Wings draft McCollum and Nicastro
With their first two picks in the 2008 NHL Draft, the Wings selected Guelph Storm (OHL) goaltender Thomas McCollum with the 30th overall pick in the first round and Chicago (USHL) defenseman Max Nicastro with the 91st overall pick in the third round.
Update: Well, we now know who the Wings picked but it’ll be years before we see how this draft class actually turns out.
The Wings drafted a few more college boys, which gives them up to three years more to develop before the Wings could lose their rights. And surprise, surprise, the Wings drafted a Swede with the last overall pick in this year’s draft.
The Red Wings will have a lot of young players coming up through their system over the next two or three seasons and don’t need any of the players they drafted this weekend for several years.
“It’s very important, it’s all about time with these kids,” Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill said. “Let them develop at their own pace.”
Dave at Gorilla Crouch wrote two great posts on the Wings’ picks at this year’s draft.
The Globe and Mail has an interesting take on GM Ken Holland and his role during the draft.
Just after the Red Wings made their sixth-round choice, TSN analyst Bob McKenzie wandered over to the rail that separates the draft floor from the reporter’s enclosure – McKenzie, working for a rights’ holder, is on the team side – and I asked him to tap Kenny Holland on the shoulder and bring him over. Since Holland doesn’t mind telling everyone who’ll listen that he puts himself completely in the hands of his scouting staff at the draft, I wanted to know what Holland knew about Stephen Johnson – listed as S. Johnson on the board – or even if he knew his first name. Problem was, McKenzie tipped him off to what I was trying to do, so naturally Holland had all kinds of data: Played in Belleville, left winger, scored nine points in 56 games. Impressive – until he started laughing out loud, and admitted he didn’t really know him at all.
“Their job is to find players; I’m busy working the floor,” said Holland. He didn’t seem to be working the floor too hard at this stage in a quiet second day of the NHL draft. “You know what? You can’t watch 10 amateur games and have an impact on the draft. You either live it – or you don’t. I can’t help out by watching Guelph play 10 times in a year.”
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