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Red Wings draft wide range of talent
By Matthew Wuest - RedWingsCentral.com / June 22, 2008When asked if the Detroit Red Wings landed another Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsyuk at the NHL draft in Ottawa, Jim Nill had this to say.
"It's up to the kids now," the assistant general manager told the NHL Network. "We've opened the door for them, much like we did with Zetterberg and Datsyuk. It's up to them to take it to the next level (through) hard work and commitment. They're the ones who can turn themselves into players."
Nill and the Red Wings' staff welcomed six players to the fold this weekend, and the one thing they leave knowing is that they secured a wide range of talent. They picked a goaltender and a defenseman with their top two picks, then proceeded to grab four consecutive forwards with their late-rounders.
Goaltender Thomas McCollum from the Guelph Storm (30th overall) is a potential No. 1 goaltender, while Boston University-bound Max Nicastro has the raw, long-term upside of developing into a top-four NHL defenseman.
The Red Wings also grabbed a pair of Swedes courtesy of the director of European scouting Hakan Andersson, who has done this before.
Gustav Nyquist, a 5-foot-10, 169-pound winger, came in the third round and boasts perhaps the most exciting upside of any of the skaters picked, with a mix of speed, skill and defensive smarts. High-scoring center Jesper Samuelsson was taken with the last pick of the draft out of Hasten at Sweden's third level, and the Red Wings are crossing their fingers for a Fabian Brunnstrom-esque breakout.
Fifth-rounder Julien Cayer, a 6-foot-4, 186-pound left-winger, has raw power-forward tools, but will he be Shawn Matthias or Jimmy Cuddihy?
The Red Wings took a flyer on Belleville Bulls center Steven Johnston in the sixth round, hoping more ice time will allow the hard-hitting checker to experience a massive increase from the two-goal output with a stacked team.
It should be noted that three of Detroit's draft picks — Nyquist, Cayer and Samuelsson — were passed over in last year's draft. Samuelsson was overlooked in the last two. It should also be noted that three picks — Nicastro, Nyquist and Cayer — are headed to the NCAA, meaning they won't be rushed.
Check Red Wings Central throughout the week for more news, features and scouting information on the newest members of the organization.
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The next wave
RWC's top 10 prospects (2009-10 preliminary)
| 01 | F | Tomas Tatar » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 02 | D | Jakub Kindl » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 03 | D | Brendan Smith » | Wisconsin (NCAA) |
| 04 | G | Thomas McCollum » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 05 | F | Gustav Nyquist » | Maine (NCAA) |
| 06 | F | Landon Ferraro » | Red Deer (WHL) |
| 07 | F | Jan Mursak » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 08 | F | Cory Emmerton » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 09 | F | Joakim Andersson » | Frolunda (SEL) |
| 10 | F | Mattias Ritola » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |