SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 06: A general view of the draft board following the first round of the 2020 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft at the NHL Network Studio on October 06, 2020 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
With three draft picks in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, the Detroit Red Wings are going to have plenty of prospects to consider and target. Without knowing the philosophy Steve Yzerman will be using during the draft, it’s hard to truly guess what the selections will be, but let’s look at three players that would make a solid fit into the organization.
Scott Morrow, RHD
Morrow is one of the few high end prospects this year that will be drafted out of high school. Expected to play in the USHL with Fargo this season, Morrow opted to stick in school for the regular season (He did make a short six game appearance with Fargo in the playoffs, but failed to snag any points). With St. Mary Prep, Morrow scored eight goals and 40 assists in just 30 games, vastly outplaying the competition.
Morrow may be the diamond in the rough prospect that makes teams regret passing over him. He’s an excellent skater, with great speed and fantastic edgework. At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds (According to eliteprospects.com), he’s one of the most mobile defensemen in the entire draft. Using his agility often, Morrow has made a name for himself as an offensive defenseman. His speed makes for aggressive zone entries and he can find a team with a pass nearly anywhere in the offensive zone. Morrow loves running the offense, as his natural speed and hockey IQ can combine to create a defenseman that can run and prop up an offense. He also had solid defensive skills; with his skating, Morrow rarely lets opposing players have any sort of breathing room. Because a majority of his defensive tape is against high school competition, it’s hard to get a good read of what exactly he needs to improve, as he would often just use his raw talent to overcome competition.
Scott Morrow is a pretty risky pick. He’s mobile and offensively capable, but the lack of pro experience (Or even really any against high end talent) will likely send him to the second round of the draft. If Morrow is available for Detroit, he’d be a good fit. He’s a offensively gifted defenseman that can quarterback the offense, which is something Detroit is still on the lookout for. Although he doesn’t necessarily fit the exact need of a left-handed defenseman, his raw skills might be too much for the Red Wings to pass on. The team that drafts him will get to watch him develop in the NCAA with UMass next season.
Samu Salminen, C
EDMONTON, AB – JANUARY 05: Finland celebrates victory over Russia during the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship bronze medal game at Rogers Place on January 5, 2021 in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images) /
The Finnish center Samu Salminen might not be one of the centers near the top of the draft, but he definitely has 2nd/3rd line potential. Salminen has spent his career in his native country of Finland, where he developed in the junior leagues with Jokerit. This season, Salminen scored 10 goals and 16 assists with Jokerit’s U-20 team. He also played in the junior World Championship with Finland, scoring seven goals and two assists in seven games.
Salminen is an odd prospect. He’s a below average skater without a ton of raw skill (No speed, not especailly skilled puck/stick handler), but he just finds a way to score. Salminen has a decent shot, but most of his offensive drive is due to his fantastic hockey IQ. Although he’s not the quickest, he can just find ways to keep the offense going. If you let him into a high danger spot, he can threat with a tape-to-tape pass to a teammate in scoring position or snipe the corners of the net.
Salminen is a pretty risky option. His skating alone will likely push him out of the first, and the lack of raw skill is not a good look for a team looking for high ceiling potential. But you can’t really argue with production, and Salminen has been productive at every stop thus far. If Yzerman is leaning towards a center that can put pucks in net, Salminen could be the answer in the second round.
Ryan Ufko, RHD
PITTSBURGH, PA – APRIL 10: Filip Lindberg #35 of the Massachusetts Minutemen and his teammates celebrate a 5-0 victory against the St. Cloud State Huskies capturing the first NCAA hockey championship in school history during the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey Frozen Four Championship final at the PPG Paints Arena on April 10, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /
The UMass men’s hockey team will be loaded on the blue line in a few years, as Ryan Ufko will be joining Scott Morrow next season on the team in 2022. Ufko played in the USHL with the Chicago Steel this year, and led their defenseman in scoring with an impressive 39 points (10 goals and 29 assists) in 53 games.
Ufko plays a similar game to the aforementioned Scott Morrow: he activates often offensively, comfortable as a quarterback on the power play and 5v5 situations. Although his offensive toolkit isn’t quite as good as Morrow’s (Doesn’t quite possess the raw speed and hockey IQ), he has more proof of his defensive capabilities, as he’s excelled at a higher level. With the Chicago steel, Ufko illustrated the ability to control pace of play both on defense and offense. He does a great job with possession, ensuring that opposing teams have as little time with the puck as possible. When the opposing team does gain possession, he gives them little space, harassing with his stick and closing gaps quickly.
Although he’s doesn’t have quite the raw tools of a Morrow, Ufko has shown an ability to adapt his defensive game to a more skilled league. If Yzerman is still looking for an offensive defenseman in the second, Ufko is a relatively safe option with a good amount of upside. He also fills the organization need of a more offensive right-shot defenseman.
Wings Draft: Two Safe Prospects That Will be Available at 22. dark. Next
