Red Wings Rapid Fire Draft Preview Whereas the first round of the NHL Draft gets all the fanfare, the second round is more about the business. Well, at least as much business as can be expected from a hockey community that's been in Vegas most of the week. Day two of the 2024 NHL Draft is shaping up to be a big one, not only in the quantity of picks but also in the potential for league-changing news. After weeks of trade rumors and with free agency opening up in just two days, the draft floor is likely to be busy. Here's a live blog of all the Red Wings' moves, interviews and more from day two: RED WINGS DAY TWO SELECTIONS SECOND ROUND, 47TH OVERALL: MAX PLANTE, LW, U.S. NATIONAL TEAM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Plante scored 61 points in 51 games last season for the U-18 U.S. NTDP team. He is committed to play next year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. EliteProspects' Draft Guide [https://www.eliteprospects.com/nhl-draft-guide/2024] described him as "among the draft’s best backhand passers" to along with "an industrious defensive game," while suggesting that he has room for growth in terms of physical skills and dynamism. Steve Yzerman’s type of player is evident — hard-working, defensively responsible, competitive. At this year’s draft, a strong personality has also been a consistent trait. Plante spoke to media after his selection, and he showed a lot of energy in his responses. He began his interview loosely by cracking jokes with reporters. He also engaged with questions, pushing back against ones he didn’t necessarily agree with instead of just giving an answer. One example stood out when a reporter asked him about his college choice, Minnesota-Duluth, and how he didn’t really have a choice in the matter due to his family’s long legacy at that school. “I mean, obviously I had a choice,” Plante corrected. It’s a rather small detail, but this type of interaction isn’t all that common among prospects, much less 18-year-olds in general. THIRD ROUND, 80TH OVERALL: ONDREJ BECHER, C, PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS Becher—a native of Ostrava, Czechia—has spent the past two seasons with the Western Hockey League's Prince George Cougars. He broke out this year as a double over-ager (i.e. a 20-year-old) with 96 points (32 goals and 64 assists) in 58 games, before pitching in 19 points in 15 postseason games. EP's draft guide touts his transition aptitude and detail away from the puck. "We saw him quite a bit this year, on international play as well," Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper told reporters. "It just looked like everything potentially that he had as a 17,- 18-year-old kind of hit as a 19-year-old. Got a great opportunity and took advantage, and he looked really comfortable." Draper cited Becher's skating, and especially his speed, as a trait the Red Wings appreciated. Draper called him a late-bloomer given his ascent this season. FOURTH ROUND, 126TH OVERALL (ACQUIRED FROM DAL), LANDON MILLER, G, SOO GREYHOUNDS The Red Wings go with a goaltender in the fourth round, selecting Landon Miller out of the OHL. In 30 games for the Soo Greyhounds this season (his first full year in major junior), Miller played 30 games, posting a 2.79 goals against average, an .889 save percentage, and two shutouts. He also played behind defenseman Andrew Gibson, one of the OHL's best shutdown defenders and a prospect the Red Wings traded to Nashville earlier this week. FIFTH ROUND, 144TH OVERALL, JOHN WHIPPLE, D, U.S. NTDP Detroit grabs its first defenseman of the draft in round five in the form of NTDP product John Whipple, who is committed to continue his hockey career at the University of Minnesota this season. Whipple—a defense-first defenseman—scored two goals and 15 assists in 61 games this year for the NTDP, all while putting up a +19 rating. The Red Wings liked Whipple's skating, defensive talent and competitiveness, with Draper saying he liked the way he played in the U-18 World Junior Championship. "He looked comfortable playing against the other team's best players, top players." SIXTH ROUND, 176TH OVERALL, CHARLIE FORSLUND, LW, FALU IF (SWEDEN-3) Forslund is a classic Hakan Andersson late-round draft pick. Forslund scoring 19 points in 19 games this year for Falu in the Swedish third division. At six-foot-three, he plays like a power forward, with legitimate dual threat ability. Forslund is set to join Mora IK (where Michael Brandsegg-Nygard spent the past two seasons) for the upcoming campaign. Draper noted that Mora has developed prospects well in recent history, something the Red Wings noticed in the draft process. "(That's) important development-wise, picking somebody like Charlie that has kind of been off the radar," Draper said. "And then all of a sudden he's starting to play and now going into a good organization (he) can continue to develop. Looking forward to getting him into Detroit for dev camp for sure." SEVENTH ROUND, 203RD OVERALL, AUSTIN BAKER, LW, U.S. NTDP The Red Wings grab their third NTDP product of the day, selecting winger Austin Baker in the seventh round. Baker provided 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points for the NTDP in 59 games this season. The White Lake, MI-native will be headed to Michigan State next season, where he will join fellow Red