Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings will likely be looking to improve the pipeline a high-ceiling prospect at six, but with their next draft pick at 22, a safe prospect might be the way to go. Let’s take a look at a few of the safer options that’ll be available late in the first.
Brennan Othmann
After it became clear that the OHL would not resume the 2021 season, Othmann was loaned to Switzerland. In the Swiss League, he scored seven goals and nine assists in 34 games. After the end of the Swiss season, Othmann received another chance to illustrate his skills, this time with Canada in the U-18 World Championship. In seven games, he scored three goals and three assists.
Othmann is one of the top goal scorers in the draft. Although he’s not quite at the level that Mason McTavish and Chaz Lucius are at, he’s close between. His shooting arsenal includes a quick, smooth wrist shot that he can snipe from afar or sneak in right at the goal. Othmann is also a solid playmaker, as he can make tape-to-tape passes into high danger zones and maintain possession. Othmann’s biggest area of concern is his skating. It’s a bit clunky and would not transitional well into more talented leagues.
Othmann is certainly an option for Detroit with Washington’s pick at 22. A lot of it depends on who Yzerman picks at sixth, as Othmann is more of a high-floor kind of pick. Although he certainly has a good ceiling with that kind of raw shooting ability, his relatively low puck/stick handling skills and skating will likely get in the way of elite status. If Yzerman takes a wild swing at six, Othmann might be the safe option to balance out the draft class.
Fyodor Svechkov
The only real risk with Svechkov is the “Russian Factor” (Which is essentially GM’s taking into consideration the possibility of a Russian player staying in Russia to play for the KHL). Other than that, he’s one of the more well-rounded prospects in the draft.
Svechkov bounced between a couple Russian leagues during the season: the VHL and the MHL. In the VHL, Svechkov scored five goals and 10 assists in 38 games; in the MHL, he nabbed four goals and 11 assists in 15 games played. Svechkov improved his already solid 2021 campaign by playing with Team Russia in the U-18 World Championship. He scored four goals and six assists in just seven games.
Svechkov possesses perhaps the best defensive skillset of any center in the draft, making his billing as a two-way player an easy one. He’s also more than capable driving the offense; he’s a good passer that can create clean zone entries (He just needs to distribute a little more than he shoots).
Svechkov plays a safe, smart style of hockey that translates comfortably into the NHL. This is especially true in an organization like Detroit. Yzerman and Jeff Blashill love their gritty two-way centers, and Svechkov fits the bill. While his upside isn’t especially exciting, Svechkov is one of the safer prospects to go with in such an uncertain draft.