According to the Associated Press’s Larry Lage, the first thing Red Wings GM Ken Holland wants to do regarding their 2011 NHL Entry Draft class-to-be is to remind fans that, given the Wings’ drafting position, they won’t be picking players who are expected to jump into the lineup:
“Whomever we pick, he’s going to be three to five years away from realistically helping us on the NHL level,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “It’s not like we have one of the top picks. There’s a reason a player is still available at 24. We think we’re going to get a good prospect, but he’s going to need to develop quite a bit. Hopefully a few years from now, we’ll find out we found a player in the draft.”
Holland plans to take the best available player whether he’s a goaltender, defenceman or forward.
“We don’t have any idea what our needs will be down the road, so we’ll rely on our scouts,” Holland said.
As usual, the Wings plan on embracing the old, “We’ll see them in five-to-seven years” philosophy regarding allowing their prospects to mature until they’r ready…
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