The Detroit Red Wings selected Michael Rasmussen, 18, with the ninth overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft. Time to get to know the franchise's top pick.
Rasmussen was playing for the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League before being drafted. In just 50 games with the Americans, he had 32 goals and 23 assists. He scored 15 of his 32 goals on the power play. That's an area where the Red Wings struggled as a team last season, including a stretch of several weeks of not scoring a single power play goal on the road.
The first thing that Red Wings fans will notice about Rasmussen is his size. At 6-6 and 221 pounds, he's really easy to point out when he's on the ice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjfZEEKPnys&t=64s
Rasmussen does have some areas where he needs to improve. Scouts are quick to point out that he lacks defensive ability for a big man. They also mention that he needs to work on his skating ability as well.
However, he's still young and has plenty of time to improve his game. With that being said, it is almost certain that Rasmussen will be somewhere in Detroit's minor league system, most likely Grand Rapids with the Griffins next season.
It's hard to think of the last time that Detroit has had a ‘power forward' type of player on the ice. Long-time Red Wing Tomas Holmstrom rings a bell and some compare Rasmussen's game to his.
At the end of the day, this is the first time the Red Wings have had a top ten pick since 1991. Rasmussen has the size and ability to put the puck in the net. He can be an asset to the Red Wings in the future.
