Detroit Red Wings: Kris Draper looks ahead to the 2019 Draft

Former Detroit Red Wings center Kris Draper looks ahead to the 2019 draft.  Draper remains in the organization as a special assistant.

The Kris Draper we remember is the speedy center acquired by the Detroit Red Wings from the Winnipeg Jets for a dollar.  The “dollar” was needed to finalize the deal.  A transaction that seems so far-fetched, yet is real.

You could say Detroit got their money’s worth from the $1.00 investment.  Kris Draper would go onto play 17 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.  Draper became a leader, who would end up wearing an “A” on his sweater later in his career with the Detroit Red Wings.

A staple on a line in Detroit that would be nicknamed “The Grind Line.”  The line consisted of Kirk Maltby and Joey Kocur flanking Kris Draper.  Later Darren McCarty would skate in Kocur’s place.

Draper made a career out of being a “worker bee.”  Draper was exceptional in the face-off circle and would become one of the top penalty killers’ in the NHL.  Drapes won the Frank J Selke trophy in 2003-04, awarded to the best defensive forward in the NHL.  Later because of his defensive abilities, Drapes would dawn the red and white maple leaf playing for Team Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Kris Draper is often remembered as being the guy who took the cheap shot from Claude Lemieux.  Lemieux hit Draper from behind face first into an open door at the Detroit Red Wings players bench.  This nearly ending his career, it would not spark a rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche, it dumped a whole tank of fuel onto it.

Kris Draper is currently a special assistant to General Manager Ken Holland of the Detroit Red Wings.

Draper recently spoke with Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press about a few 2019 draft prospects;

"Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was the prize of the 2018 draft. Philip Broberg could be the first defenseman taken in 2019. At 17, he’s already 6-foot-3, 199 pounds, and excels at breakouts. Victor Soderstrom is another high-ranked defense prospect; he had a goal and an assist when he suffered an injury in Sweden’s second game of the tournament.“When you are talking about a puck-moving, elite-skating defenseman, Broberg was all that. Good size and it even looks like he has room to get bigger and stronger. He is going to be a fun one to watch for sure. He’s a player we need to know.”"

Draper would go on and talk about a local product and potential first overall selection in the 2019 Entry Level Draft, Jack Hughes;

"“Jack Hughes wasn’t at the Hlinka Gretzy, but I’ve seen him play a lot last year. He’s just a dynamic hockey player. He’s slippery, he’s great on his edges, he knows how to protect the puck. He has high-end vision. He is the player when you go scout a hockey game and you walk away from the rink, every night he is going to do three or four things that you shake your head at, that are amazing. He’s a fun hockey player to watch. He has creativity, he skates, he’s competitive.”"

Kris Draper’s career statistics;

In parts of 20 NHL seasons, Draper would play in 1157 career contests.  Draper achieved 161 Goals, 203 Assists, totaling 364 points.  Draper was a plus 72. Draper was only a minus player twice in his 17 seasons as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Kris Draper also won the Stanley Cup four times with the Detroit Red Wings.