After much anticipation and very-little excitement, the Detroit Red Wings will pick 6th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. Steve Yzerman will now have the 6th pick for the 2nd time in his very short tenure as Red Wings GM.
At first, you have to be disappointed. The Red Wings have been at the raw-end of the lottery deal for the last few years, but at the same time, I think we were prepared for any situation. The last time the Red Wings picked at 6th overall, they got Moritz Seider. I think we’ll be okay.
Here’s how the top part of the 2021 NHL Draft will play out:
- Buffalo Sabres
- Seattle Kraken
- Anaheim Ducks
- New Jersey Devils
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Detroit Red Wings
- San Jose Sharks
- Los Angeles Kings
- Vancouver Canucks
- Ottawa Senators
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Calgary Flames
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Dallas Stars
- New York Rangers
As I said before, I don’t think there should be much concern from fans. Yzerman has been successful in his first two drafts. There’s a handful of really exciting players that could fall into the Red Wings’ laps, all things considered.
William Eklund, Dylan Guenther, and Kent Johnson are some of my standouts that may wind up available at 6. I think Steve Yzerman will continue to build his offense given the meteoric rise of Moritz Seider, and the promising development of Albert Johansson. I think Yzerman tries to go for a center in this draft, that’s just a feeling. There’s also the argument that maybe you could move back, and maybe that would be the most-value move, I’m just not convinced there will be a big market for it in this draft.
However, there might be some teams who are desperate to get Jesper Wallstedt, the top goalie prospect who just finished up a solid season in the SHL. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Red Wings were interested in Wallstedt, but the pick at 6 would be considered a stretch. Though, Moritz Seider was considered a stretch at the time, too.
We should also remember that Steve Yzerman has a TON of picks in this draft, especially after the Anthony Mantha trade, which netted the Red Wings a pick later in the 1st round. They have three picks in the 2nd round, two picks in the 3rd round, and another two picks in the 4th and 5th rounds. Is he going to keep all of these picks? Probably, Yzerman has mentioned having “more kicks at the can” before. Whatever ends up happening… It’s going to be a whirlwind draft for the Detroit Red Wings.