The guys coming out of the top 10-15 in the draft are all pretty much NHL ready. You can't go wrong picking top 4. If you do end up in 4th, is Askarov a lock? Who do you guys have coming up that could possibly be #1 in the future?

Solid. No ridiculous signings (Krug) or nonsense trades. Just draft and let the prospects develop.

You're insane if you believe that. Is this your first NHL draft?

Thank YOU!!! Everyone is saying sign Krug! SIGN KRUG! WHY!?! He's good yes, but he will cost way too much and we will get all of the good years out of him when the red wings will still be bad. It makes no sense! Of course, everyone just wants him because he's a Michigan boy! So, lets overpay another Michigan boy and see how that works out. Abdelkader I'm looking at you.

IF you win the lottery, you should think long and hard about drafting Quinton Byfield.

I'm gonna ask this question again, if the Wings land the 1st overall pick should they select the best center available instead of Lafreniere?

What a wonderful problem to have

IMO you always take the best player available. If there's a positional weakness you find alternative means to address it, you don't use the 1st overall pick if you believe there's any sort of gap between the #1 and #2 in terms of talent. I also think Detroit has a couple of really good young Centres in Larkin and Veleno to be your #1 and # 2 Cs down the road.

I think Id still take Lafreniere. AA and Veleno can both slide into the 2nd line center spot. AA isnt the best center option, but playing him with a guy like Lafreniere is almost like sheltering him. It could make a great line with either Lafreniere or Byfield. But overall Lafreniere is the better player so i take him

picks 10-15 are about 1-3 years away from being NHL ready depending on the player. Askarov could come in quickly but im still weary on drafting a goalie so high. Wings have Larsson who had a great college year but has started slow in the AHL. Hes only 20 so he has time to figure it out. He has the skill to be a #1

i mean i would be happy if the wings ended up getting Krug this offseason. But a lot of things would have to go right i think, (wings prospects showing promise, drafting Lafreniere, Bruins winning cup)

I just don't see it realistically happening. Id say the wings are 2-3 years away from making the playoffs and they'll be real contenders in 4-5 years. By that time, Krug is a little older but you always want a player who has been to the finals before and know what it takes to win.

Getting Krug isn't worth having the Bruins win a cup LOL seriously though.

this is very true.

It would be. Also AA is better as a winger, counting on him as your 2C is not a winning formula. Byfield is scoring nearly as much as Lafreniere while being almost a full year younger, that should be taken into consideration for sure.

Agreed. A case can be made that Byfield is better than Lafreniere and if the scouts agree, that's your pick. I don't think a pick should ever be made based solely on positional need. Best that should ever be is a tie-breaker.

Is he? He's a year older than Byfield, Quinton's scoring rate is better as a 17-year-old than Lafreniere's while playing in a slightly better league. He's bigger, stronger and faster, too, while playing a more important position. IMO picking either one at 1OA is a no-lose situation, but I can't see any clear separation between the two at this point.

Oh, and AA CANNOT slide in at 2C. He's a disaster defensively. I don't think Veleno is anywhere near being able to take on 2C either, he's struggling in the minors right now.

I wouldnt say AA is a disaster defensively and honestly, it doesnt matter as long as hes winning faceoffs, Lafreniere is smart enough defensively to make up for AA not being a 200ft player. And Veleno is an underager in the AHL because of his exceptional status in the QMJHL, He's played well in games, just not putting up the big numbers yet.

He is.



He's sporting a -20 after 25 games (worst in the league), that's not the definition of 'playing well'!

+/- has been a controversial stat for the past couple years. just because a player is a minus, doesn't mean it was his fault every time. cant count on just that number alone

If you understand the weakness of the stat then you can put it into context. The main weakness is that it counts a minus when an empty net goal is scored, and it counts certain special teams goals but not others. It's not as accurate as 5v5 GF-GA, but it gives some indication.

Being -20 in 25 games (Veleno) or -33 in 29 games (Athanasiou) - both worst in league numbers by far - is a clear indication that that player is giving up FAR more goals than he's creating.