Red Wings acquired a diamond in the rough in Nashville: Yzerman's smartest move yet?
Photo credit: NHL.com
A player drafted by the Detroit Red Wings could turn out to be Steve Yzerman's best move since he was hired as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the team.
Only 24 players from the 2023 NHL Draft class have appeared in the NHL, including 17 from the first round.
Among the seven players drafted in the other rounds who have played in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings' seventh-round pick is standing out.
Emmitt Finnie, the 201st pick, is currently among the best rookies in the NHL, with only Leo Carlsson, Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, William Smith, Matvei Michkov, and Zach Benson having more points than the Wings forward.
The 20-year-old winger surprised many analysts during training camp, showing a lot of maturity on and off the ice, and ultimately earning a spot on the Wings' top line with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin.
After nine games, Finnie is emerging as one of the best players of this year's rookie class, with eight points, including four goals in nine games.
Steve Yzerman's 7th Round Pick Emmitt Finnie Keeps Impressing Everyone
Among NHL rookies, Finnie ranks 2nd in points, behind Ivan Demidov, who has 9; 1st in goals, tied with Oliver Kapanen; and 4th in assists, behind Demidov (7), Zeev Buium (6), and Matthew Schaefer (5).
He's also tied for 2nd in points among his team's scorers.
But Finnie's impact in Detroit isn't only on the scoresheet. The forward brings a complete game, which is what truly earned him his head coach's confidence at camp:
"He just continues to push the envelope, and we can talk about his points and his goals and that stuff. (But) the blocked shots today, the checking skill and the ability he plays with"
"Our thoughts were fairly realistic. Like, we're going to play him. Let's see what ends up happening. We believed in him. We certainly did."
"There's nothing better that a player can have than to be trusted by the coaches or the teammates. And he has that right now.»
- Todd McLellan on 2023 seventh-round pick Emmitt Finnie.
"Our thoughts were fairly realistic. Like, we're going to play him. Let's see what ends up happening. We believed in him. We certainly did."
"There's nothing better that a player can have than to be trusted by the coaches or the teammates. And he has that right now.»
- Todd McLellan on 2023 seventh-round pick Emmitt Finnie.
Finnie has the kind of start that makes him worthy of being involved in early Calder debates, which we don't often see from players drafted in the seventh round.
Of course, consistency will be a key factor as the season unfolds.
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