#4 Detroit Red Wings – Anton Lundell, C, HIFK (Liiga)
It was hard to fathom the leap of faith Detroit made last season by selecting a German-born defenceman well ahead of his scheduled landing spot. This past season has obviously shown them that they can’t score or defend.
Thus, with that knowledge, it appears they learned from their mistakes and draft a Finn. Lundell doesn’t stand out in any particular area, yet is very good across many of them. Not flashy. Not exciting. Just a quietly effective two-way threat. Perhaps the most polished player in the draft.
With stylistic comparisons to Patrice Bergeron being bandied about Lundell, Detroit will hope that he hits that rarified air of 70 points per season while shutting down opposition plays. Lundell will be the 4th center the Red Wings have selected in the first round in the past decade.
Given the success of Dylan Larkin, the potential of Michael Rasmussen, and the… well Riley Sheehan is a hockey player at least. Yeah, Sheehan… Sorry, Anton, we’ll see you with the Anaheim Ducks in a few years when you demand that trade out of Detroit, as you should.
Pre-Draft Grade: D
#5 Ottawa Senators – Jamie Drysdale, RHD, Canada, Erie (OHL)
I love Drysdale. He might be my favorite selection this season behind Byfield. The guy is just an offensive weapon from the back end who can actually play defense. I would be hesitant to burden him with expectations of following on from a relatively recent superstar who played for Ottawa on the back end, but… I really want to. He is a machine.
Drysdale is a fantastic option to take given Byfield is off the board. In fact, taking a high ceiling forward and now the best defensive prospect in the draft is a smart piece of team building from a team not known for being smart or for team building. Naturally, it is the Senators so you just know they’re going to balls this up somehow.
Really the question is why do they hate their fans and winning hockey games so much? This should be an A+ but because it’s the Senators and we all know how it will turn out, they get a D+ instead. Think I’m wrong? Let’s revisit when the player walks out on them in a couple of years.
Pre-Draft Grade: D+