This is the fourth of a five-part series evaluating the most recent NHL drafts leading up to the 2021 event July 23-24.
Steve Yzerman made his first imprint on the Detroit Red Wings rebuild in 2019, helming their draft table two months after being named general manager.
The Wings finished with the fourth-worst record that season, but were pushed back to sixth in the draft lottery. The New Jersey Devils selected first for the second time in three years after moving up two spots; the New York Rangers moved from sixth to second; and the Chicago Blackhawks moved from 12th to third. That meant the Wings missed out on Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, two highly touted forwards who went first and second, respectively.
2016 Review: Still waiting for class to greatly impact rebuild
2017 Review: A new chapter as Red Wings enter draft lottery
2018 Review: Why top picks are poised to boost rebuild
Yzerman consoled himself with quite a prize: a 6-foot-4, right-shot defenseman who over the past two years has reinforced the selection. Moritz Seider is poised to join the Wings’ lineup this fall, his chest laden with honors.
Loaned to Rögle in the Swedish Hockey League last fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Seider had such good a season he was named the SHL defenseman of the year. He then starred for his native Germany at the World Championship, where he was named best defenseman of the tournament by the International Ice Hockey Federation directorate. Seider is deft with the puck, an adept shooter and passer who doesn’t shy away from physicality. He looks like a cornerstone of the rebuild for the years to come.
BREAKING DOWN THE WINGS’ TARGETS
CENTER: Why taking center Mason McTavish makes sense
GOALIE: Two options for Steve Yzerman to fill goaltending hole
FORWARD: Why Dylan Guenther could boost critical offense
Seider was one of 11 picks the Wings made in June 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Here is a closer look at each selection.
Round 1: D Moritz Seider
Drafted: No. 6 overall.
Draft year: Two goals, four assists in 29 games with Adler Mannheim in Germany’s highest league), and five assists in 14 playoff games.
Scouting report: Mobile two-way defenseman who can play in all situations.
Wingspan: Seider, 20, had a solid first year of hockey in North America in 2019-20, tallying 22 points in 49 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins. When COVID-19 kept hockey leagues in North America shuttered last fall, Seider went to Sweden and was a huge success, showing off his high-end hockey sense and physicality while producing 28 points in 41 games for Rögle. He helped the team advance to the championship round, with five points in 13 games. At Worlds, he logged five assists in 10 games. He has played three straight seasons in a men’s league, and is clearly poised to make the NHL his next home. Ideally paired with a veteran such as Danny DeKeyser, or Marc Staal if he is re-signed, Seider should slot into a top-four spot and be in heavy rotation on power plays.
BELIEVE THE HYPE: Why Moritz Seider’s buzz is building with Wings ahead of ‘a huge step up’
Round 2: D Antti Tuomisto
Drafted: No. 35 overall.
Draft year: Nine goals, 26 assists in 45 games with Assat (Jr. A SM-liiga)
Scouting report: Intelligent, good first pass, hard to knock off the puck.
Wingspan: Tuomisto (6-4, 195) came to North America last year after a solid 2019-20 in Finland, where he recorded 15 goals and 34 assists in 48 games in the top junior league. He did not play in the men’s league in order to protect his ability to play at the University of Denver. He appeared in 24 games for the Pioneers during the pandemic-shortened season, recording two goals and nine assists. Tuomisto, 20, shoots right, plays a mature game, and is on a good developmental path.
Round 2: F Robert Mastrosimone
Drafted: No. 54 overall.
Draft year: 31 goals, 29 assists in 54 games with Chicago Steel (USHL).
Scouting report: High-end competitor with great hands and hockey sense.
Wingspan: Mastrosimone (5-10, 170) appeared in 15 games for Boston University in his sophomore season. His three goals and five assists work out to a 0.53 points-per-game average, a slight uptick over his freshman year’s 0.50 average.
Round 2: D Albert Johansson
Drafted: No. 60 overall.
Draft year: Five goals, 19 assists in 40 games with Farjestad in Sweden’s SuperElit.
