Detroit Red Wings hold 13th pick. Here are best picks at that spot in recent draft history
No. 13 doesn't sound like a very exciting first pick to have in an NHL draft, but that's where the Detroit Red Wings sit two weeks out from the 2025 event.
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It's the second-latest — and just the second time outside the top 10 — that the Wings have made their first selection in a draft since Steve Yzerman was named general manager in April 2019. Last summer, they used their pick at No. 15 on Norwegian forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, who they liked enough (it helped that he already was 6 feet 1 and 207 pounds at age 18) to bring to camp last fall, removing him for a few weeks from his Swedish Hockey League team.
HISTORY LESSON: Who are the top 10 captains in Detroit Red Wings franchise history
The Wings have never drafted at No. 13 since the league expanded in 1967, but a look at other teams over the past two decades shows what a good spot it can be.
Here are some examples:
2013: D Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (88) tries to skate away from Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (44) during the first period at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025.
Three years after the Jets picked Morissey, he was a full-timer for them. Two years after that, he started regularly posting 30-point seasons. In 2022-23, he finished with 76 points while finishing fifth in Norris Trophy voting — and he has topped 60 each of the past two seasons.
2014: F Jakub Vrana, Washington Capitals
Detroit Red Wings left wing Jakub Vrana (15) flips the puck in the air during a stop in play against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 1st period on May 8, 2021 at Nationwide Arena.
This should be a name that's very familiar, as Vrana played for the Wings from 2021-23. The Washington Capitals took him at No. 13 in 2014. Off-ice issues have impacted his career (in the fall of 2022, he spent a couple months in the Player Assistance Program) but at his best, Vrana was a dynamic winger with a knack for sudden scoring opportunities.
2017: F Nick Suzuki, Vegas Golden Knights
Detroit Red Wings left wing J.T. Compher (37) is checked by Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) during the first period at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025.
Skipping ahead a few years, the Golden Knights used their pick at No. 13 on Nick Suzuki. A little more than a year later, they traded Suzuki, along with Tomas Tatar (formerly of the Wings) and a draft pick to the Montreal Canadiens for veteran (and Michigan alumnus) Max Pacioretty. Now 25, Suzuki has put up consecutive 30-goal seasons, including a career-high 89 points this past season. He has also captained the Canadiens since September 2022.
2007: F Lars Eller, St. Louis Blues
Pittsburgh Penguins center Lars Eller (20) and Detroit Red Wings right wing Jonatan Berggren (48) battle for the puck during the second period at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.
The leader in games played for No. 13 overall picks going back 20 years is Denmark's Lars Eller, who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2007. He played only seven games with the Blues before a trade to the Canadiens. He found his footing in Montreal, but he is best known for his time with the Washington Capitals, who he helped lead to the Stanley Cup in 2018. Eller, 36, has played in 1,116 NHL games.
Other notable names
Going back further, Dustin Brown (Los Angeles Kings, 2003) captained the Kings to the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014 and retired having played 1,296 games, leading all No. 13 picks with 325 goals. Ron Hainsey (Canadiens, 2000) retired having played 1,132 games and having won the Stanley Cup in 2017. Craig Janney (Boston Bruins, 1986) averaged nearly a point a game during a 706-game career that saw him retire with 750 points.
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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
Her latest book, 'The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,' was released October 2024. Her books, 'On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,' and 'The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings' are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What NHL draft history says about Detroit Red Wings picking 13th
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