NHL Mock Draft 2.0 has the Red Wings making a big trade to land a solid two-way forward
Some teams looking to fine-tune their prospects pool may seek to trade into the top 15 of the 2024 NHL Draft, and the Red Wings might make a swap.
Just because the Detroit Red Wings hold the 15th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, it doesn’t mean they need to keep it if general manager Steve Yzerman feels he can make one of those big trades that will theoretically take his team closer to the playoffs in the 2024-25 season.
For NHL Mock Draft Simulation 2.0: Red Wings Edition, I’m taking the role of Yzerman and making that big trade in the first round. Nope, we’re not keeping the pick, and instead, a team selecting in the top five will climb back into the first round and land not one but two top 15 picks.
But don’t worry, because in this scenario, a rather well-known two-way forward will make their way to the Motor City. And maybe they will be the missing piece on a Red Wings team that can inch closer to the playoffs if they land the right player.
Round 1: Trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Red Wings acquire Boone Jenner, 2025 third-round pick for 15th overall pick (Henry Mews) and Justin Holl
It would be tough to see Boone Jenner leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets, as he’s spent his entire career in the state capital of Ohio. But Jenner is also heading into his age-31 season, and the Blue Jackets are in the middle of a regime change, so it’s long past overdue to trade him to a potential contender so he can finally get back into the playoffs.
Therefore, Steve Yzerman makes the call in this scenario and sends the 15th overall pick, which the Columbus Blue Jackets will use to select blueliner Henry Mews plus Justin Holl. As it stands, Holl just needs to find a team that has room to give him ice time, and the Blue Jackets are one of a few bottom-feeder teams that can use him.
Jenner, meanwhile, isn’t an elite scorer, but the Red Wings need an experienced two-way forward. And the fact Jenner has been recognized as a leader during his time in Columbus should only increase his value.
He won’t land 20-plus minutes of average total ice time with the Wings should this scenario transform into a reality. But inserting him as a third-line center who will win between 53 and 55 percent of his faceoff draws and break up plays and would-be shots on goal will immediately boost Detroit’s game when they don’t have the puck.
Overall, this would be an easy trade to make if you’re Steve Yzerman and the Blue Jackets are looking to trade back into the top 15.
Round 2: Christian Humphreys, C/USNTP
In this simulation, the Red Wings aren’t just getting a center for the big club; they’re drafting sound prospects who could take over at the position a few years from now. Christian Humphreys is one possibility, though he can also play winger.
He played more than well over the past two seasons with the United States National Development Team, earning 58 points and 23 goals in just 52 contests this past season. He also aced the point-per-game milestone in the 23 USHL games he also appeared in, notching 24 points and seven goals.
Round 3: Gabriel Frasca, C/Kingston Frontenacs
A center who has the length, but not yet the ideal size for his frame, Gabriel Frasca also isn’t a top of the line scorer, as he has just 30 goals in 102 regular season games for the Kingston Frontenacs. But let’s also not forget he spent a good portion of the season injured, so that inevitably made things tougher for the 18-year-old.
Whether it’s the Red Wings or another organization, whoever takes Frasca will get a better sample size next season if he stays healthy. And that could make the ultimate difference from what was a modest season in Kingston into a dominant one.
Round 4: Hugo Lejon, RW/Vasteras
Like Frasca, Hugo Lejon brings good length, even though he has yet to fill out his frame with muscle. But if you want someone who has playmaker potential slated to fall into the middle rounds, Lejon is that ideal prospect.
This is a player who will get some work in the SHL in 2024-25 following a 61-point, 27-goal season in J20 Nationell. He may be a mid-round pick here, but if Lejon can be a playmaker in Sweden’s premier hockey league, don’t be surprised if he eventually takes the North American game by storm.
Round 5: Jake Fisher, C/Denver
Jake Fisher will be one of the cooler prospects to follow after what was an encouraging season in 2023-24 with the USHL’s Fargo Force. He finished the year with 23 goals in 51 contests, and 47 points total before tacking on another six points and four goals in 12 postseason appearances.
Fisher will continue his hockey career at the University of Denver, one of the best and most consistent programs in the nation. He should make an offensive impact early, and look for him to continue to parlay that consistency as his collegiate career wears on.
Round 6: Jackson Unger, G/Moose Jaw Warriors
Jackson Unger has seen a lot of time in the crease over the past two seasons, making 87 regular season appearances. While his numbers weren’t good earlier in his career, the trajectory has since changed this past season when he finished 35-15-0 with a 0.908 save percentage and a GAA of 3.08 to go with three shutouts.
Those may not look incredible, but they were a significant improvement from the 0.867 save percentage and 4.19 GAA he put up in 2022-23. Further, Unger looked even better in the postseason with a GAA of 2.90 and a 0.910 save percentage in 20 playoff games.
Round 7A: Julien Lanthier, D/Baie-Comeau Drakkar
These final-round picks are great for players who show off potential, so that was my overall goal here. Julien Lanthier hasn’t put up two-way numbers since before his QMJHL days, but he showed creativity during the 2021-22 season when he recorded 26 assists and 33 points in 40 regular season games for the Saint-Eustache Vikings; he just needs to figure that out in the QMJHL.
Round 7B: Pier-Etienne Cloutier, LW/Quebec Remparts
Perhaps the higher potential pick of the two seventh-rounders in this simulation, Pier-Etienne Cloutier brings a 6’4, 196-pound frame that’s more than NHL-worthy, even if it will be more than a minute before he sees a single game in the big league. The productivity hasn’t been there in his first full QMJHL season, but he has more than enough time to grow his game.
He’s got the size, and there is nothing questioning it, so it’s all about whether he can figure things out at the junior level.
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(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)