Red Wings draft picks: 10 biggest hits

Go through the gallery above to view the Red Wings' 10 biggest draft hits. Click here if you’re having trouble viewing the gallery.

A pro sports organization isn’t going to get every draft pick correct.

There are going to be hits — and there will be misses.

A team simply hopes there will be more of the hits in the long run.

In the Red Wings’ case, there have been misses, no doubt. Especially in the last decade, or so.

But the hits — mainly in the glory days during the Wings’ 25-year streak of making the playoffs — were simply astounding.

The organization was able to consistently find gems — future Hall of Fame players — in the late rounds, or players who maybe weren’t quite bound for the Hall, but enjoyed long, productive careers.

More: Red Wings draft picks: 10 biggest misses

Probably no year, or specifically draft class, produced more for an organization than the Wings’ 1989 class.

It can be argued the Wings’ collection of talent in the 1989 draft was the best draft in any professional sport.

Nicklas Lidstrom (third round, 53rd overall), Sergei Fedorov (fourth round, No. 74) and Vladimir Konstantinov (11th round, No. 221) had illustrious careers with the Wings — the first two Hall of Famers, with Konstantinov on his way before his career ended in an auto crash.

But also in that 1989 draft, Mike Sillinger (first round, 11th overall), Bob Boughner (second round, No. 32), and Dallas Drake (sixth round, No. 116) had long, productive NHL careers, with Drake helping the Wings win the 2008 Stanley Cup in his second tour of duty with the organization.

With that particular class leading the way, here are the Red Wings’ top 10 hits in the Entry Draft era (beginning 1963).

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

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