Draper made the move to wing last season and will almost certainly play there again this time around now that Mike Modano has been added to the picture. When he's healthy, Draper is a 20-point player given his placement on the team's fourth line and his age, but this will likely be the final chapter of the yeoman's long career and he'll serve as a mentor for the Wings' young forwards while getting limited ice time.
At 38, Draper may be entering his final NHL season, even though he's under contract beyond the 2009-10 campaign. Despite playing in 79 games, Draper finished with 17 points for the second straight season. He's had a very nice run in Detroit, but look for him to reprise a fourth-line role with an opportunity to contribute to the penalty-killing unit.
Draper is at the stage of his career where he'll be confined mostly to a fourth-line center role. Beyond occasional time on the third line, his value to the Wings is as a penalty killer and a leader in the locker room. You'll want to look elsewhere for upside depth if you're even considering him at the draft table.
He gets paid to keep others from scoring, not to do it himself. Draper is fun to watch if you're a Detroit fan, but there's no real pool upside here, other than the odd shorthanded goal that he'll pop in.
Ignore the surprising 24 goals from 2003-04 and focus on the other recent seasons. Draper should get you another 10-15 goals, lots of grit, and not a lot of fantasy value for 2006-07. A perfect third-liner and penalty killer for the Red Wings.
He's coming off a career-best 24 goals, but a return to the 12-15 level is more likely this year, especially with grind-mate Daren McCarty off to Calgary. Maltby is fun to watch, but he's no offensive juggernaut, just a hard worker.
