Red Wings make six picks in Day 2 of 2016 NHL Draft

By @MichaelCaples –

After making a splash with the Pavel Datsyuk trade Friday night, the Red Wings used Day 2 of the 2016 NHL Draft to bolster their prospects list.

Detroit made six selections during Rounds 2-7 of the draft in Buffalo, N.Y., picking three defensemen, two forwards and a goaltender.

The Wings’ most notable pick was the selection of Givani Smith at No. 46 overall. Smith, a native of Thornhill, Ont., checked in at 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds in the NHL’s official listing, meaning Detroit is getting a big-bodied winger for the future.

Last season, Smith posted 23 goals and 19 assists for 42 total points – and 146 penalty minutes – in 65 games with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.

He was ranked No. 54 overall by NHL Central Scouting heading into the 2016 draft.

 

Coyotes’ pick used for Czech blueliner

Later in the second round, the Wings used the No. 53 overall pick acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in the Datsyuk deal to select Filip Hronek, a Czech defenseman.

Ranked No. 8 among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting, the native of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, checks in at 6-foot-0 and 163 pounds.

 

Familiar territory in Sweden

In the fourth round, the Wings selected Alfons Malmstrom, the team’s first of three selections out of Sweden.

Malmstrom, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound defenseman, skated with Orebro Jr. in Sweden last season, recording two goals and six assists in 41 games.

He was not ranked by NHL Central Scouting in either of the midterm or final rankings for the 2016 draft.

 

Otters prospect up next

In the fifth round, the Wings stayed a little closer to home, selecting Erie Otters defenseman Jordan Sambrook.

Ranked No. 96 overall by NHL Central Scouting in their final rankings, Detroit used the No. 137 pick to claim the native of Markham, Ont.

As a rookie blueliner in Erie last season, Sambrook posted nine goals and 18 assists for 27 total points in 67 OHL games.

 

A new goalie in the fold

In the sixth round, the Wings selected Swedish goaltender Filip Larsson.

Ranked No. 10 among European goaltenders (after being ranked No. 5 in the midterm release), Detroit picked up Larsson with the No. 167 overall selection.

Larsson spent the majority of the 2015-16 season with Djurgarden Jr. in Sweden, recording a 3.86 goals-against average and .872 save percentage in 19 games.

 

Swedish winger rounds it out

With their last pick of the 2016 draft, the Wings claimed Mattias Elfstrom, another Swedish prospect.

Elfstrom, unranked by NHL Central Scouting, posted 11 goals and 20 assists in 43 games with the Malmo RedHawks of the SuperElit league in 2015-16.