potential and I can be much better than I am now.”
Update: And here’s a bonus from The Athletic’s Max Bultman:
Perhaps the feel-good pick of the day came with the first pick of Round 7, when the Red Wings picked Kienan Draper, Kris’ son. Draper plays for Chilliwack in the BCHL, where he had a four-point game over the weekend.
Kienan said afterward that he and his dad had talked about the possibility beforehand, and that he would have been happy to be picked by any team.
“But to be picked by my hometown team is really awesome,” he said.
“A couple of our scouts — one in Ontario who followed Kienan at St. Andrew’s College last year, and one of our scouts in the West who was following him in Chilliwack this year — they were pushing pretty hard,” Yzerman said.
Yzerman and Kris Draper discussed the possibility recently, and Yzerman first asked him, “Are you sure you want to put your son in that position?” before telling him, ‘Your obligation is (to) do what you think is the right thing for the Detroit Red Wings, and I trust your judgment.’
“And I know that he did that,” Yzerman said.
If you want to watch the player availabilities, enjoy:
