It’s Draft Week, and the Detroit Red Wings once again have the opportunity to add a difference-maker to the organization. All of Detroit’s scouting and planning has led to this moment – the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas.
With the festivities kicking off on Friday, I thought another mock draft was in order. This time, we’ll cover all seven rounds using Draft Prospect Hockey’s simulator and make a couple of trades along the way. Let’s dive in.
15. RW Beckett Sennecke – Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Considered: LD Stian Solberg, RD Adam Jiricek, C Michael Hage, C Jett Luchanko.
Unavailable: LW Cole Eiserman, RD Carter Yakemchuk, C Konsta Helenius, RW Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
Rationale: I’m sticking with Beckett Sennecke here after selecting him in Mock Draft 1.0 last month:
“The 6-foot-3 winger has a lot of likable traits – above-average hands, vision, decision-making, skating, and the ability to elevate his game in the playoffs. His point production in the OHL doesn’t scream elite, but that was also the case for Nate Danielson during his draft year – albeit in the WHL. I like Sennecke with this pick because he has the building blocks to be the top-of-the-lineup player that the Red Wings need and has a skill set that could mesh wonderfully with Danielson.”
In Sennecke, Detroit gets a high-end forward with the potential to play in the top six. This would be a major win for the organization.
47. LW/C John Mustard – Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
Considered: C Lucas Pettersson, RD Dominik Badinka, LD Jesse Pulkkinen, RW Marek Vanacker.
Unavailable: LD Alfons Freij, LW Andrew Basha, LW Teddy Stiga, C Sam O’Reilly.
Rationale: Tenacity and effort – that’s what John Mustard does. His high-motor and high-compete playing style fit in perfectly with the types of players the Red Wings have drafted in recent years.
While Mustard’s calling card is his non-stop effort, the skill level of his offensive game shouldn’t be ignored. He’s a goal-scorer – he has a great release and has a knack for finding open ice in high-danger areas. In fact, Mustard was named USHL Rookie of the Year after potting 29 goals and accumulating 56 points in 60 games this season.
Related: THW’s Free 2024 NHL Draft Guide
Mustard safely projects as a bottom-six energy forward. That said, he has enough skill to move up higher in the lineup and not look out of place.
80. LD Lukas Fischer – Sarnia Sting (OHL)
Considered: C Linus Eriksson, C Petr Sikora, RW Carson Wetsch.
Unavailable: C Aatos Koivu, C Alexander Zetterberg, LD Daniil Ustinkov.
Rationale: This selection isn’t just because Lukas Fischer is Jiri Fischer’s son – he’s legitimately a third-round talent, and may not even make it to No. 80. He was available in this mock draft, though.
Fischer held his own as a rookie in the OHL this season, leveraging his size and physical style of play to defend effectively. The defenseman is also a strong skater, which, for his size, is a noteworthy trait.
“If he can continue his development, he could find himself as a solid fourth defenseman for a team while also being able to contribute to a power-play unit,” noted The Hockey Writers’ Jordan Orth.
Red Wings-Blues Trade
Detroit trades No. 126 and No. 144 to St. Louis for No. 95. By trading back into the third round, the Red Wings get the opportunity to select an underrated prospect that they value highly…
95. C AJ Spellacy – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Rationale: Between playing on a Windsor Spitfires team that won only 18 games in 2023-24 and being overshadowed by Liam Greentree, AJ Spellacy has flown under the radar so far. The forward is known for his exceptional speed, physicality, and high compete level, and could be somewhat of a diamond in the rough for the Red Wings.
Spellacy tallied 21 goals for the Spitfires and is a candidate to breakout next season as the team improves. He also won the Jake Pollen Hardest Working Spitfire of the Year award, which fits right in with the culture the Red Wings are trying to build.
Red Wings-Bruins Trade
Detroit trades up once again, this time with the Bruins. The Red Wings trade No. 176 and No. 203 to Boston for No 154.
154. LD Darels Uljanskis – AIK (J20 Nationell)
Rationale: Blueliner Darels Uljanskis was Latvia’s top player at the Under-18 World Championship and produced 0.64 points per game at the J20 Nationell level in Sweden. He also has the ability to attack the middle of the ice consistently, and could be a steal in the middle rounds. If Uljanskis can improve his skating and keep pace in faster, stronger leagues, he could turn into a useful depth piece for the Red Wings.
208. RD Adam Kral – Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia U20)
Rationale: With their last pick, the Red Wings take Adam Kral from Czechia’s U20 league. He’s a defensive defenseman that plays with an edge and can skate pretty well. Also of note, Detroit signed Jakub Rychlovsky from the same organization—Bili Tygri Liberec—so it’s fair to reason that they have a book on the blueliner as well.
Final Word
At this point in the rebuild, the Red Wings have a fully stocked pipeline. They can consolidate picks and trade up to get the player(s) they want, if they so choose. And that’s exactly what I did here.
In this mock draft, the Red Wings added a potential top-of-the-lineup forward in Sennecke, plus two high-motor depth forwards in Mustard and Spellacy. On the blue line, Fischer could turn into a stay-at-home, second-pairing defenseman whose style of play bodes well for the postseason. Lastly, Uljanskis and Kral are nice depth pieces for the prospect pipeline with long development runways ahead of them. Overall, adding a draft class like this will put the Red Wings in an even better spot heading into the future.
Draft pick value data courtesy of PuckPedia.
