Detroit Red Wings stay 15th in draft lottery; here's a look at their options
The Detroit Red Wings will, indeed, enter the 2024 NHL draft holding their first pick at No. 15.
They had 99.5% odds entering Tuesday's draft lottery of picking where they finished in the standings, and that's where they placed. The San Jose Sharks, who by virtue of finishing last had the best odds at 18.5%, won the first overall pick, and the Chicago Blackhawks (13%) will pick second. The draft will June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas, with the first round on June 28 and rounds 2-7 on June 29.
Since their historic 25-season playoff streak ended in 2017, the Wings have had a streak of making the draft lottery instead; they have never picked higher than No. 4 (in 2020). In 2023-24, their close pursuit of a playoff spot — they missed out by a tiebreaker — meant they didn't even have a chance to pick first, because teams can only advance 10 slots; the highest the Wings could have advanced was to the No. 5 pick.
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Not that potential high-end players can't be found in the middle of the first round. In 2014, the Wings drafted Dylan Larkin at No. 15. In 2021, it's where they took goaltender Sebastian Cossa in 2021. Mike Bossy, Joe Sakic, Al MacInnis and Alexei Kovalev were all drafted at 15th; more recently, in 2019, it's where the Montreal Canadiens drafted Wisconsin standout Cole Caufield, who has flirted with reaching 30 goals in each of his past two seasons.
Also in 2019, Moritz Seider was ranked as a mid-round pick, but general manager Steve Yzerman knew better and selected the defenseman at No. 6.
Boston University's Macklin Celebrini is the presumptive No. 1 in this year's draft, but beyond that, it's more of an open field. Maybe the Wings get lucky and someone like Denver defenseman Zeev Buium (brother of 2021 Wings pick Shai Buium) will still be on the board, or a big center like 6-foot-3 Cayden Lindstrom, who is a deft skater with a strong shot. Another center, Catton Berkly, who delivers a top-notch all around game, could be available, as could Konsta Helenius, who has high-end offensive skills.
Cole Eiserman was ranked as high as second overall but slipped to 12th in the NHL Central Scouting bureau's final rankings. The USNTDP product has a phenomenal shot and plays with a bit of a snarl. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is another elite shooter with a good all-around skill set.
Since being named general manager in April 2019, Yzerman has thrived with his first pick, but this is the first time he hasn't had a pick inside the top 10. The Wings have been pushed back or stayed pat, missing out on the likes of Jack Hughes, Connor Bedard and Rasmus Dahlin. Yzerman's history suggests he'll make a good pick at 15th — but it'll be a while before that player makes an impact on the rebuild.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2024 NHL draft lottery: Detroit Red Wings stay put at 15th
