It’s always a fun day when TSN’s draft resident expert Bob McKenzie publishes his draft rating. They’re generally close to the industry consensus on the players, which means that what you see may be what you get when draft day arrives. There were a few things that caught the attention of the fans, but the most important was the order of the first two players, with Slovakian prospect Juraj Slafkovsky in first place overall and Shane Wright in second.
Let’s clarify one thing before continuing; all this is speculation. Still, McKenzie hasn’t missed the first overall selection in his ranking since 2009, according to a PuckEmpire visual, so it’s worth talking about. And agree or disagree with the ranking, “Bobby Margarita” based them on a poll of 10 scouts, and they had Slafkovsky in a 5-4 victory for first place overall.
So how does this ranking affect the Detroit Red Wings? Well, it opens up many more options for exploring CEO Steve Yzerman and the reception. The eighth overall selection will still have a solid, impactful NHL player. Whether it’s a player like Matthew Savoie, who was selected 8th in the 2022 draft of the NH Nation NHL draft, or players like Frank Nazar, Cutter Gauthier, Marco Kaspar or Jonathan Lekkerimaki, among others, there will be a reward for choosing your current position. However, if the Montreal Canadiens got Slafkovsky first in the overall, a new, more exciting door would open.
The Red Wings have a second-line center vacancy. With the talk about the New Jersey Devils exchanging their second overall selection, I don’t see why Yzerman shouldn’t look very good at the exchange. A two-pointer from Larkin and Wright in the middle could solve a big hole in the list.
The real question is, what would it take for the Devils to move their second overall selection? It won’t be cheap, but the Red Wings could get it.
The package would probably start with the eighth overall selection and Tyler Bertuzzi. It would be a big surprise if the Devils didn’t have Slafkovsky at the top of their standings, but if they leave, the Red Wings could move the 27-year-old to New Jersey in a change to help make up for the loss. .
Bertuzzi scored 62 points in 68 games, including 30 goals, and alongside central defenders like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, he was able to keep up with a relatively cheap $ 4.75 million. Along with the solid goal, there is a chance to select another high-impact player with an excellent goal-scoring touch like Lekkerimaki.
Another player the Red Wings could add to the pack is Filip Hronek. In 78 games in 2021-22, the right-back made 5 goals and 33 assists for a total of 38 points. With the possibility of PK Subban leaving the team, it is possible that Tom Fitzgerald is looking for a replacement in the lineup that does not require committing many free agent dollars that the Devils could spend elsewhere.
The Red Wings have 10 total picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, so if the Devils wanted one or two more in the pack, they could provide them. That said, a pack from Bertuzzi, Hronek, 8th overall selection and another mid-round selection could be enough to lure the Devils to change.
It’s hard to give up a player like Bertuzzi, who can wear it all every night. A front-line winger who produced well last season is always valuable. There’s also the fact that Hronek may not fit in with what the devils want, so they may want to pursue a right-wing defender elsewhere. However, centers like Shane Wright don’t come very often, so if the opportunity arises to change it and select it, there’s not much that would bother me that Yzerman would move on to get it.
The Red Wings could further accelerate the rebuilding process after addressing the problem of the staff of the second center line, especially considering that the Red Wings have more than enough space to pursue a highly promoted end in the free agency. Many options could provide the same production, or at least almost similar to the one Bertuzzi has given. In the end, all of this might not make sense, but as we’ve all seen repeatedly, anything can happen on draft day, so Red Wings management should explore all options.