Getting to Know: Poirier and Andrae

One thing is new this week -- the tentative dates for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft have been set for Oct. 9-10.

Of course, as with everything including the upcoming playoffs, that will depend on whether health experts deem it is safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The draft, originally set for June 26-27 in Montreal, will likely be done in a virtual environment.

The Detroit Red Wings have three second-round picks -- their own, the Edmonton Oilers' pick (acquired in the trade that sent Andreas Athanasiou to Edmonton) and the Washington Capitals' pick (acquired in the trade that sent Nick Jensen to Washington).

For the next several weeks, DetroitRedWings.com will take a look at some of the players, one North American and one international each week, who are likely to be available.

This week we'll examine two defensemen who are likely to be available for those second and third-round slots.

The first is Jérémie Poirier, a 6-foot-1, 196-pound rearguard who had 20 goals and 33 assists in 64 games with Saint John this past season.

NHL Central Scouting listed Poirier 18th among North American skaters in its final rankings of April 8.

TSN's Craig Button had Poirier 21st on his final list while his colleague, Bob McKenzie, ranked Poirier 33rd.

The Athletic's Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman were a little closer in their evaluations, with Wheeler ranking Poirier 22nd and Pronman 20th.

"Poirier may be the most dynamic offensive defenseman in the draft," Wheeler said. "From the offensive zone blue line in, he can create in more ways than (Jamie) Drysdale. He's got a better shot, better one-on-one skill and more strength to his game. But he also takes way more risks to create those chances, his game lacks the same defensive detail, his decision-making is several degrees more suspect and he can fade in and out of games without the puck.

"And though some of those skills can be learned and taught, many of them can't. That's what separates great D prospects who project reasonably safely to the top of a lineup from boom-or-bust types like Poirier. But he also scored 20 goals as a late-birthday defender, that extra time could help iron out some of the D-zone kinks and I'd rather take risks on talent at the draft than make mistakes by playing it safe. I've also seen him defend really well when he's surrounded by better players, whether that's with Team Canada or at the top prospects game."

Pronman said: "Poirier had a fantastic season offensively, putting up 20 goals and 50 points, and was one of the leaders in the QMJHL in shots on goal. What makes Poirier exciting is his skill. He has extremely quick hands and ability to beat opponents easily with his skill. Poirier is a good skater, too, and plays with pace. He is often flying around the ice, stick handling through checks and is easy to spot when he's on the ice. Poirier has very good vision and can make high-end plays inside the zone and on outlets, but a criticism of him is his risk management. He can hurt himself with turnovers trying to do too much. I try not to ding guys too much for that. He has the puck a lot and if you are a skilled player that's going to happen if you play a lot. But it's something in the back of my mind, especially for a player who was on the ice for a lot of goals against this season. The biggest criticism of him is his defensive play. He has to work on improving his gaps, not getting caught too much trying to make cute plays in his own end and not giving up on plays. He was one of the most divisive prospects this season in discussions among scouts, with some saying he's a certain first-round pick and others saying they wouldn't use a second-round pick on him."

Dobber Hockey also had some questions about Poirier's defense: "There are not too many universal truths these days, but you can almost set your watch to a scoring chance when Poirier is on the ice. You're just not sure which team will be having it. The most impressive hands and creativity of any defenseman in this group, the 6'0 rearguard loves to jump into the rush and push the needle. He'll need to figure out a great deal about timing and patience, but if he can find a happy medium, the upside could be huge. He'll also need a coach who can live with the blunders because there will be many."

Red Line Report ranked Poirier 34th while acknowledging he falls into the boom-or-bust category: "Perhaps the most purely talented blueliner in the entire draft with absolutely electrifying offensive skills. Has magical hands, can do it all with the puck and is a fabulous skater. Shows great instincts in transition and jumps into the play with an explosive skating stride. Has a lethal PP point shot and walks the line to open up lanes. But he's an absolute train wreck defensively, to the point we're not sure he'll ever play that side of the puck well enough to make it. The physical tools are there for him to be strong in his own end, but he doesn't seem to have the 'want to.' Creates as many scoring chances for the opposition as his own team. Utterly clueless when he doesn't have the puck. Often looks lost, constantly misses assignments because he's puck watching or just not engaging someone from the other team. Needs to work much harder at defending 1-on-1 and tightening his gaps."

Swedish defenseman Emil Andrae is listed at 5-foot-9, 181 pounds and he had 11 goals and 27 assists in 40 games for HV 71 Jr. this past season.

NHL Central Scouting ranked Andrae 15th among international skaters.

The TSN experts were fairly closely aligned in their evaluations of Andrae with Button ranking him 58th and McKenzie 67th.

The Athletic's Wheeler thought much more highly of the undersized but stocky Swede, placing Andrae 21st.

"Andrae has most of the qualities I look for in a draft-eligible defenseman," Wheeler said. "He's calm under pressure. He can lead a rush in transition. He has the puck-handling ability, east-west vision and four-way mobility needed to run a power play. He's strong on his feet, which he leverages effectively along the wall. He's physical when he needs to be without chasing for hits. And he's calculated enough with the puck to recognize when he needs to hang onto it and when he just needs to advance the play. I have been surprised by the caution so many have about him. He's very likely to slip into the second round and I believe that would be a mistake. His size is normally central to concerns some have with projecting him. I don't see it as much of an issue, though. He's very good defensively for his size. Don't mistake his height for his sturdiness."

Pronman has Andrae 31st in his final rankings.

"Andrae was a top defenseman in the Swedish junior circuit and versus his age group," Pronman said. "He brings a lot of elements to the table. Offensively he's highly skilled and creative. He has the hands to make crafty 1-on-1 plays off the rush, and at the offensive blue line he shows no hesitancy to walk the line and make skilled plays. He sees the ice very well, finding options through tight seams at a high level. He's not that fast, but he's elusive in tight spaces, allowing him to evade checks. Andrae isn't that big, but he plays hard, closing well on checks and using his body to separate pucks. Not having a great top gear at his size isn't ideal, but his game is well rounded enough that I think he can make it to the NHL even with the size and skating combination."

Dobber Hockey pointed out that Andrae led all defensemen in points in SuperElit, the top Swedish junior league: "He's a small (5-9, 183) offensive defenseman but his defensive game is surprisingly good, especially his active stick and positioning. He's a great puck-mover that can create offense. He can make long breakout passes from his own end, but he can also carry the puck. He thrives in the offensive zone and his all-around game is also very good. His speed isn't great but his quickness is very good, while his agility and balance are great. He's expected to spend most of the 2020-21 season in the SHL. He's already played some games at that level but his minutes were extremely limited."

Red Line Report was not as high on Andrae, placing him 107th in its final 2020 draft guide: "Small puck mover and carrier plays with huge confidence and loves to have the puck on his blade. Can maneuver through traffic and is able to push the pace. Draws defenders to him and dishes well, both on the rush and the PP. Plays quite physically for a little guy. Has an aggressive, attacking mindset at both ends - impacts the game. Smart puck mover who gets it to the right areas. Often makes smart, creative plays especially in the offensive direction. Sees lots of PP time and slides along the blue line with the puck making deceptive slap-passes. Smallish guy but sturdy and stands his ground. Skating and size are the biggest woes - for a 5-9 defender he isn't a dynamic skater like a Torey Krug or Erik Brännström. Also seems fully grown with little physical development left. Can cover in his own end, but that's due more to his intelligence than quick feet."