Red Wings Draft Dmitri Buchelnikov 52nd Overall

With their second pick in the second round, the Detroit Red Wings took Russian left wing Dimitri Buchelnikov. Detroit went with a player who wasn’t included as a top 100 prospect by many analysts, including TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

Regardless, the Red Wings brass saw enough in the pure skill from Buchelnikov to take him with their 52nd overall pick. He’s oozing with offensive skill and looks like a magician with the puck. His release is lightning fast, revealing why he would certainly be an appealing option to give Detroit more firepower.

Here’s a look at what Detroit has in Buchelnikov.

Red Wings Draft a Sniper

Watching the highlights of Buchelnikov’s goals, it’s evident that the youngster has a quick release and absolutely drives everything he has into shots.

But it’s the raw skill he has that is mesmerizing, showing why Detroit took a flier on him. It’s another in a long line of Yzerman draft picks that have an unbelievably high ceiling should development follow its appropriate course.

The Dmitri Buchelnikov pick seems like it could be a sneaky good one….insanely talented, wicked shot, and reportedly underscouted Russian forward out of the MHL.

Draft slot aside, sign me up for that kind of upside. #LGRW

— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) July 8, 2022

The 18-year-old winger has explosive speed and is even more dazzling when he has the puck. And the kid can score at a high clip. In the MHL this season, he recorded 75 points in 56 games with 41 of the points being goals. He was second in the league in scoring, and led the MHL in goals–with six less games than the points leader. He was also over a point-per-game in nine playoff games, registering 14 points (7-7).

With the high clip of scoring, it’s evident that Buchelnikov is ready for the KHL, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility Detroit brings him over to North America earlier, especially with some of the issues currently going on in Russia. To pump the brakes, however, the MHL isn’t exactly a high-echelon league. But there certainly are glimmers of excellent offensive abilities.

Though he’s played well in a junior league, the next step of development will be key. But it certainly seems like the Red Wings have the potential a strong scorer on their hands.