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Detroit Red Wings 2016 draft review: Unloading Datsyuk yielded best pick

Defenseman Dennis Cholowski on what it will take to make the Detroit Red Wings. Filmed July 15, 2019 in Detroit. Detroit Free Press

A deal made on the first day yielded what so far has been the best pick the Detroit Red Wings made at the 2016 draft.

The June 24-25 event in Buffalo, where the Wings made seven selections, took place a week after Pavel Datsyuk announced he would return to Russia, even though he had a year left on his contract at a $7.5 million cap hit.

General manager Ken Holland unloaded the deal on Arizona in exchange for flipping first-round picks (Wings dropped from 16th to 20th) and the Coyotes’ second-round pick.