Steve Yzerman’s teams have selected a goaltender in the first round once under his watch as general manager, and that worked out quite well.
Will the Detroit Red Wings do it this year with the No. 6 pick during the first round of the draft on July 23?
Jesper Wallstedt flourished with Lulea in the Swedish Hockey League (2.23 goals-against average, .907 save percentage) and is regarded as one of the best goalie prospects of the past several years.
The Red Wings don’t have anyone in their system they can label as their goaltender of the future, especially if Keith Petruzelli doesn’t sign and becomes a free agent.
It is risky to take a goalie that high because it is more difficult to gauge how their abilities will translate to the NHL. They also take longer to develop than skaters.
As crucial a position as it is, only one goalie has been selected in the top six in the past 18 years (Carey Price fifth to Montreal in 2005). Only 12 goalies have ever been picked in the top six, a list that includes Hall-of-Fame talent (Price, Marc-Andre Fleury, Roberto Luongo) and flops (Ray Martyniuk, Brian Finley).
The Red Wings have taken a goalie in the first round only once in the past 48 years and that was a bust (Tom McCollum 30th in 2008).
Tampa Bay, under Yzerman, selected Andrei Vasilevskiy 19th overall in 2012 (a pick the Lightning acquired from the Red Wings for Kyle Quincey via Colorado), and he is arguably the best in the league.
But it is easier to roll the dice on a goalie later in the first round than in the top 10. Maybe the Red Wings will doit at pick No. 22, which they acquired from Washington in the Jakub Vrana-Anthony Mantha trade. Sebastian Cossa (Edmonton, WHL) is another highly rated netminder many project to go in the first round.
Yzerman and the scouting staff pulled a surprise in 2019 by taking defenseman Moritz Seider at No. 6, and that appears to have been a shrewd move.
Will they surprise again at the same spot in this year’s draft? Some mock drafts project they will:
TSN: Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea (Sweden) – Craig Button, the former Calgary Flames GM and TSN’s draft expert said, “People might say, ‘Why would you take a goalie at No. 6? Steve Yzerman doesn’t care what other people think. Jesper Wallstedt is closer to being able to play rather than further away.”
Bleacher Report: Wallstedt: Lyle Richardson wrote: “The Detroit Red Wings lack depth in goaltenders among their 10 best prospects. The 6-3, 214-pound Wallstedt is a big, athletic netminder with a hybrid butterfly style. He could become a future starter for the Wings.”
The Hockey News: Luke Hughes, D, U.S. National Team Development Program – The third Hughes brother expected to be drafted in the top 10 (Quinn went No. 7 to Vancouver in 2018, Jack No. 1 to New Jersey in 2019) has good size (6-2, 184) and tremendous mobility. He committed to Michigan. Ryan Kennedy said, “Amazing skater; he might be the best skater of the three Hughes brothers. The stride is just incredible, and I think it’s such a weapon. You think about a Red Wings defense corps headed in the future by Moritz Seider and Luke Hughes, that’s a great foundation to start off with.”
NHL.com: Wallstedt – Adam Kimelman writes, “The Red Wings need a goalie to add to their development pipeline and Wallstedt is the best available. Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman is fearless when it comes to identifying talent. Two years ago, the Red Wings had the No. 6 pick and went against the grain to select defenseman Moritz Seider, who now looks like a future top-pair player. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a similar move by the Red Wings here. Wallstedt has a calm, controlled style, tracks pucks well and already has experience playing in the top league.”
NHL.com: Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough (OHL): Detroit has selected centers from Peterborough before, most notably Yzerman in 1983. Mike Morreale writes of McTavish: “A powerful skater with balance and solid puck-protection skills, McTavish (6-1, 207) scored 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in 13 games on loan with EHC Olten in the Swiss League, the second-highest professional league in Switzerland. He scored 11 points (five goals, six assists) in seven games to help Canada win the U-18s.”
Sportsnet: William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden (Sweden): The Red Wings need to bolster their scoring and skill level throughout their system and Eklund would help in that area. Sam Cosentino wrote: “The Wings have taken an abundance of D the past couple years and have a great connection to Sweden. Why not go to the most improved draft-eligible player in all of Europe?”
The Sporting News: Wallstedt: Writes Josh Bell, “If there was a general manager to pick a goalie in the top 10, it’d be Steve Yzerman, right? With some excellent prospects at forward and defense, the Red Wings look to between the pipes, landing their goaltender of the future. Wallstedt just spent the season in the SHL, even stealing the starting job in Lulea for a time. For a draft-eligible, that’s unheard of. Down the line, this could be the steal of the draft.”
More: Is trading for a goalie a viable option?
The Link LonkJune 14, 2021 at 11:39PM
https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2021/06/red-wings-could-be-tempted-by-goalie-with-sixth-pick-in-draft.html
Red Wings could be tempted by goalie with sixth pick in draft - MLive.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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