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NHL Draft: Where will the Red Wings Pick?

By John Manzo

HAMILTON, ON - JANUARY 16: Alexis Lafreniere #11 of Team White and Quinton Byfield #55 of Team Red following the final whistle of the 2020 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at FirstOntario Centre on January 16, 2020 in Hamilton, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
HAMILTON, ON - JANUARY 16: Alexis Lafreniere #11 of Team White and Quinton Byfield #55 of Team Red following the final whistle of the 2020 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at FirstOntario Centre on January 16, 2020 in Hamilton, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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Taking a look at where the Detroit Red Wings might end up selecting during the 2020 NHL Draft.

Detroit Red Wings fans, you won’t like this.

With the NHL season on pause for the foreseeable future, and uncertainty as to if it will return due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I shifted gears to the 2020 NHL Draft.

Since the Red Wings locked up last place this season – regardless if there’s another game played or not – I wanted to see where the team will likely pick during the 2020 NHL Draft.

Using our friends at Tankathon.com, I simulated the draft order 10 times. The rules were simple; whichever option came out the most  is where I’ll be making the Red Wings’ pick.

Here’s why I said Red Wings fans won’t like this.

After 10 simulations, the lottery luck – or lack thereof – bit the team again, dropping them from No. 1 to No. 4 overall…and it wasn’t even close. Detroit drew the No. 4 pick 7 times, with No. 1 twice and No. 3 once.

*Insert shattered computer or mobile phone screen*

*Insert bottle of beer or stiff cocktail in hand*

If this plays out whenever the 2020 NHL Draft happens, many Red Wings fans will not be happy,

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and I’m sure conspiracy theories will ensue, seeing as year-after-year the team falls from original draft projections.

This is a likely scenario, though. According to MLive’s Ansar Khan, Detroit has as good of a chance as landing the No. 4 pick (50.6 percent) as they do of drafting in the top 3 (49.4 percent).

If the Red Wings fall to No. 4, let’s assume forwards Alexis Lafreniere (Rimouski Océanic), Quinton Byfield (Sudbury) and Tim Stuetzle (Mannheim in Germany) are taken.

That leaves Detroit with options such as forwards Alexander Holtz (Djurgardens), Lucas Rayond (Frolunda) or Cole Perfetti (Saginaw), defenseman Jamie Drysdale (Erie) or goalie Yaroslav Askarov (SKA Saint Petersburg).

Who would you take at No. 4, and how mad would you be that the Red Wings dropped again?

I’ll make my pick tomorrow.

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