Kris Draper 2024 NHL Draft Day 2 | June 29, 2024

Kris Draper 2024 NHL Draft Day 2 | June 29, 2024

know the draft has just ended but it looks like you got especially quite a few forwards yeah um you know obviously I think if you look at you know our depth chart we’ve uh you know we’ve drafted a lot of D over you know the previous drafts and coming in uh you know you kind of set your list up and and uh you know but if uh you have a demon that you really like you’re certainly going to step up and and take them but just uh just the way it went uh we thought uh we addressed you know a lot of needs up front um you know scoring we got some speed we obviously got some competitiveness some smart so we thought um you know we uh what what we wanted to do over the last couple days we were able to do it and uh probably just like 32 other teams were were excited with what we did today with plan what was the appeal there um his we we interviewed him uh throughout this he’s great kid character kid um obviously grew up around the game uh you could tell that by talking to him um you know the the hockey sense of of where he can play up and down the lineup was something that you know kept uh you know kept we we kept coming back to that um and just a a player that it seemed you know the lines that that that he was on just you know seemed to play well that night uh you know he’s smart he can he can play on the penalty kill he can play on the power play um and and you know the important thing that we love is you know he can he can play with really good hockey players and and he showed that so um you know and then you know talking to you know a lot of his teammates uh you know as we interviewed them and talked to them they had uh you know a lot of positive things to say you know about uh the way he played the way he carried himself so you know we feel we got um you know real real real nice hockey player in Max with um you know everything that he can do and and certainly uh you know really like the the hockey sense uh and and how he can pass the CL you play against his dad does he play similar style does he have that quickness um I that’s probably his dad would be a better skater um um but uh you could probably ask his dad he might agree that his son’s probably smarter than he is I hope he agrees uh but uh you know like I said that’s something that uh you know that that we came back to obviously uh you know hockey sense is a you know a big thing that uh that we look for and want a draft and you know felt that that he had it so on on day two you’re kind of sitting there and you’re not quite sure if uh you know he’s going to be there when we were going to select but um you know obviously the way it worked out and you know very happy uh you know that we’re able to pick Max Becker the third round pick seemed like he had a big breakout this year what did you see kind of in his game uh exactly um you know played on a on a very offensive team in PG um you know saw we saw him uh you know quite quite a bit this year uh on International play as as well um you know it just looked like uh you know everything you know potentially that he had you know maybe as a 17 and 18y old kind of hit as a 19-year-old got a great opportunity and and and took advantage and looked really comfortable and you know he’s uh he’s a kid that you know certainly put up you know great numbers and um you know his skating you know something that uh you know when when you watch him play you know he has that uh he has that extra gear that you talk about uh so it was um you know same thing you know he just kind of you know uh they had uh you know a good team to watch obviously parac was there one of his teammates and you know he was somebody that you you go in and watch a lot of and kind of Come Away thinking you know this uh this Basher he’s a he’s he’s a pretty good Prospect too and um you know so it’s it it was great to be able to see him play in the Western Hockey League and then obviously be able to do uh you know background check too with him with uh obviously how he you know grew up in check so um you know just one of those uh just another guy that you know you’re sitting there and and and you watch him and you know is able to uh to to bring you know speed and skill set um you know and just you know you could arguably say you know one of those you know late bloomers that uh you know he’s just kind of you know kind of starting to come into his own and starting to feel comfortable about you know the type of player that he could possibly be forland a guy he’s also scored a lot of goals I’ll be at lower levels fo you get in like more of a longterm project we do um and going into MOA where obviously uh you know BR s nard played and and how you know that that organization has done well with uh you know good young hockey players so that that kind of played into it um actually interesting I was uh I was over in Sweden I was supposed to go see badinka play and he he ended up being a healthy scratch I was literally getting on the train to to gothamberg to go watch him play and I got the call from from Haw and that is not playing but we’d like you to to go see Charlie uh forsland and I don’t even know where I went it might have been the hometown of Fallon it was uh that deep deep in Sweden to to to go watch him play and like you said lower level and um you know playing against you know those men at a lower level I mean Charlie stood out you know he’s got good size he can skate he can really shoot the puck had a couple goals that game and you know obviously uh you know we did uh did a lot of backround check and and information on them and you know you’re kind of sitting there just thinking you know this you know potentially uh you know could be something that could be real good for us down the road but like where he’s going right now obviously going to play into more and and you know those those are important with you know development wise you know picking somebody like Charlie that has kind of been you know off the radar and and all of a sudden is uh you know starting to play and now we can uh you know going into a good organization and continue to develop so looking forward to getting him into Detroit for Dev camp for sure Dev Camp is such a valuable experience for a lot of these young guys as a staff how do you kind of approach the next few days here you know what it’s uh we just try to give these you know these prospects as as much information as we can over the next 5 days really you know just uh you know the importance of uh you know uh off ice training you know we’re a big believer in that um you know so get those guys in the gym learning to train uh how important it is training properly you know the nutrition the sleep and and really just all pro habits and I think for us it’s uh you know you you know you’re able to to walk in that dressing room and and obviously see you know Nick ledstrom you see Nicholas cronwell Dan clear you know Sean horof you just go down the list of guys that you know have been there and done that and and you know just to be able to have these conversation and impact these these prospects at such a young age is something important so you know we just want to get them all in make them feel comfortable obviously welcome you know to the city to the organization and then uh just give them as as much information as we can over the next four or five days and um you know Dan clear and Nicholas cronwell they they they run our development camp and they do an incredible job with these young prospects I think it’s going to be uh it’ll be great for them and they’re they’re certainly all excited to get in there what did you like about the other two program kids Whipple and Baker um Whipple just the the way he skates how steady he is how competitive he is um you know that’s uh really like the the way he played there um you know at the u8s and in any International Event uh he looked comfortable probably playing against the other team’s best players top players um but you know those would probably be the attributes that that really stood out for us is uh you know the the competitiveness and the way that he skates you know and those were uh and defense hard you know so those would be the things that we like with Austin Baker um you know big you know big big strong kid powerful skater um you know this kid is very athletic um you know the way uh the way he skates the way he moves moves the way he trains you know a lot of a lot of great feedback from from how he is uh you know in the weight room and you know he’s that he’s that type of player that you know can can bring you know a lot of energy with with the way that he skates so you know looking at those two guys that’s uh that was something we were excited about sorry kind of off the beat and B on this but the program’s going to play the CHL stuff that series next I’m just curious from as someone who have that kind of what kind of asset is that to kind of be able to see some of those can’t wait um I think you know anytime you put these prospects in a in a highly competitive atmosphere that’s when you you see the see them at their best so uh I think it actually a you know a brilliant idea to to do this and um you know you get uh all of Canada’s you know the top top eligible prospects coming in against um you know the development program and watch uh you know the way they compete and everyone knows there’s a huge rivalry Now with uh with Canada us and I think it’s going to bring out you know the absolute best in uh in in all these kids so that’s something that is going to be you know circle circle the calendar and can’t wait to to watch something like that for for me I love watching you know these these top prospects play in in big games and competitive games and you know in that kind of atmosphere and I think that’s exactly what it’s going to be so like I said can’t say enough uh you know about doing this and I think it’s going to be great for uh for guys like myself and and what we deal for the reports

Red Wings Assistant General Manager and Director of Amateur Scouting Kris Draper speaks with the media following the 2024 NHL Entry Draft at Sphere, Las Vegas.