Ken Holland, one of the polarizing figures in Red Wings history, took over as Red Wings general manager on July 18, 1997, taking over after Jim Devellano (and Scotty Bowman).
His 22-year tenure as Red Wings GM was a mix of really good and really bad. not least of which is his drafting history. He had the advantage of scouting not being nearly as good as it is now, and he had a lot of massive success in later rounds of the draft. Drafting names like Henrik Zetterberg in the seventh round, Pavel Datsyuk in the sixth round, and Darren Helm in the fifth round.
We're not here to talk about his later round picks, however. We're here to talk about the first-round picks. Due to the Red Wings' success when he took over and for most of his tenure, Holland has only made 12 first-round picks with the Red Wings to varying success. So this begs the question, "What happened to them?"
What happened to every one of Ken Holland's first-round draft picks?
Jiří Fischer
305GP 11G 49A 60Pts
Drafted 25th overall, 1998 NHL Entry Draft
I can't say too much about Jiří Fischer, as he was in and out of the league while I was just a wee child learning how to skate. But by all accounts, he was a solid bottom-six presence who didn't score much, but showed up when needed.
Unfortunately, we will never know what he could've been, as on November 21, 2005, during a game against the Nashville Predators, he went into cardiac arrest on the bench and was unconscious for six minutes before being resuscitated. A year later, he retired from pro hockey after not being medically cleared.
Today, Fischer remains in the Red Wings organization, as he was hired by Ken Holland to be Director of Player Development, a position he held from 2007-2016 before becoming Associate Director of Player Personnel.
Niklas Kronwall
953GP 83G 349A 432Pts
Drafted 29th overall, 2000 NHL Entry Draft
A name that remains legendary in Hockey History is Niklas Kronwall. If you listen closely in the LCA or where Joe Louis Arena once stood, you can still hear the echoes of "You got Kronwalled" filling the air, and you can feel the bone-crushing hits he would lay on many of his unsuspecting victims.
He wasn't just big hits, though. He was an offensively gifted defenseman and could move the puck up ice with the best of them. He had great skating ability and rarely, if ever, got knocked down. He also had one hell of a point shot.
He finished his career ranked third all-time in games played by a defenseman and fourth in points in franchise history, trailing only Nicklas Lidström, Reed Larson, and Red Kelly.
Today, Kronwall remains with the organization as an advisor to general manager Steve Yzerman for European Player Development. Many would say that with the likes of Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson, and more, He's performing just fine in that role.
Jakub Kindl
331GP 16G 58A 74Pts
Drafted 19th Overall, 2005 Entry Draft
Despite being a first-round pick, Jakub Kindl is a name that mostly diehard fans are likely to remember much about. And even for those hardcore fans, he's become somewhat synonymous, as he has a knack for randomly appearing at Red Wings events and even game broadcasts.
Kindl played a very well-rounded style of hockey. He wasn't the most offensively gifted player in the world, but his defensive game more than made up for his lack of offense. He was largely the Red Wings' 4/5 defender, which isn't what you'd prefer coming from a 1st round pick, but he was an overall solid NHLer for eight seasons.
Today Kindl still plays hockey overseas in Europe in three different leagues for the last four seasons. Playing three seasons in the Czech league, one season in Germany in the DEL, and one season in Finland's secondary league, the Mestis League. This season, he looks to be gearing up to play in the French Ligue Magnus with the team Bordeaux.
Brendan Smith
726GP 39G 195A 144Pts
Drafted 27th overall, 2007 Entry Draft
What is there to say about Brandon Smith? He was a late first-round draft pick who was selected as a steady hand on an already stacked blueline, causing his path to the NHL to be longer than most first-round picks. He wouldn't see NHL action until the 2011-12 season, where he would score one goal and seven points in 14 games. Not bad for a guy who wasn't necessarily touted as an offensive player.
Smith played six seasons for the Red Wings, where he'd score 16 goals and 67 points in 291 games. He'd then be traded to the New York Rangers, where he'd play for five seasons, scoring 14 goals and 43 points in 235 games, splitting time between the AHL and the NHL in the 2017-18 season.
He'd sign a one-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2021-22 season before signing a two-year deal with the New Jersey Devils. He last played for the Dallas Stars this past season, only playing 32 games in the regular season and not at all during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As of right now, Smith doesn't have a contract with any team, and it's unclear whether or not the 36-year-old defenseman will find another team to take him in. Unfortunately for him, his defensive numbers have fallen off, and his offense isn't consistent enough to make up for it. But I wouldn't be surprised if he gets brought in by a team to be a veteran presence in the AHL.
Tom McCollum
3GP .792SV%
Drafted 30th Overall, 2008 NHL Entry Draft
There isn't much to say about Tom McCollum. He was the last pick of the first round in 2008 and never made an impact with the Red Wings. He did manage to play three games for the Red Wings, in which he allowed four goals on 29 shots. That was all the taste of the NHL he would end up getting in his career.
