A promising pipeline of prospects is an integral part of a team’s long-term success. During the Detroit Red Wings’ 24-year playoff streak, they managed to strike gold in the later rounds of the draft several times, which considerably lengthened their reign of Stanley Cup contention. Even now, the Red Wings possess a solid core of young talent that is hoping to lead them back to relevancy.
Unfortunately, there have also been a handful of players over the past two decades who have drawn the ire of Hockeytown. While these players may not have all been top-end draft picks, they garnered enough hype to leave fans disappointed. To keep it recent, only players drafted after the 2003-04 season will be considered here, so Joe Murphy and Curtis Bowen will have to sit on the sideline.
Grab your *insert bust here* jersey and hold it close. Revisiting these players will bring back some frustrating memories.
Jakub Kindl – Defenseman
Drafted: First round, 19th overall, 2005
Let us start with one of the more painful names to reflect on. Jakub Kindl, taken 19th overall, was the highest Red Wings draft pick since Martin Lapointe was taken 10th overall in 1991.
Jakub Kindl, Detroit Red Wings (Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE)
Kindl was a productive rearguard in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Kitchener Rangers, tallying 113 points in 114 games over his final two seasons. He put up some steady, if not spectacular, seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League (AHL) before becoming a regular on the Red Wings roster in 2010-11.
The rest is, woefully, history. Kindl played six seasons for the Winged Wheel, averaging a meager 0.24 points per game during that span. The 19 points he put up in 2013-14 were the most he ever recorded in a single NHL season. He left the organization in 2016.
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