2011 Detroit Red Wings Draft Picks
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft is completed, and all seven rounds are in the books. Before we look ahead to free agency in the National Hockey League, let’s take a look at a team by team synopsis of all of this year’s draft picks. Find out who they are, what to expect from them, and when you can expect to see them putting on a sweater in the NHL. Also, each team will be graded on their overall performance during the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Let’s find out who the Detroit Red Wings drafted, after the jump.
Bryan Vickroy
Here are the nine players selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Tomas Jurco (Rd 2, 35th overall)
| RW | SVK | 6′ 1″ | 191 | QMJHL | Saint John |
Great hands and puck moving ability for a winger with size. Led St John in playoff scoring on a stacked team. Knows he’s talented, and isn’t afraid to use those skills in practice or game situations. A prototypical Red Wings draft choice, should have a long career.
Estimated Arrival: 2013-14
Xavier Ouellet (Rd 2, 48th overall)
| D | FRA | 6′ 0″ | 179 | QMJHL | Montreal |
Slender, playmaking defenseman who is a good skater and puck distributor. Great plus/minus numbers, and is more than efficient at getting the puck to an open teammate. Could be a power play quarterback for many years.
Estimated Arrival: 2014-15
Ryan Sproul (Rd 2, 55th overall)
| D | CAN | 6′ 3″ | 185 | OHL | Sault Ste. Marie |
Offensive minded defenseman with a large frame that will fill out over time. Not afraid to rush the puck up ice himself, or join in an odd man rush. If he grows into his body and commits himself to protecting his own zone first, could be the second coming of Brian Rafalski.
Estimated Arrival: 2013-14
Alan Quine (Rd 3, 85th overall)
| C | CAN | 5′ 11″ | 184 | OHL | Peterborough |
Smooth, fleet footed center who can handle the puck and the face off circle. Averaged nearly a point a game after being traded mid season and getting more ice time. Good hands and playmaking abilities mean he is equally as likely to shoot or pass.
Estimated Arrival: 2014-15
Marek Tvrdon (Rd 4, 115th overall)
| RW | SVK | 6′ 2″ | 210 | WHL | Vancouver |
Size and strength in an aggressive forward. Put up nearly a point a game to start the season before injuring his shoulder in October. Expected to be completely healthy this upcoming season. Could be a very good grind line player or blossom into a top line power forward.
Estimated Arrival: 2014-15
Philippe Hudon (Rd 5, 145th overall)
| C/RW | CAN | 6′ 0″ | 197 | HIGH-CT | Choate-Rosemary |
Strong wristed forward with a very good shot that finds the back of the net. Will attend school at Cornell in the fall. Won a high school championship, and has a Stanley Cup winner in his bloodline. Smart with the puck and in his own zone.
Estimated Arrival: 2015-16
Mattias Backman (Rd 5, 146th overall)
| D | SWE | 6′ 2″ | 169 | SWE-JR. | Linkoping Jr. |
Slender puck moving defenseman. Must add a lot of size to his frame before coming over to play in the US. Not very physical due to size, but very smart and is very sound positionally. May not develop into a top flight player, but will be very sound in the defensive end.
Estimated Arrival: 2016-17
Richard Nedomlel (Rd 6, 175th overall)
| D | CZE | 6′ 4″ | 204 | WHL | Swift Current |
Big, physical defenseman who throws his body around. Not much offensive production, but is more than willing to drop the gloves and throw down against anybody. Will project as a defensive enforcer.
Estimated Arrival: 2015-16
Alexei Marchenko (Rd 7, 205th overall)
| D | RUS | 6′ 2″ | 183 | RUSSIA | CSKA |
Quick, offense first defenseman who can move the puck or finish with a goal. Put up big numbers against kids his age, but struggled offensively playing with the men in Russia’s first division. Long term project who will be given time to develop at home and once he comes to America.
Estimated Arrival: 2016-17
Synopsis
With the recent retirement of Brian Rafalski, and the impending future retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom after more than two decades in the NHL, it’s no surprise that Red Wings GM Ken Holland used this deep defensive draft to help restock the blue line depth of the organization. Understanding how deep this draft was allowed Detroit to trade out of the first round, acquire extra picks, yet still landed a top 20 talent in the second round. While many of these kids will need a few years to develop before they ever make their way to the Motor City and wear the Red Wings jersey. Holland has added a lot of big, strong, skilled defenseman to go along with the long line of Red Wings draft gems. While not all of these players will obviously make it to the Red Wings, or even the NHL, Detroit’s draft track record forces me to instantly give them the benefit of the doubt that at least a couple regulars will come out of this Red Wings’ draft class.
Grade: B
Bryan Vickroy has an addiction to hockey, and is willing to partake in all its forms. He is skating extra shifts for The Sports Bank, covering the Minnesota Wild, the NHL, and NCAA hockey all year long. Look for new articles throughout the week. He can be followed on Twitter at @bryanvickroy. If you’d prefer to speak in more than 140 characters at a time to him, he can be reached at bryan.vickroy@gmail.com .