The Detroit Red Wings made noticeable improvements in 2021 after their ghastly 2019-20 season that was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, they got the shaft in the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery, sliding to 4th after earning the NHL’s least amount of points in the regular season by a large margin.
Still, they finished outside of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and had their eyes set on another potential high draft pick. And now, we know in what position they’ll be drafting later this summer.
They’ll officially be selecting 6th overall for the 3rd time in the past four years:
The #RedWings will select 6th in the 2021 #NHLDraft. pic.twitter.com/P90lDsp0CG
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 2, 2021
The Red Wings entered the Draft Lottery with the following odds:
1. 7.6%
2. 7.8%
6. 30%
7. 43.8%
8. 10.9%
Among the top projected draft picks:
Owen Power (D, Michigan, NCAA/Big 10), Matthew Beniers (C, Michigan, NCAA/Big 10), Brandt Clarke (D, HC Nove Zamky, Slovakia), Luke Hughes (D, USNTDP, USHL), Dylan Guenther (RW, Edmonton, WHL), Simon Edvinsson (D, Frolunda, J20), Kent Johnson (C, Michigan, NCAA/Big 10), Mason McTavish (C, EHC Olten, SL), William Eklund (LW, Djurgardens, SHL), and Aatu Raty (C, Karpat, Liiga).
The last time the Red Wings held the 1st overall pick? 1986, when they selected Joe Murphy. How about 2nd overall? All the way back to 1971 with Future Hall of Fame forward Marcel Dionne, though he spent the bulk of his career with Los Angeles.
