The 2017 NHL entry draft saw the Detroit Red Wings make their highest pick since 1990.
The playoff streak that spanned 1991-2016 yielded four Stanley Cup championships for the Wings — but springtime success also left the team without high-end prospects. When the Wings drafted Michael Rasmussen at ninth overall a year go, it was their first top-10 pick since 1991, and their highest selection since drafting Keith Primeau at third overall in 1990. It was their first time being a part of the draft lottery, in which the teams that miss the playoffs are entered in a weighted lottery to determine the initial picks.