DETROIT, Mich – The Detroit Red Wings did the unpredictable when they traded the 29th pick overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft to the Tampa Bay Lightning, in exchange for Tampa Bays’ second round, 32nd overall, and an additional third round choice. Detroit is well-known for choosing gifted prospects with a significant amount of raw talent that can be groomed to fit with the team’s long-term needs, and it appears that this year’s draft was no exception. Ferraro is a familiar name in the hockey world. Ray Ferraro, the former New York Islander and current TSN analyst, once scored 108 goals in a single season as a Western Hockey League (WHL) player early in his career. While it would be impossible to match that feat due to a change in the style of game play today, the next ten-plus years will be his son Landon’s time to shine. The younger Ferraro, a center, was selected by Detroit with the 32nd overall pick in the draft. Ferraro shows a significant amount of ability to instinctively anticipate the play and put himself in the sweet spot to get the puck in the net. Even though some may say his small size at 5’ 11″ 165 pounds is a concern, but he is known for his speed and skating abilities on the ice, thereby not affording an opponent the opportunity to nail him into the boards. Hailing from Trail, BC, Ferraro currently plays for the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels. Despite the fact that Red Deer was in a rebuilding year, Landon performed remarkably well as an individual, earning 55 points in 68 games. Due to his team’s deficiencies, Ferraro is learning to become a more defensive minded forward, thereby making him more valuable as a future NHL star. Most surprising was the Wings’ second choice in the second round (60th overall) of Slovakia’s Tomas Tatar, also a center who was virtually unknown, first showed up on the hockey world’s watch lists during the 2009 World Junior Championships where he earned recognition as Slovakia’s top forward with 11 points in the tournament. He almost tied the 15 points he earned during the entire regular season. While he is a little shorter than the ideal, Tatar has been compared to the Red Wings’ Jiri Hudler in terms of his style of play and offensive ability. The Wings’ third round picks included the Czech Republic’s Andrej Nestrasil (taken 75th overall as part of the Tampa Bay trade) and Quebec native Gleason Fournier, 90th overall. Both players played in the Quebec Major Juniors Hockey League (QMJHL). Nestrasil’s size (6’ 2″, 200 pounds) should help make him a solid contribution to the Red Wings’ organization. While playing for the Victoriaville Tigres in 2008-09, he earned 57 points in 66 games. He can play both center and right wing. Fournier, an offensive-minded defenseman, is one of the typical diamonds in the rough that Detroit has a knack for picking. With a significant amount of potential, he needs to vastly improve in his own zone such as knowing where to go with the puck and not getting pushed around, before he will ever see NHL ice. Fournier has a lot of natural talent, he just needs to be groomed in the Detroit-style of hockey. As one of the youngest from this class of prospects, many opportunities for training and development with some of the most successful players and coaches in the business will be available to him for multiple years before he’s ready for Hockeytown. In picks 150, 180 and 210, Detroit selected Nick Jensen from St. Paul, Minnesota, Mitchell Callahan from Whittier, California and Adam Almqvist from Jonkoping Sweden. Looking at the future of the Red Wings, Callahan’s gritty style of play could make him the most valuable to the team. Known as a grind-line scrapper who finishes his checks and has no fear, Callahan led all WHL rookies with 20 fighting majors for the Kelowna Rockets. He amassed 188 penalty minutes and 27 points in 70 games as a third and fourth liner. At 5’11″ 175 pounds, Callahan is expected to bulk up over the next year to back up his attitude and raucous style for future play at the NHL level. He will most definitely be one to watch in the future, especially since Detroit has been lacking an enforcer since Darren McCarty’s glory days. Overall, the Red Wings did it right once again this year. A good group of young players with significant talent, a variety of playing styles and skills, players who will do whatever it takes to be the best. Contact the author at jennifer.sleeper@prohockeynews.com
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