Red Wings prospect Kienan Draper has selected his college team as Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News relays that the 19-year-old will attend the University of Michigan beginning in the 2022-23 season.
Draper, whose father Kris played in the NHL for 20 years and is currently Detroit’s Director of Amateur Scouting, was selected in the seventh round by the Red Wings back in 2020 (187th overall). He’s currently in his first season with Chilliwack of the BCHL where he sits ninth in team scoring with a goal and six assists in 12 games.
Draper will be joining a Michigan group that, at least for the time being, is loaded with several high-end NHL prospects including four first-rounders from the 2021 draft plus eight other NHL draftees. However, players like Owen Power (Buffalo) and Matty Beniers (Seattle) are likely to turn pro at the end of the current college season so their roster may not be quite as deep next year as it currently is now.
As Draper wasn’t drafted out of the CHL, Detroit will hold his NHL rights for four seasons which could be extended to his full college career unless he drops out and turns pro following his third year at Michigan. Late-round picks are often development projects and Draper will have ample time to develop with the Wolverines, allowing the Red Wings plenty of time to decide whether or not to have a second Draper suit up in their system.
I still remember that nasty hit in the playoffs that Claude Lemieux put on his old man. Vicious and dirty.
I think even if Detroit doesn’t give him an ELC at the end of college, he’s signing with Grand Rapids. He’ll be in the organization for a little bit