New Jersey Devils Draft Notes: Would They Trade Down At 6?
By Phil DeHaven
The New Jersey Devils draft class will be one of the most important additions this off-season in GM Lou Lamoriello’s efforts to get the organization back on track. Devils fans already know that the Devils are set to make their first selection at 6th overall and that the team has 6 total picks in this year’s draft. What isn’t known is which prospects will be available for the Devils to pick at #6 should they decide to stay in that spot.
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There hasn’t been much talk about the possibility of the Devils moving up due to the expected cost and the lack of resources the team has, but what intrigues me the most is the idea of the team trading down. If they were to trade down to about #8 (Columbus) or #10 (Colorado) the New Jersey Devils draft class could really be something special. While Columbus is a division rival with the Devils, they could be one of the better trade partners should they want to move two spots up to 6th from their original 8th spot.
With Columbus having extra 2nd and 3rd round draft picks, the Devils could swap firsts and demand Columbus’ extra 2nd (from Toronto #34) and/or their extra 3rd (from Philadelphia #68). If I’m Lou Lamoriello and I’m approached by Columbus to move down two spots in the 1st round in exchange for their extra 2nd and 3rd round picks I take that in a heartbeat. This is an extremely deep draft class and with two extra picks the New Jersey Devils draft picks would go up to 8 and they would potentially have 4 picks in the top-50 and 6 picks in the top-75 of the draft.
While we’ve already discussed names like Mitch Marner and Lawson Crouse who the Devils could potentially select at #6, moving down to the 8-10 range would still net them a really solid prospect. Other solid forward prospects like Mikko Rantanen, Timo Meier and Pavel Zacha should still be available in the 8-10 range should they decide to move down. Another team other than Columbus who I could see moving up to #6 in a New Jersey Devils draft day trade is the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avalanche do not have the extra early round picks like Columbus, but they could be inclined to try to move up if they are set on a player they want. One player I could see them moving up out of the 10th spot for is Ivan Provorov. Provorov is a defenseman who many draft analysts expect will be off the board by Philadelphia’s pick at #7, so if Colorado wanted to ensure they could get him they could trade up to #6 to spurn the Flyers.
Jun 30, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello speaks on the phone during the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
The New Jersey Devils draft class is already expected to be one of the better classes in recent memory due to their draft position, the depth of the draft and the Devils having 3 picks in the top-50. Just imagine how much better this class could be with the addition of a few extra picks in the early rounds. There’s no guarantee a team like Columbus or Colorado would be willing to give up that much just to move up a few spots, but I think the Devils should at least entertain the idea of trading down.
Everyone knows the farm system is depleted with a lack of talent and the only way to fix that is with a solid New Jersey Devils draft class this year. I don’t believe the Devils are losing that much talent by moving down a couple of spots since they will have already lost out on the two biggest stars in the draft. What do you think? Should the Devils stay put at #6 or try to move down?
Feel free to leave your comments below and make sure to stay with Pucks & Pitchforks all off-season long for the best New Jersey Devils draft coverage and insight.