OT: 1989 Draft defined Red Wings for decades

With Lidstrom and Fedorov now formally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, NHL.com dedicated a weekly #longform (not that long form, truthfully) to the 1989 draft class and how the European foundations set between 1988-1989 eventually led to drafting Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Times certainly have changed, with every team and Central Scouting hitting Europe much harder than during the Soviet era.

There's some really good info on Konstantinov and Fedorov, as well as Pavel Bure and a few others the Wings were close to getting. Quotes from the scouting team, Jim Devellano, Steve Yzerman and others are also included. Highly recommend checking it out; here's an excerpt on Lidstrom:

Eventually, Rockstrom told Smith he had to come see Lidstrom play. After doing so, Smith was convinced the Red Wings should draft him before the end of the third round.

At that time, draft rules limited the selection of 18-year-old European players to the first three rounds unless they played at least two seasons with their senior team. Lidstrom didn't meet the latter criterion.

"I said to Jimmy, 'If we don't take this guy in the third round this year, he will go in the first round next year after he plays at the World Junior, so we've got to take him in the third round because that will be our last shot at him,'" Smith said. "Central Scouting had him hardly even on the list of Europeans because they hadn't really seen him."

Link.