Red Wings Focus on Forwards at 2013 NHL Entry Draft

The Detroit Red Wings had said they wanted to find forwards to add to their prospect stable in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and they stuck to that plan on Sunday, with six of their eight selections playing one of the forward positions.

Only their fifth- and sixth-round selections were defensemen and they selected no goalies.

The six/two positional split was mirrored by the makeup by nationality. Six of Detroit’s selections were Canadians while the other two were Swedes.

The Red Wings had been slated to pick 18th overall but traded that choice to the San Jose Sharks in return for the 20th overall pick and the 58th selection. With the 20th choice, Detroit picked forward Anthony Mantha of the QMJHL’s Val d’Or Foreurs. The 6’4″ forward is the grandson of former Red Wing Andre Pronovost and was the only 50-goal scorer available in the draft.

At 48th overall Detroit went with Zach Nastasiuk of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. At 6’1″ and 190 pounts, Nastasiuk was described as “a high-energy power forward who plays a physical style.”

With the 58th selection acquired from San Jose, the Red Wings went with a familiar name in Tyler Bertuzzi. The nephew of Detroit forward Todd Bertuzzi, the Red Wings described Tyler, who – like his uncle – comes out of the OHL’s Guelph Storm, as “very aggressive and is willing to play in the hard areas.”

The Red Wings made their first Swedish selection in the third round at 79th overall, center Mattias Janmark-Nylen of the Swedish Elite League’s AIK. They went back to Canada for their fourth-round selection, left wing David Pope of the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors at 109th overall.

Detroit’s first defenseman selected was 6’5″, 231 pound Mitch Wheaton of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, picked in the fifth round with the 139th overall selection. The Red Wings went with another defenseman in the sixth round, the 6’6″ Marc McNulty of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars at 169th overall.

Small Swedish forward Hampus Melen wrapped up the Red Wings’ selections at 199th overall in the seventh round.

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Former Red Wings draft pick Alan Quine, who went unsigned by the team, was redrafted by the New York Islanders.