Red Wings Select Michael Rasmussen With the 9th Overall Pick

It’s been 25 years since the Detroit Red Wings picked top-10 at the NHL Entry Draft. After a historically bad season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in a quarter century, the Wings finished in a position that allowed them to finally partake in the draft lottery. They came so close to winning, but their luck fell short as they fell to ninth place after the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers soared to the top.

Still, a top-10 pick is nothing to scoff at and the Wings held on to their number nine through the expansion draft, losing Grand Rapids star centreman Tomas Nosek to the Vegas Golden Knights. The road to the draft was a tumultuous one with multiple trades going down in the days leading up to it, but Ken Holland opted to hold on to the pick.

The Detroit Red Wings selected Michael Rasmussen ninth overall at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

In his final draft rankings, Bob McKenzie had Rasmussen going ninth overall, so Detroit picked him up exactly where predicted. He fills the team’s need for a big centreman who uses his size intelligently and plays a strong two-way game. For more information on Rasmussen, check out our Nation Network assessment here.

Stay tuned to WingsNation.com for more information on Rasmussen and further updates on the Red Wings progress at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.