A week out from the NHL draft, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said the plan is to use his picks where they fall.
But he also hinted there could be movement.
“I think it’s just general practice leading into the draft, you check with teams around you to see what their interests are and the costs to move up or back,” Yzerman said Tuesday. “I think pretty much every team looks into that. Ultimately, the decision to do that really comes as your pick is coming up.
“As I sit here today, I plan on picking ninth.”
SUPER SWEDE: Red Wings doing due diligence on top prospect Leo Carlsson, likely a top-3 pick
The draft runs June 28-29, but like the other 31 NHL teams, Yzerman and his staff will head to Nashville, Tennessee, this week. It’s considered a particularly strong class at the top, where Connor Bedard, Michigan’s Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson are projected to be the top three players selected. (The Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets hold pick Nos. 1-3, respectively.)
“Ultimately, draft classes to be measured on how good is it at the top and this year it looks very, very good at the top,” Yzerman said. “As you go through each round, it gets more random, but as we go through our meetings, and talk about the players and create our list, we are excited at pick 43 that we are going to get one of these group of players. So we think it looks like a pretty good draft.”
Players that could be available to the Wings at No. 9 include Oliver Moore, Matthew Wood, and possibly Will Smith or Ryan Leonard. Matvei Michkov is also a possibility; he’s highly ranked, but the war in Ukraine has limited the ability to scout Russian players, and he is under contract for two more seasons with his KHL organization. Asked if the war in Ukraine’s impact on scouting Russian players will impact drafting one, Yzerman said, “Maybe, maybe not.”
NHL MOCK DRAFT 1.0: Why Matthew Wood would make sense for Detroit Red Wings at No. 9
NHL MOCK DRAFT 2.0: Why Detroit Red Wings could take a chance on Matvei Michkov
NHL MOCK DRAFT 3.0: Why speedy center Oliver Moore could be right fit for Red Wings
In addition to the ninth pick, the Wings also select at Nos. 17, 41, 42, 43, 73, 117, 137, 169, and 201.
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 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.