It is time for the Detroit Red Wings to tank for Jack Hughes

With a 0.07% chance at a playoff birth and a 75% chance the Detroit Red Wings finish the season in the bottom three. It is both okay and time for the team to tank for draft position. In my opinion, the prize is still center Jack Hughes.

First things first, Jack Hughes is an unbelievable skater. He does not need any help or coaching in that department. He is blazing fast (think Dylan Larkin perhaps even quicker) he plays the game quickly. Hughes has a high ceiling and potential and is close to being that generational player the  Detroit Red Wings lack. He has the best breakaway speed in this draft class.

Jack Hughes is a playmaker. He can score goals or make passes in tight areas. He mixes it up defensively. His 5′ 11″ frame should not and will not scare any team off from drafting him. Jack’s no-look pass is right up there with Connor McDavid. Make no mistake Jack Hughes is not a pass first center. He has the ability to drive to the goal and plant himself in front of the net. That is not coached, he just has an excellent feel for the game.

While he does need more upper body strength his legs more than make-up for that, Hughes may have the purest skill in the 2019 NHL draft. A player who would help drastically speed the rebuild up in Detroit. I’d put my money on the side that does not think Hughes would benefit from going to Grand Rapids. But if he does similar to Dylan Larkin, he will not be there long.

With the Detroit Red Wings struggling, I suggest they pack it in and draft a player who has a ton to offer. I am well aware that Red Wings fans will say “What about the defense?” I assume that could be addressed in free agency July 1. A player like this has been absent from recent NHL drafts.

It is time the Winged Wheels catch a break and get a game-changer who would help push the team along at a quicker pace. Rebuilds are not fun, but that does not mean they need to be dull either. Jack Hughes is anything but dull.