Red Wings' Draft Misses: Kuznetsov, Kucherov, and More

0:00On April 6, Detroit Redwings fans still cringe over some draft picks from the last 15 NHL drafts. Back in 2010, they grabbed Riley Sheehan 21st overall, but just five spots later, Washington Snag of Gennie Kuznetsov, who turned into a Stanley Cup hero with 32 playoff points in 24 games during their 2018 win. Fast forward to 2011, and Detroit used three second-round picks on Tomas Jerko, a Xavier O'Willet, and Ryan Sproul, who combined for just 69 points in 328 games. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay scoop Nikita Kutcherov 58th overall, and he since racked up playoff dominance, leading the league with 100. 71 points since 2014-15 and two cups. These misses hurt because guys like Kuznetsov and Kutcherov became franchise anchors, earning MVP's, all-star nods, and hardware like the art ross and heart trophies. Redwings faithful wonder how different the rebuild

1:02might look with that kind of firepower instead of players who fizzled out quick. In 2016, first-rounder Dennis Shalowski promised defense and offense, but managed only 47 points in 104 games. Before Seattle took him in the expansion draft, six picks back, St. Louis got Taj Thompson, now a Buffalo beast with 176 goals and a seven-year extension. Two years later, in 2018, Phillips-Adina fell to six overall amid top-prospect hype, but he scored just 28 goals in one. 190 games before getting cut. Right after, Ben Coover landed Quinn Hughes, who's powered up four or five points with all-star shine in top five assists last season, leaving Detroit dreaming of alternate paths forward. Team coverage, powered by AI. This is NHL News today.