Wings Draft: Three (More) Prospects for Detroit in the Second round
The second round of the 2021 NHL Draft should be an entertaining one for fans of the Detroit Red Wings, as the organization has three picks to play with. At Octopus Thrower, we’ve already taken a look at three potential prospects that’ll likely be available in the second – but let’s look at a few more possibilities.
Logan Stankoven – C
Stankoven was another prospect with altered draft stock because of the “Covid-19” year. After a great rookie season with the Kamloops Blazers (29 goals and 19 assists in 59 games), he didn’t have the chance to really continue illustrating his development, as his sophomore season was only six games. But in those six games, Stankoven managed to make his mark, netting seven goals and tacking on three assist in just six games. In a full season, Stankoven could very well have made a name for himself as one of the top prospects in the draft.
Stankoven’s greatest limitations are his aforementioned lack of experience and his size. Standing at 5-foot-8, he isn’t exactly an imposing figure on the ice. However, he easily makes up for his shortcomings with fantastic speed, high motor and great shot.
Stankoven is just a natural scorer. He uses his great skating/speed to insert himself into high-danger situations and flicks a deadly-accurate wrister or quick one timer past the goaltender. There aren’t times on the ice where it looks like Stankoven is passive or apathetic on a play; he’s playing at one hundred percent consistently.
There’s a good chance that Stankoven doesn’t make it to Detroit’s first pick of the second round at 37. But if he does, he could be the diamond-in-the-rough forward with a high offensive ceiling that Detroit needs more of down the pipeline.
Red Savage – C
Savage could be considered a reach in the second, as many projections rank him as a third rounder. But C.R. Davies of the Hockey Writers said it best in his profile on Savage: “He’s a swiss army knife.”
Savage centered the U.S. Under 18 team for 46 games this season, scoring 18 goals and 24 assists in that time. He also had a bit of playing time in the junior World Championship, where he snagged a goal in five games.
Savage is a two-way player that leans on his defensive skillset. He’s that stereotypical fourth-line grinder that coaches (Like Jeff Blashill) covet; he can keep opposing offenses quiet, win faceoffs, excel on the penalty kill and play safe offensively. If Savage wants to play on an NHL roster, he needs to improve his offensive skillset significantly. He doesn’t posses much raw talent on offense.
If the Red Wings select Savage in the second, it’ll probably be to balance out a few risky picks in the first. Savage is a relatively safe pick, as a lot of his skillset can translate comfortably into the lower lines of an NHL team.
Also, c’mon, the name. It’s too good to pass up.
Anton Olsson – LHD
What good is a Detroit prospect piece without mentioning a Swede?
Olsson is going pretty under-the-radar for a player that spent a majority of his season in the SHL. An empty scoresheet certainly has something to do with it; Olsson’s only points in 39 games this season were four assists (Although he did nab three additional assists with Sweden in the U18 World Tournament).
However, points are not a good reflection of the type of defenseman Olsson is. He can’t run a power play, he can’t run an offense and he doesn’t have a great raw toolkit. That’s not to say he’s incompetent offensively; his great vision of the ice provides for some smooth and snappy passes to keep the offense chugging along.
But his defense is fantastic. He’s mobile, very intelligent, can read the ice beyond his years and just has all the fundamentals down. Some might say his ceiling is relatively low, as a defense-first defenseman that plays a well-rounded game isn’t the flashy style that attracts attention from the rest of the league. I would argue that his ceiling is actually quite high for a player of his archetype; to show this sort of poise and maturity in one of the best leagues outside of the NHL is quite impressive. Olsson is the perfect player to instantly strengthen a team’s overall defense. Pair him with a more risky or flashy defenseman and you have a dangerous duo.
Related Story. Three Potential Targets for Detroit in the Second round. light