In just over 10 days, the Detroit Red Wings will kick off the offseason with the first round of the 2024 NHL draft.
The Red Wings are slated to select 15th in the first round on June 28 before finishing the draft with Rounds 2-7 on June 29. The draft will be held inside the Sphere in Las Vegas.
The Red Wings held at No. 15 in the draft lottery due to low odds thanks to finishing a game outside of the playoffs. The Wings were in wild card contention for the final two months of the season but failed to snap the playoff drought that has existed beginning in 2017.
This is the first time the Red Wings have not had a top 10 pick and the latest they have picked in the first round since 2016, when they had the 20th pick. General manager Steve Yzerman, who took over in 2019, has selected Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson, Sebastian Cossa, Marco Kasper, Nate Danielson and Axel Sandin Pellikka in the first round since coming to Detroit.
The Red Wings were on the cusp of the playoffs and now have key questions to make regarding the roster in terms of free agents and contract extensions, and top prospects. Here is a look at some names that could be added to Detroit’s prospect pool in the first round of the draft this year.
The Free Press’ Helene St. James in her initial post-lottery breakdown in early May pointed out that high-end players can still be found at 15, including Detroit picking Dylan Larkin at that spot in 2014 and Cossa in 2021. St. James listed potential names like Denver defenseman Zeev Buium if he falls past his projected slot, center Cayden Lindstrom, center Berkly Catton, center Konsta Helenius, winger Cole Eiserman and winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, just to name a few options.
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