New Jersey Devils Draft Profile: Potential Late 1st Round Picks
By Drew Ruscil
The 2015 NHL Entry draft is fast approaching and it will be a key one for the rebuild of the New Jersey Devils. Currently the New Jersey Devils have six picks in the draft, the 6th pick overall, two in the second round (36 and 41), and one each in the third (67), fourth (97) and sixth rounds (157).
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We have
who the New Jersey Devils should pick in the 1st round and talked about some possible
options but I want to look at some possible late 1st round options. While the New Jersey Devils currently have no picks there, they could possibly
from the 6
th
pick or they could possibly package one or both of their 2
nd
round picks to try to get another pick in the first round. So here are 5 players that are projected later in the first round that the New Jersey Devils may target
Colin White C/RW – Elite Prospects describes White as a “prolific scoring threat” who “thinks the game at a high level” and “never seems to be out-bodied”. A strong two-way player who plays the game hard and smart, White is committed to Boston College in the fall which should only aid in bringing his game to the next level. Projected as a mid to late round pick, White could be a real steal at that point in the draft.
Paul Bittner LW – Coming in at 6’ 4” and 203 lbs at age 18, Bittner’s size alone makes him an appealing prospect. John Williams at Central Scouting also feels Bittner is a smooth skater with good hands and is good along the boards. The key is Bittner uses his size well to create space for himself and his line mates. Combine that with his ability to finish and Bittner is projected to be a mid to late round pick by most scouts.
Brock Boeser RW – Boeser has garnered a lot of comparisons to Chicago forward Patrick Sharp. Described as “A dynamic offensive winger and natural goal scorer” by Elite Prospects, Boeser is considered to have elite level scoring potential but just needs to work on his two-way play. Most have him ranked as a late first round pick but there is a chance he could even slide to the second round.
Joel Eriksson Ek C – A 6’2” center who plays both ends of the ice well, Eriksson Ek knows how to use his size in front of the net and in the face off dot. Playing for Farjestad, he scored at an over a point a game in pace the Swedish junior SuperElit league and was called up to the Farjestad parent club where he scored 4 goals in 34 games in Sweden’s top league. Almost every scouting report highlights his competitiveness, match that with his size and skill and you have the makings of a solid two-way NHL center.
Kyle Connor C – Connor is one of those players who could get picked in the top 10 but possibly slide to late 20’s in the first round. The knocks you hear on Connor are that he needs to get better at board battles and cycling the puck and needs to use his wrist shot more. But beyond that he is considered a fast and creative dynamic center with tools and abilities close if not equal to Strome and Barzal. Playing in the USHL, the strength of the competition he plays against seems to be why he is not considered a top 10 prospect but Connor sounds like he could be a sleeper pick.
What are your thoughts New Jersey Devils fans? I could see the New Jersey Devils making a move to get Connor or White for sure. Especially if they are getting offers at the 6th pick and Marner is gone, if you could add another pick and move down a few spots I’m not sure there is that large a gap between a Barzal and a Connor. Let us know what you think in the comments below or on twitter and thanks for reading.