He would spend seven seasons bouncing back and fourth between the Red Wings ECHL affiliate the Toledo Walleye and the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL before leaving the Red Wings organization. For the next five seasons he would sign with several AHL teams around the league while also spending time with the ECHL with the Florida Everblades, Reading Royals, Adirondack Thunder, and Maine Mariners.
Currently, McCollum plays in Europe and has been for the last six seasons. Playing for teams in the Austrian League, DEL, DEL-2, and the British Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). Lastly, playing for the Belfast Giants. He also assists in goaltending camps near his hometown in Western New York.
Riley Sheahan
637GP 74G 120A 194Pts
Drafted 21st Overall, 2010 NHL Entry Draft
Ah, yes, Riley Sheahan. There were some high hopes for Sheahan to become a top-six power-forward who can kill penalties and get pucks on net and on his teammates' sticks.
While he didn't reach the heights fans were hoping for, he did become a solid middle-six center. In total, he played 292 games for the Red Wings, scoring 38 goals, 60 assists for 98 points.
He was also a mainstay on the Red Wings' special teams, having 389 minutes on the power play and 280 minutes on the penalty kill. He also got into a bit of legal trouble in 2012 while playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins in which he was pulled over wearing a purple Teletubbies costume with a .30 Blood Alcohol level and admitted to using the ID of fellow Red Wings prospect Brendan Smith to gain access to bars since he was underage.
At the beginning of the 2017-18 season, Sheahan was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Scott Wilson and a 2018 third-round draft pick (pick later became Alec Regula), where he played 122 games and got a one-year extension before being traded to the Florida Panthers in February 2019.
After becoming a free agent for the 2019-20 season, he bounced around the league playing in Edmonton, Seattle, and Buffalo, even spending some time in the AHL during his later years in the league.
The last time Sheahan was known to have recorded ice time in any professional capacity was in 2022-23, when he played in the Swiss League. He officially announced his retirement from professional hockey in 2024.
From 2021-2024, Sheahan ran a podcast with fellow hockey player Tyler Smith, in which they discussed the mental health issues that are present in and out of pro sports called the "Speak your Mind" Podcast.
Anthony Mantha
507GP 146G 157A 303Pts
Drafted 20th Overall, 2013 NHL Entry Draft
Here's one that many fans today are familiar with. Anthony Mantha had the potential to be one of the best goal scorers in the league. He could've and should've been a 35-plus goal scorer every season, unfortunately, he didn't have the drive to be that great.
It was no secret that Mantha had some motivational issues on the ice. If the game wasn't going the Red Wings' way, or he wasn't getting any chances, he couldn't have cared less about the game. Not to mention, he's essentially made of glass with multiple injuries keeping him out of the game.
Mantha played a total of 302 games for the Red Wings, scoring 95 goals and 194 points for the club. Halfway through the 2020-21 season, Mantha was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Jakub Vrána, Richard Pánik, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2022 second-round pick (which would later become Sebastian Cossa and Dmitri Buchelnikov).
In 2024, Mantha would be traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, where he'd play 21 games between the regular season and playoffs. He would sign with the Calgary Flames for the 2024-25 season, but would be sidelined for most of the season after suffering another lower-body injury.
Mantha has continued is NHL career, being signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Penguins to a one-year $2,500,000 million contract for the 2025-26 season.
Dylan Larkin
734GP 242G 334A 576Pts
Drafted 15th Overall, 2014 NHL Entry Draft
Dylan Larkin is probably the best first-round pick that Ken Holland has ever made. Drafted to be one of the Red Wings' future top Centers. He quickly became a star, being selected to the All-Star game in his rookie season, where he broke the NHL's fastest skater record. A record that is still recognized by the NHL itself, though it has been debated by fans due to the changes made to the fastest skater event.
Larkin has only played for the Red Wings in his 10 NHL seasons. Being their top player for many of those seasons, as well as the team's poster child. Having been born and raised in Michigan, he was the most obvious candidate to be the team's main face after the retirement of players like Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Helm. Naturally, he was named Captain of the Red Wings in 2021.
Today, Larkin remains the Captain of the Red Wings and has just come off his fourth consecutive 30-goal season. In the 2025-26 season, he's poised to take sole possession of 10th in all-time points for the Red Wings.
Evgeny Svechnikov
172GP 20G 25A 45Pts
Drafted 19th Overall, 2015 NHL Entry Draft
Evgeny Svechnikov is an interesting case. While he wasn't touted as highly as many other Ken Holland prospects, he wasn't a slouch either. He had a wickedly accurate shot and fantastic hands to complement it. He showed some real promise during his time with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Unfortunately, he never got a real shot with the Red Wings due to an unfortunate injury during the 2018 preseason, when he tore his ACL, causing him to miss the entire 2018-19 season. The issues didn't stop there, as he would continue to deal with knee pain after his recovery, causing him to miss more time. Then in 2020-21, he would suffer an arm Injury during training camp, causing him to miss most of the season.
He was placed on Waivers in the 2020-21 season and was sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins, and subsequently left the organization after not being given a qualifying offer to stay. He was signed as a free agent by the Winnipeg Jets for the 2021-22 season, scoring seven goals and 19 points in 72 games.