Scouting report: Smooth, mobile defender. Bit of a dark horse.
Wingspan: Johansson (6-0, 168) had a good 2020-21 season with Farjestad in the SHL, recording eight goals and 11 assists in 44 games — six more goals than he scored the previous season in 42 games. He followed up with two assists in six playoff games. Johansson contributed three assists in five games for Sweden at the World Juniors. He’s developing nicely as a puck-moving defenseman, especially as he gains strength.
Round 3: F Albin Grewe
Drafted: No. 66 overall.
Draft year: 13 goals, 21 assists, 102 penalty minutes in 25 games with Djurgarden’s SuperElit squad.
Scouting report: Relentless competitor with loves to hit and aggravate.
Wingspan: Grewe (6-0, 176) spent most of the 2020-21 season in the SHL, tallying three goals and three assists in 39 games for Djurgardens IF. Grewe then came to North America and suited up in 11 games for the Griffins. The gritty winger (he models his game after Boston uber-pest Brad Marchand) is slated to play for the Tampere Ilves in Finland’s top hockey league next season.
Round 4: F Ethan Phillips
Drafted: No. 97 overall.
Draft year: 16 goals, 27 assists in 50 games with Sioux Falls (USHL).
Scouting report: Small but fast and creative.
Wingspan: Phillips (5-9, 154) played 31 games in 2019-20, his freshman season at Boston University. An injury limited him to one game this season.
Round 5: D Cooper Moore
Drafted: No. 128 overall.
Draft year: 13 goals, 18 assists in 28 games with Brunswick (USHS-Prep)
Scouting report: Swift skater with a hard shot.
Wingspan: Moore (6-1, 185 pounds) spent his first season at North Dakota, recording two goals and three assists in 18 games.
Round 6: F Elmer Soderblom
Drafted: No. 159 overall.
Draft year: Nine goals, eight assists in 44 games with Frolunda in Sweden’s SuperElit.
Scouting report: Solid playmaking skills.
Wingspan: The 6-7 Swede appeared in 10 games in the SHL for Frolunda in 2019-20, and upped that number to 28 this past season, picking up thee goals and two assists. He also represented Sweden at the World Juniors (three points in five games).
Round 6: D Gustav Berglund
Drafted: No. 177 overall.
Draft year: 13 goals, 16 assists in 37 games split across Djurgarden’s club leagues in Elite, Allsvenskan and SuperElit.
Scouting report: Good skater with offensive potential.
Wingspan: Berglund (6-2, 209) spent the past season in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-highest league, recording five assists in 31 games for Vasteras IK. He previously played with Frolunda’s hockey club and made it into eight games at the SHL level in 2019-20. The right-shot defender is slated to play next season for Mora IK in Sweden.
Round 7: F Kirill Tyutyayev
Drafted: No. 190 overall.
Draft year: 19 goals, 41 assists in 60 games for Avto Yekaterinburg (top Russian junior league).
Scouting report: Skilled and smart.
Wingspan: Tyutyayev (5-9, 146) spent 2020-21 in the Belarusian Extraleague, recording 11 goals and 21 assists in 43 games for Yunost Minsk, plus 10 points in 13 playoff games. He’s earmarked to play for the Griffins next season, so Wings personnel will have a chance to see this offensively gifted winger in person. Tyutyayev, who turns 21 in August, shares his hometown of Yekaterinburg, Russia, with former Wings great Pavel Datsyuk.
Round 7: G Carter Gylander
Drafted: No. 191 overall.
Draft year: 16-4-0, 2.43 goals-against average, 0.915 save percentage and three shutouts in 22 games for Sherwood Park (Alberta Junior Hockey League).
Scouting report: Sound technically.
Wingspan: The 6-5 goaltender gained about 10 pounds of muscle last offseason. He finished his first year at Colgate University with a 6-9-4 record, posting a 2.69 goals-against average and .901 save percentage in 19 games.
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 Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.