Detroit Red Wings’ 2011 Draft Preview: Who will the Wings take with their first pick?

The Detroit Red Wings have the 24th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, and speculation is abounding about who exactly they will take with that first pick.  It’s pretty much gospel at this point, that if the Red Wings see something in a prospect, he must have the tools to succeed. The Wings are not impervious to getting some duds, but on the whole, they have an exceptional track record when it comes to discovering overlooked talent. It wasn’t too long ago, that Detroit was criticized by some for “mortgaging off their future”, by trading multiple first round draft picks for established NHL players, in order to shore up their roster for deep playoff runs.  They have rebuilt their farm system in recent years however, by both finding late round gems, and using the early picks they did have well. When looking at the 2011 NHL draft class, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle.  This is because the overall talent level in this draft is not on par with the...