Detroit Red Wings: Three Players To Avoid On Draft Day 2019

This Friday is the first day of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Detroit Red Wings are in a great spot with the sixth overall pick, but things could change if they make the wrong choice.

The Detroit Red Wings are not in a bad position at all with the sixth overall pick in the draft. General Manager Steve Yzerman has a list of prospects who will be great for the Red Wings franchise like Dylan Cozens, Alex Turcotte, Bowen Byram, or Trevor Zegras. The issue with the sixth overall pick is a few of the players who have been rumored as top ten picks that may not belong.

Kirby Dach- C, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Plenty of scouts have Kirby Dach going somewhere between fourth and sixth overall, really early in the draft. Dach is a great player; he will amount to a solid prospect for a team somewhere; the reason to avoid him is that he is not right for the Red Wings. Dach lacks consistent scoring in his time with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL which should be an alarming sign for Yzerman, why spend time on this kids development when the Detroit Red Wings can draft someone who will be polished up rather than developed.

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Consistency is an issue in Dach’s play as well; he tends to struggle in pushing the pace and maintaining his frame. Most youngsters go through this development into their frame (i.e., Michael Rasmussen right now) and that’s okay, but Dach’s lack of consistency as a centerman alludes to lots of development. The Red Wings should want to draft players who require less development and can fit the organization’s core well. (i.e., Larkin, Mantha, Zadina, Veleno)

Vasili Podkolzin- RW, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

Initially, Vasili Podkolzin was ranked as a top three prospect in the draft class and was slated to be picked third overall in a spot which most likely belongs to Alex Turcotte now. Podkolzin like Dach, is not a bad player, he could pan out as quite the star, but there are some worries that make him an avoidable player. Podkolzin has two years remaining on his KHL contract, which means his journey to the NHL would be halted until his KHL contract expires in two years.

The underlying factor is his age, being seventeen at the time of the draft means he has youth on his side, but wanting to stay in Russia could drive off teams and should drive off the Red Wings. Podkolzin has plenty of upside as a player who’s strong in his age group, has professional experience, but the possibility of his late departure from Russia should keep the Red Wings focused on other selections.

Arthur Kaliyev- LW, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)

Sixth overall is quite the stretch to see Arthur Kaliyev drafted, but he was originally slated as a top ten pick until the more recent flaws were exposed. Kaliyev is an explosive scorer, the kid can put up points, but laziness is his biggest flaw. His skating ability already handicapped him from being a top-five pick in the draft but scouts noted that he’s some shown laziness when un-involved from the play.

Laziness can be fixed in an NHL franchise; the team is going to force this kid to develop and mature. The Detroit Red Wings should avoid Kaliyev at all costs, he is not a sixth overall worthy selection, but the laziness factor should scare the scouts and Yzerman away. Look for Kaliyev to drop into a later selection to a team who is going to develop Kaliyev into a nice offensive threat in future years… but that laziness may not fall off.

Draft Day can bring plenty of surprises; this one seems to be in the form of good surprises. Yzerman is a solid draft GM and fans should be excited for the sixth overall selection this coming Friday. Fans, however, should be wary if the named called is Dach, Podkolzin, or Kaliyev (more likely second round) but trust should be rendered to Yzerman.

Next. Steve Yzerman likes his Draft Options at Six. dark

Remember, fans loved to crucify former GM Ken Holland for his draft selections, but Yzerman gets his chance to “wow” us in his first draft with the Detroit Red Wings.

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