Inside the Article:
The Detroit Red Wings, who were hoping to secure their first playoff berth in seven years, are now in the running for higher lottery odds after six consecutive losses and multiple trades. In a division filled with talented teams, the Red Wings, led by General Manager Steve Yzerman, are still searching for their own group of rising stars. Yzerman acknowledges that Buffalo and Ottawa, which have been rebuilding for a longer period, have done an excellent job in acquiring assets and young prospects. Although the Red Wings need to improve, Yzerman believes that luck in the draft lottery could expedite their rebuilding process.
Key Points
- Red Wings are searching for their own group of young stars
- Buffalo and Ottawa have been rebuilding for a longer period and have acquired assets and young prospects
- Luck in the draft lottery could expedite the Red Wings’ rebuilding process
- Red Wings have not had much luck in the draft lottery since their rebuild began in 2017
- Sabres have had two first-overall picks in the last five years
- Wings had the most losses in the NHL from 2016-17 to 2021-22, but their average top draft pick over that span was outside the top six
Steve Yzerman says Detroit Red Wings have to ‘get lucky’
On Monday, Yzerman joined the crew on the Stoney and Jansen show on 97.1 the Ticket, and he talked about the Red Wings rebuild and how they have to get lucky on some occasions.
“I look at Montreal, ourselves, Buffalo and Ottawa, we’re all rebuilding, not so much Buffalo and Ottawa now, but Montreal and ourselves, still acquiring assets, draft choices, prospects potentially to try and build,” Yzerman said Monday on 97.1 The Ticket. “(Buffalo and Ottawa) have been doing it a little bit longer than us, they’ve done a very good job. I’m not making any excuses, we need to be better, but we’re not there yet. I look at their nucleuses of young players and I look at what they have coming, they’re just ahead of us.
“So we gotta stick with it and we have to draft well. We have to get lucky on some occasions, maybe at some point here, maybe this year, get lucky in the lottery and that’ll kind of speed it up a little bit.”
The Big Picture: The Importance of Draft Lottery Luck in Rebuilding
The Red Wings have been in a rebuilding phase since 2017 and have been focusing on acquiring assets and young prospects through the draft. However, their lack of success in the draft lottery has hindered their progress in the rebuilding process. Yzerman’s acknowledgment of the importance of draft lottery luck highlights the significance of this aspect of rebuilding for NHL teams. Without high draft picks, it becomes challenging for a team to acquire the top prospects needed to develop a strong, young core of players. The Red Wings are hoping to turn their luck around and secure a higher pick in the upcoming draft to expedite their rebuilding process.
Red Wings Draft Lottery by the Numbers
- Red Wings have never moved up in the draft lottery in six attempts
- Red Wings have dropped in four out of six draft lotteries they have participated in
- Sabres had two first overall picks in the last five years
- Wings had the most losses in the NHL from 2016-17 to 2021-22, but their average top draft pick over that span was outside the top six
