Red Wings: Rounds 2-7 recap of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft

***Round 5, Pick 125: Traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for future picks, as mentioned on the first slide.***

Round 5, Pick 132 (Acquired from Wild): Alex Cotton, Defenseman, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)

With the only selection the Red Wings had in the fourth round, they would select defenseman Alex Cotton from the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL. Cotton is a nineteen-year-old right-handed shot. He measures in at 6-foot-2, 183-pounds and had quite the breakout season in 2019-20.

Cotton is an offensive force, even as a defenseman, finding his way onto the scoresheet with goals and assists, he is not afraid to join the offensive rush or even make things happen from the point. His 20 goals and 47 assists for 67 points over 63 points last season for the Hurricanes show that.

A defenseman who is no stranger to making things happen in the offensive zone will have to learn the patience and poise that comes at higher levels, making sure he makes smart decisions about when to join the rush or when to make questionable plays will take time.

As it would be expected from an offensive threat like Cotton, he needs to work on his defensive game, but being such an offensive-minded defenseman; this should be no shock for the organization. This is another high-potential pick where he could develop incredibly well, even as a late-round selection.

Round 6, Pick 156: Kyle Aucoin, Defenseman, Tri-City Storm (USHL)/ Harvard University (NCAA)

In the sixth round, the Red Wings would take a flyer on former NHLer Adrian Aucoin’s son, Kyle Aucoin, who is a USHL product that is slated to begin his NCAA career at Harvard this upcoming season.

Kyle Aucoin is a 5-foot-11, 163-pound, left-handed shooting defenseman that appears to be a defensive defenseman who shows potential to be a two-way threat. In 2019-20, he played in forty-eight games for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, notching just two goals and 11 assists for 13 total points.

Aucoin has moved on from the USHL and is now heading to Harvard to start his NCAA career, where he will look to move into a two-way defenseman role. He has shown potential to feature the two-way build in his game, but the defensive side is what is excelling for him for now.