The last time the Detroit Red Wings had the 13th overall pick in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft, there were only six teams in the league. That pick, Ralph Buchanan, kicked off the third round of the 1964 Amateur Draft. Buchanan never played a game in the NHL. To add insult to injury for the Red Wings, Hall-of-Fame goalie, Ken Dryden, was selected next by the Boston Bruins.
One big miss for Detroit, one big hit for Boston, and hit-or-miss best describes Detroit's luck in the 10-19 slot range. Of their 23 selections in that range, two have played more than 1,000 games in the NHL. Murray Craven totaled 759 points (266 goals, 493 assists) in 1,071 games, but only 15 points and 46 of those games were in a Red Wings uniform. Journeyman Mike Sillinger was the other; he played 129 of his 1,049 games in Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings picking 13th overall in the NHL Entry Level Draft doesn't mean all is lost
The past is, as they say, the past. What happened in the past does not necessarily dictate what will happen next. The present and the future, however, have been slow burns for the Yzerplan. The organization has not sped up the process of rushing talent or going all-in too soon. Those methodical but sometimes tedious moves may start to pay dividends this season.
Hiring Todd McLellan was a good step for the Red Wings; the team was red hot after he took over the reins. Though the team ultimately fell short of making the playoffs in the end, general manager Steve Yzerman did not hire him to be an overnight fix. McLellan was brought in to define the team's identity and establish a winning culture.
Detroit has not made the playoffs in nearly a decade, and it's natural for fans to be frustrated about how the season ended, but even with the mid-March skid, they still finished 26-18-4 under McLellan and looked like a promising playoff team.
The Red Wings have a strong pool of prospects, ranked as fifth-best midseason by The Hockey Writers. They may also have a stopgap solution in net with Petr Mrazek, who may also serve as a mentor the team's hopeful future netminders Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine, if he has turned pro by then.
But what about the draft? Detroit dropped down a slot from 12 to 13 after last night's draft lottery. That, in and of itself, may not make much of a difference. As mentioned, the past does not necessarily dictate the future. However, in recent years, The Red Wings have done a good job at restocking the cupboard, even with the 10-20 range of picks, including Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (15), Axel Sandin-Pellikka (17), and Cossa (15) -- and, of course, Dylan Larkin (15)--even if the the latter was a Ken Holland selection.
The future looks bright for these kids, and it will look even brighter after the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Picking at 13, the Red Wings will likely be able to find a 2025 draft-eligible finisher to flank Larkin on the wing. Carter Bear, who was scoring at a 1.51 point-per-game clip this past season in the WHL, might be that guy. There are plenty of other options that would also make sense in that spot, including defensive prospects like Radim Mrtka, who is currently ranked 13th by Elite Prospects.
So, will 13 be unlucky? Maybe, but not if the promise of recent drafts has anything to say about it. Plus, Pavel Datsyuk. How did I go this long talking about 13 and not mentioning Datsyuk?
