The Detroit Red Wings had little skin in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, aside from saving face. The Red Wings don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, as their pick went to the St. Louis Blues in the Justin Faulk trade.
All right, that’s nothing new. But because the Wings didn’t make the playoffs this year, that first-round pick slid into lottery territory. Given how close Detroit finished to a playoff spot, the pick wasn’t going to be within range to go first overall.
But there was always the chance the Red Wings could have won one of the two draws. And if that had happened, the 15th-overall pick could have become the 5th overall selection.
That would have been a nightmare scenario for Red Wings fans. Fortunately, that did not materialize. The Red Wings had no luck, and, well, that 15th pick stayed up.
Talk about getting lucky by not having any luck!
The positive spin on all of this lies in the optics of the situation. Imagine how bad things would have looked if the Red Wings had given the Blues a top-five pick. That situation would have added insult to injury for Detroit.
For one thing, it was bad enough that the Faulk trade did not lead to a playoff appearance. But giving away a top-five selection, that would have made the trade look even worse. Things were bad enough already. But at least they didn’t get any worse.
Red Wings thin on draft capital in 2026
After years of bountiful draft hauls, the Red Wings are a bit scant of picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. That should not be surprising. The Red Wings have spent the last couple of seasons looking to contend. As a result, moving picks for supplementary pieces is par for the course.
That’s why this year, the draft crop looks a bit thin. The Red Wings don’t have a first and fourth-round pick. They have one second, third, fifth, and sixth-round picks. They also hold two sevenths.
That’s not bad, but it isn’t much to write home about. According to Tankathon, the Red Wings are slated to pick at 47. 79. 143, 175, 196, and 207. While those picks don’t look too enticing, there is always the chance the club could find a late-round gem.
The Wings found one in Emmitt Finnie. The 20-year-old was the 201st pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. So, there is some recent history to suggest Detroit can find solid players in later rounds.
Like all contending clubs, the Red Wings will need to rely on finding value in later rounds. Contending teams typically become adept at finding value where others don’t. If they can find another couple of players like Finnie, the 2026 NHL Draft might not look so bad for the Red Wings.
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