3 underrated prospects the Red Wings must consider with the 15th pick in the NHL Draft

While previous mock drafts regarding the Detroit Red Wings rolled with logical picks, today, we’re thinking outside the box, even if this isn’t necessarily another mock draft. Instead, we’re looking at a trio of players who should, unless they zoom up the draft boards over the next two weeks, not only be available for the Wings to take at No. 15; there is a chance they even fall out of the first round. 

So why should general manager Steve Yzerman consider taking them if there’s a good chance he can wait until Round 2? For one, all three of the prospects you’re about to meet have produced elite numbers and their overall skill set is better than some who are slated to go much earlier on June 28th (or even June 29th). 

But lack of experience, lesser competition, or the lack of just a single characteristic has pushed them down the rankings. Still, they’re more than worth considering at No. 15, especially the first player on this list who put up over 100 points while facing some sound competition. 

Terik Parascak, RW/Prince George

Terik Parascak has fallen to the second round and even deeper in several of my previous mock drafts. Meanwhile, he’s clocked in going 24th to the Colorado Avalanche, per Tankathon’s mock as of June 13th. But Parascak’s productivity and overall game deserve more credit, and it would be jaw-dropping to see him fall out of the first round, let alone out of the top 20. 

This isn’t saying that the Red Wings should take him without a second thought in front of prospects like Liam Greentree, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, or Beckett Sennecke, but Parascak at least deserves serious consideration. For one, look at his points total, which sat at 105 after 68 games. Of those 105 points, he found the net 43 times, but this was his first full WHL season, and he will have been 18 for just a month come draft day. 

Still, this is a playmaking forward slash scorer, making him one of the NHL Draft’s dual-threats. Sure, there is still a lot of room for Parascak to grow his game, and Jesse Courville-Lynch of The Hockey Writers pointed out areas like skating and defensive play. 

That said, it’s tough to pass up someone who can be a scoring machine, and Parascak has a lot of time to grow those weak areas of his game. If he adds another 15-20 pounds of muscle over the next two to three seasons and works on his positioning, he will be just fine. 

Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D/Vaxjo Lakers

Like Terik Parascak, Leo Sahlin Wallenius is a high-scoring player but on the blue line. This past season, he scored seven goals and 23 points in 28 games of international play, and he was also the alternate captain on the Vaxjo Lakers at the J20 Nationell level. There, he snagged 11 goals and 42 points in 43 regular season games before he finished the year with a trio of assists in five playoff games. 

One reason for his dynamic productivity is the fact he can stickhandle well and outmaneuver opponents, leaving him to find an open forward to help finish a sequence. 

Also, like Parascak, I’m not getting so ambitious as to rank Sahlin Wallenius higher than some of the other big-name defensemen who may be there when the Red Wings pick. Prospects like Sam Dickinson, Carter Yakemchuk, Stian Solberg, and Adam Jiricek are all solid options and perhaps even better. 

But if an influx of blueliners goes ahead of the Red Wings and if Steve Yzerman is looking to take one, it would be tough to call Leo Sahlin Wallenius a reach. Beyond his productivity, Sahlin Wallenius also has good size for his age at 6’0, 183 lbs, meaning he should hold his own if he gets a chance in the SHL next season. 

If not, then we can expect him to dominate at the J20-Nationell level once again in 2024-25. While it’s still a longshot that Sahline Wallenius will go in the middle of the first round at the moment, if he drops to the second, someone is getting a steal.