Detroit Red Wings 2017 draft review: 11 picks, but only 2 projected for rebuild
Helene St. JamesThe 2017 NHL draft was a busy and unusual one for the Detroit Red Wings.
It marked the first time they were in the draft lottery, earning entry after missing the playoffs for the first time in 25 seasons. They finished with the sixth-worst record but were pushed back to ninth because expansion Vegas won the sixth spot and Philadelphia and Dallas moved ahead of Detroit. The Wings have been pushed back four straight years, including this year, landing the fourth pick despite finishing in last place.
They made 11 picks in 2017, including four in the third round that stemmed from trades and compensation from the Toronto Maple Leafs for their hiring of Mike Babcock. The Wings also had two picks in the sixth round.
Two picks from the draft already have made appearances with the Wings and look like they will help shape the rebuild.
Given how recent the draft was (only eight players overall from the class have topped 100 games), there aren’t many instances where it is clear if a better choice could have been made.
F Michael Rasmussen
Drafted: 9th.
Draft year: 32 goals, 23 assists in 50 games for Tri-City Americans (Western Hockey League).
Scouting report: Big competitive guy with a knack for scoring around the net.
Wingspan: Rasmussen made the Wings out of camp in 2018. (He was not eligible to go to Grand Rapids because he had a year left of junior eligibility). He had a good first half (13 points), showing a willingness to sacrifice his 6-foot-6 body in front of the net, but sagged in the second half.
He was sent to Grand Rapids at the end of camp this past season because the Wings wanted him to gain experience at the pro level as a center, which is where they see him fitting in the rebuild long term. Injuries limited Rasmussen, 21, to 35 games (seven goals, 15 assists). He has 18 points in 62 career NHL games.
In hindsight: The Wings could have had center Robert Thomas (20th, St. Louis Blues), who has 75 points in 136 games. Center Filip Chytil (21st, Rangers) has 49 points in 144 games and hovered near a 20-goal pace (14 in 60 games) at the time the NHL season was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Henri Jokiharju (29th, Chicago Blackhawks) is a 6-0 defenseman who shoots right and already has logged 107 games split between Chicago and the Buffalo Sabres.
D Gustav Lindstrom
Drafted: 38th.
Draft year: 2 goals, 7 assists in 48 games for Almtuna IS (in Swedish league Allsvenskan).
Scouting report: Sound at both ends of the ice.
Wingspan: Spent 45 games with Grand Rapids (five assists) in 2019-20, his first season in North America. Debuted with the Wings in February and stuck around because he played a safe, dependable game. Can do more with the puck than he showed in 16 games, but he earned the trust of the coaching staff because he didn’t make many mistakes, and that’s a big deal for a 21-year-old defenseman.
D Kasper Kotkansalo
Drafted: 71st.
Draft year: 1 goal, 11 assists in 47 games for Sioux Falls (United States Hockey League).
Scouting report: Strong skater with good hockey sense.
Wingspan: Had eight assists in 34 games at Boston University. Not developing at the pace expected.
F Lane Zablocki
Drafted: 79th.
Draft year: 26 goals, 26 assists in 64 games split between Regina and Red Deer (WHL).
Scouting report: Can factor with production and physicality.
Wingspan: No longer in the system.
More draft reviews:
Detroit Red Wings 2015: Squandered picks and what they could have had
Detroit Red Wings 2016: Unloading Datsyuk yielded best pick
F Zachary Gallant
Drafted: 83rd.
Draft year: 21 goals, 26 assists in 60 games for Peterborough Petes (Ontario Hockey League).
Scouting report: Good two-way player, good on faceoffs.
Wingspan: No longer in the system.
In hindsight: Defenseman Cale Fleury (87th, Montreal Canadiens) appeared in 41 games with the Canadiens this season. He’s a solid puck carrier with a history of offense at lower levels.
G Keith Petruzzelli
Drafted: 88th.
Draft year: 21-10-1, 2.41 goals-against average, .917 save percentage with Muskegon (USHL).
Scouting report: Athletic 6-5 goalie with a butterfly style.
Wingspan: Struggled to assert himself his first two years at Quinnipiac University, but he had an excellent 2019-20, starting all 34 games for the Bobcats and going 21-10-2 (including three shutouts) with a .920 save percentage and 2.01 GAA. He was named team MVP.
D Malte Setkov
Drafted: 100th.
Draft year: 2 goals, 10 assists in 38 games with Malmo J20 (SuperElit league in Sweden).
Scouting report: Smart defender who moves the puck well.
Wingspan: The rangy (6-7, 205 pounds) Dane made progress this season, appearing in 29 games (one goal, two assists) with Malmo in Sweden’s top hockey league. He had five goals and five assists in 25 games with Kristianstads in Sweden’s second-tier league.
D Cole Fraser
Drafted: 131st.
Draft year: 6 goals, 13 assists in 61 games for Peterborough Petes (OHL).
Scouting report: Loves to throw his body around.
Wingspan: No longer in the system.
F John “Jack” Adams
Drafted: 162nd.
Draft year: 37 goals, 23 assists in 56 games with Fargo (USHL).
Scouting report: Has size and skill, could be dark horse if skating improves.
Wingspan: Started playing at Union College in 2017-18 and showed improvement from freshman to sophomore year. Missed all of 2019-20 after tearing both the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee during development camp in 2019.
He was expected to be ready to go for the start of 2020-21, but the pandemic has cast doubt on when that season will start.
D Reilly Webb
Drafted: 164th.
Draft year: 1 assist in 12 games for Hamilton (OHL).
Scouting report: Good skater, competitive, can move the puck.
Wingspan: No longer in the system.
F Brady Gilmour
Drafted: 193rd.
Draft year: 26 goals, 21 assists in 65 games with Saginaw (OHL).
Scouting report: Character player.
Wingspan: No longer in the system.
In hindsight: Goaltender Cayden Primeau (199th, Montreal Canadiens) is the son of former Wings forward Keith Primeau. He put up a .908 save percentage and 2.45 GAA in 33 games with Montreal’s AHL team this season, and played two games with the Canadiens, going 1-1 with a .931 save percentage and 2.52 GAA.
He went 4-1 with a .936 save percentage and 1.61 GAA at the 2019 world juniors to help the United States win silver.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings will be published in October by Triumph Books. To preorder, go to Amazon.