Wing prospects Trey Augustine and Red Savage. "This kid is very athletic, the way he skates, the way he trains," Draper said. "Lot of great feedback from how he is in the weight room. He's that type of player that can bring a lot of energy with the way he skates." SEVENTH ROUND, 208TH OVERALL, FISHER SCOTT, D In what should prove their final pick of the 2024 Draft, Detroit selects defenseman Fisher Scott from the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL. Scott scored eight times while adding 25 assists for 33 points in 61 games this year for the Saints. He is set to head to Colorado College next season to begin his NCAA hockey career. "Our U.S. scout at that round was pounding the table, which you like," Draper said. "He's a very good skater, obviously put up good numbers this year, going into CC where it looks like he's gonna have a great opportunity to play a lot and play a lot of minutes. As you kind of get into later rounds, you love the fact that the area guys get excited about an opportunity to get involved in that selection, and that's exactly what happened with that one." AROUND THE LEAGUE -Sergachev to Utah: In the first major trade of the draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning sent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to the dubiously named Utah Hockey Club: In July 2022, the Lightning—on the heels of their third successive Stanley Cup Final appearance, defeated for the first time—signed Sergachev to an eight-year deal worth $8.5 million a season against the salary cap, running through the 2030-31 season. It was a contract that implied Sergachev was to be Victor Hedman's heir apparent on the blue line as Tampa attempted to prolong a ~seven year run of dominance, and Sergachev's hard, physical defending through difficult minutes on long playoff runs implied that he might just pull it off, even if he'd never shown the command or dominance of Hedman. Sergachev's game was never well suited to light up the regular season, and a scary broken leg in February held him out with just 34 games played until a dramatic return in Game 4 of the Lightning's first round series with Florida. As it would turn out, it would also be his penultimate game for the franchise with whom he won two Stanley Cups. Hedman's deal (worth an AAV of $7.875 million) expires after the '24-25 season, but the Bolts have already reneged on their bet on Sergachev. It frees up a massive chunk of cap moving forward, but it also raises major questions about their long-term future on defense. Did Julien BriseBois cut bait on Sergachev for a last-second Steven Stamkos reunion? Was it to extend Hedman? Was this a way of freeing up more space for an infusion of new blood? Time will tell, but for a Lightning team for whom depth (up front and on the blue line) was already a serious question coming out of the 2023-24 season, the doubts have only compounded until we learn the way BriseBois intends to utilize his newly gained cap freedom. Update: The Lightning doubled down on this freedom (and effectively folded on another recent bet) by sending Tanner Jeannot (whom it had acquired for the whopping cost at the '23 trade deadline of Cal Foote plus first, second, third, fourth, and fifth round picks, signed at $2.665 million through the coming season) to the LA Kings. -Utah Aggressive in Assembling Inaugural Blue Line: The Utah Hockey Club didn’t have a defense corps less than a week ago, but it just got a top pairing that could rival a lot of others. The Hockey Club acquired Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay and John Marino from New Jersey, sinking draft capital to get two players it can lean on right away. Utah had to do something about its defense, but trading assets to acquire two proven vets is a strong start for the franchise. A Sergachev-Marino top pairing should help the Hockey Club be more competitive, offering the chance for a strong start in Utah. Trading draft capital to get Sergachev and Marino gives GM Bill Armstrong known quantities when it comes to their contracts. Instead of paying top dollar for free agents — many of whom a more shutdown-oriented blue liners — Utah prevents regrettable overpayment in the future. ALSO FROM THN DETROIT Draft Day One Notes and Observations [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/draft-day-one-notes-and-observations] Report: Red Wings Working on Deal for Rangers Defenseman [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/report-red-wings-working-on-deal-for-rangers-defenseman] Red Wings Select Michael Brandsegg-Nygård 15th Overall [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day/red-wings-select-michael-brandsegg-nyg%C3%A5rd-15th-overall] Everything Detroit Red Wings Fans Need to Know Ahead of the NHL Draft [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day/everything-detroit-red-wings-fans-need-to-know-ahead-of-the-nhl-draft] Three Questions for the Red Wings to Answer at the Draft [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/three-questions-for-the-red-wings-to-answer-at-the-draft] From Sweden to the NHL Draft, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is Opening Doors for Norwegian Hockey [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day/from-sweden-to-the-nhl-draft-michael-brandsegg-nyg%C3%A5rd-is-opening-doors-for-norwegian-hockey]
