The Detroit Red Wings did not win the lottery to draft Connor Bedard. Even though the Chicago Blackhawks earned the first overall pick, teams will likely be calling to see what type of high price it might take to swoop in and grab Bedard.
It would be silly for the Blackhawks to move the pick, but it will be interesting to see how things play out and if the Detroit Red Wings move up the draft board in the first round. The team is no stranger to draft day trades and making moves to move around the draft board to get the players they want or stack draft capital.
Regarding the early inklings with the Red Wings, they are slated to select ninth overall after being drawn there during the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery. Besides that, the team will also pick 17th overall in the first round with the pick they acquired from the New York Islanders via the Vancouver Canucks.
For the Red Wings, it will be interesting to see if the team opts to try and make a splash to move up the draft board, given their multitude of draft capital. The big question is how high they could climb up the draft order.
Detroit Red Wings could be moving up, but how high?
The Red Wings have two first-round picks in the 2032 NHL Entry Draft, but will they be able to swing a trade for the first overall pick? For all intents and purposes, let’s say the Red Wings were all in on Connor Bedard being the big missing piece and the player to get; they would have to part ways with their two first-rounders in 2023, probably the first-rounder in 2024, and probably a top-tier prospect in the mix as well.
It’s a hard sell to take that big of a chance on a draft pick, even if it’s Connor Bedard who is ranted and raved about like Connor McDavid was. However, the Red Wings may be able to move up into the top five if there is a player that they really want.
If the Red Wings really want to move up, they may be considering grabbing Matvei Michkov early, which could spark a move up into the top five. Just a hunch here, but if the Red Wings were able to move up into the top five picks, they would be able to pull it off in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Red Wings will not move up to grab Bedard at no. 1, but they could move into that top five if there is someone the Red Wings are really high on.