Three years in, Detroit Red Wings haven’t gotten much from 2017 draft

Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Red Wings came away from the 2017 NHL draft with 11 selections, few of whom remain in the farm system.

Malte Setkov, admittedly a dark horse to make it to the NHL considering where he was drafted, has been sent down to HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-highest league in Sweden, by Malmo, where he had been playing in the top-tier Swedish Hockey League. Setkov had no points in six games and had been a scratch for three straight games.

The Redhawks made the announcement Monday, with general manager Patrik Sylvegård saying playing for AIK is better for Setkov’s development.

Red Wings prospect Malte Setkov

The Wings selected the 6-foot-7, 205-pound Dane 100th overall in 2017, describing him at that time as a smart defenseman who moves the puck well. His rights still belong to the Wings, but if he isn’t signed by summer, he’ll be a free agent.

Given that at 21 he has yet to establish himself at the SHL level (he split the 2019-20 season between the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan), Setkov probably won’t be signed. If so, he’d join the list of picks from that draft who have been flushed out of the Wings’ system.

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The 2017 draft marked the first time the Wings were in the draft lottery, damned with an entry spot 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 the Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars moved ahead of Detroit.

In addition to Setkov, the Wings drafted forward Michael Rasmussen (ninth), defenseman Gustav Lindstrom (38th), defenseman Kasper Kotkansalo (71st), forward Lane Zablocki (79th), forward Zachary Gallant (83), goaltender Keith Petruzzelli (88th), defenseman Cole Fraser (131st), forward Jack Adams (162nd), defenseman Reilly Webb (164th) and forward Brady Gilmour (193rd). Zablocki, Gallant, Fraser, Webb and Gilmour are no longer in the Wings’ system.

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Rasmussen is among several Wings players on loan to a team in Europe because of the pandemic. He has two goals and six assists with Graz in Austria. He appeared in 62 games with the Wings in 2018-19, recording eight goals and 10 assists, but spent last season with the Grand Rapids Griffins because the Wings want Rasmussen (6-6, 220) to get comfortable playing center at the pro level. He projects as a bottom six forward who can increase his value as a net-front presence on power plays.

Lindstrom appeared in 16 games last season for the Wings, playing a safe, solid game. He’s currently on loan to Almtuna IS, also in HockeyAllsvenskan.

Kotkansalo had been playing at Boston University, but he left that program to play for Ässät in Finland, where he has one assist in 18 games. He also appears unlikely to be signed before the summer deadline.

Petruzzelli had a strong 2019-20 season with Quinnipiac, recording a .920 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against average and starting all 34 games. The Bobcats have yet to start playing this season because of COVID-19.

Adams is an intriguing prospect. He’s 6-6, 209 pounds and went from scoring four goals as a freshman at Union College in 2017-18 to scoring 10 goals as a sophomore. He missed all of 2019-20 after tearing both the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee during development camp in 2019. With Union College having canceled its season, he is looking for a place to play.

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 Detroit Red Wings is available from AmazonBarnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail. 

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