After not receiving a qualifying offer by the Jets, he signed with the San Jose Sharks as a Free Agent for the 2022-23 season, where he would score eight goals and 14 points in 59 games. He would once again not receive a qualifying offer and wouldn't be signed by another NHL team.
After not being signed in the NHL, Svechnikov would return to Russia and play in the KHL, where he's played the last two seasons and will for at least another season after signing a one-year deal with Amur Khabarovsk.
Dennis Cholowski, 104 GP 10G 17A 27Pts/Drafted 20th Overall, 2016 NHL Entry Draft
Dennis Cholowski could've been so much more than he ended up being. The 6'2 defender had all the tools and talent to be a top-four defenseman for the Red Wings. Decent size, Good skating, and great, great offensive hockey IQ.
The problems started with his apparent fear of NHL physicality; he seemed afraid to retrieve pucks under pressure and got knocked off the puck too easily. Unfortunately, his offensive abilities were never able to reach the point that was hoped for, and his defensive abilities weren't able to make up for it.
The Red Wings chose not to protect Cholowski in the 2021 Expansion Draft, and he was drafted by the Seattle Kraken, who gave him a one-year contract extension. He played four games for the Kraken before being placed on waivers and was picked up by the Washington Capitals. He played seven games for Washington before being placed on COVID-19 protocols.
Once he was reactivated to the roster, he was immediately placed on waivers and was reclaimed by the Seattle Kraken, who sent him straight to the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL.
Cholowski signed a two-year contract as a free agent with the New York Islanders but has spent more time in the AHL with the Bridgeport Islanders than he did in the NHL through the duration of that deal.
He was given another one-year deal where he played 33 games for the Islanders before being put back on waivers and getting claimed by the New Jersey Devils where he just signed a one-year extension for the 2025-26 season
Michael Rasmussen
390GP 60G 80A 140GP
Drafted 9th Overall, 2017 NHL Entry Draft
Michael Rasmussen may be the best example of how a fractured development path can kill your potential. When he was drafted, he looked like he could become the Red Wings' new version of Tomas Holmström.
A big body to park in front of the net and pick up a dirty goal, rebound, or redirect. Unfortunately, due to the CHL-NHL transfer agreement, Rasmussen wasn't allowed to play in the AHL and instead was forced to play in the NHL or go back to the WHL for another season.
The Red Wings ended up sending him back to the WHL for the 2017-18 season, and then immediately brought him up to the Red Wings for his rookie season due to him being too young to play in the AHL per the NHL-CHL transfer agreement.
The problem was that he wasn't ready for the NHL yet. He struggles to keep pace at the NHL level and, despite his size, was too easily pushed around.
Not to mention that the coach, Jeff Blashill, made the decision to give him very limited ice time, which was understandable, seeing as he was struggling to keep up, but in hindsight, it didn't help him develop his ability to play at the NHL pace.
Today, Rasmussen is one of the VERY few on this list who remain with the team. While he never became (and likely never will become) the top-six power forward and netfront presence that the Red Wings were hoping he would become, he has managed to carve himself into a solid bottom-nine player who has become a mainstay on the Penalty Kill the last 2-3 seasons.
Joe Veleno
306GP 38G 43A 81Pts
Drafted 30th Overall, 2018 NHL Entry Draft
Joe Veleno was a player who had all kinds of potential. He had the speed, he had the defensive IQ, and he had a fantastic catch and release shot that would've made goalies and defenses fear him if he got into the slot.
He had all the tools available to build himself into, at minimum, a good middle-six center. Unfortunately, he was never able to put it all together, and he remained a bottom-six center who would struggle to remain consistent offensively.
After a promising 2023-24 season, where he hit career highs in goals, assists, and points. Veleno couldn't keep up that momentum and took a step back to where he was in the previous seasons.
This was enough to convince Yzerman that he needed a change of scenery, traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in a deal that saw the Red Wings bring in Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith.
Veleno was just recently signed by his hometown team, The Montreal Canadians where he's projected to be in the Canadiens bottom-six but in the lineup irregularly.
Filip Zadina
262GP 41G 50A 91Pts
Drafted 6th Overall, 2018 NHL Entry Draft
What is there to say about Filip Zadina that hasn't already been hammered into the ground with no mercy? He was projected to go in the top 3-4 of the draft, so when he fell to 6th, of course, the Red Wings threw all their plans out the window to draft him.
He was projected to be a consistent 30+ goal-scoring top-six winger in the NHL. That was something Zadina would never get close to becoming.
In his five seasons with the Red Wings, he scored 28 Goals and 68 points in nearly 200 games. He did suffer a few injuries that hampered him a bit, but overall, he just couldn't seem to figure out how to score even at a 15-goal pace every season.
After his contract was up with San Jose, Zadina did receive a few PTO (professional tryout) offers from various teams, but didn't receive a contract offer from any team. He decided that instead of waiting for a team to maybe sign him off of a PTO, he would instead head over to Europe, signing with the Davos Hockey Club in the Swiss league.
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