StlBluesfan4ever

The Red Wings traded their 29th pick to Tampa Bay for the 32nd and 75th pick. So I guess we'll have to wait to see what the wings will do starting in round two.

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Second round:

32 - Landon Ferraro - C - Red Deer Rebels - 68GP, 37G, 18A, 55P
60 - Tomas Tatar - C/W - HKM Zvolen - 48GP, 7G, 8A, 15P*
*WJC-U20 - Slovakia - 7GP, 7G, 4A, 11P

Amazing picks for the places. Ferraro was heralded as a first rounder and Tatar could have easily gone in the first half of the second round. I was surprised to see him available at 60.

Both have great skills, although they're both a while away from playing in the NHL, Tatar more so. But I was high on him before the draft, so I think it's a great pick.

Third round:

75 - Andrej Nestrasil - L - Victoriaville Tigres - 66GP, 22G, 35A, 57P
90 - Gleason Fournier - D - Rimouski Oceanic - 66GP, 3G, 25A, 28P

Two solid picks here. Nestrasil was impressive in his first year with Victoriaville, has great size for a hockey player (6'2") and great offensive skills. Could use some work on the discipline / defensive side of the game, but starting in the 3rd round, you're starting to draft players who are more projects than anything.

Fournier increased from 11 points to 28 points with an increased role with Rimouski this year. He's a defensemen, but his offensive skills sometimes take him out of position or jumping into the rush. He can make quick decisions with the puck and can move it very well, but he sometimes struggles under pressure in his own end. A little underweight (174 pounds), but if he can get larger and stronger, he could be a quality piece to a powerplay.

Fifth round:

150 - Nick Jensen - D - Green Bay Gamblers - 52GP, 5G, 17A, 22P

A very smooth-skating, puckhandling defenseman. He went to the USHL this year (senior year in high school) for the higher level of competition and more exposure. He led the league in +/- and is committed to join the St. Cloud State University hockey team in 2010-2011. He has all the natural abilities to become an offensive force, and playing in the USHL helped his defensive capabilities. While he has those abilities, he seems to lack confidence in the offensive zone, as well as the strength to keep from being knocked off pucks.

Sixth round:

180 - Mitchell Callahan - RW - Kelowna Rockets - 70GP, 14G, 13A, 27P

Callahan, while on the smallish side (5'11", 174), is a tough customer. He led his team with 188 PIMs and 23 fights throughout the regular season and post-season with the Kelowna Rockets. And he's good at it. Excellent fighter. Fearless style of play and works hard, as well as enough skating and skill to be interesting. However, due to his size, he might not be able to play the type of game he plays for Kelowna on the next levels.

Seventh round:

210 - Adam Almqvist - D - HV- 71 Jonkoping Jr - 41GP, 8G, 28A, 36P

Hey look, a Swede. Is anyone surprised? Good skating, good set of offensive skills, good defensive game, although there is room for improvement. He's a little undersized at 5'10" and 165, but once he fills out, he could be a steady contributor.

Overall thoughts:

The Red Wings picked up three forwards with incredible skill (Ferraro, Tatar and Nestrasil) that could easily develop into more than what they simply project to be. Overall, it's a good draft and seems pretty successful to me, however, four or five years down the road is when you can determine which team had the best draft.

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