The New Jersey Devils currently sit in the third spot in the NHL Draft odds. Many analysts believe Vasili Podkolzin may be the choice there, but there’s some issues with that.
The New Jersey Devils are going to have another NHL Draft pick in the top six this season, that much is guaranteed at this point. We’ve learned from 2015 that when the team has a choice this high in the draft, they have to hit on it. Pavel Zacha‘s lack of progression really holds the Devils back. Sure, they’ve hit on multiple other picks in other drafts, but missing on a 6th-overall choice puts a team behind.
The Devils find themselves here with a chance at redemption. They could turn this into a 1st-overall pick, which they hit on when taking Nico HIschier two years ago, or they can fall as far as six. One thing is for sure, they can’t take another player that’s taking five years to develop.
Number one and number two in the draft have been decided already in terms of player, even if their order hasn’t yet. Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko are the top two players in the draft, and number three isn’t even close.
Right now, number three is where the Devils are picking. The lottery isn’t until later this month, but they have the third best odds. Many mock drafts have Russian forward Vasili Podkolzin as the third best player in this draft. Many say he’s separated from the field when it comes to top prospects.
So, then the Devils should take him if they fall to three, right?
It makes sense on paper. He’s just 17 years old, and already has some professional hockey experience with the KHL. He absolutely dominates in his own age group, and looks like he belongs with older players. There’s no doubt he’s going to be a wonderful hockey player.
There’s just one issue, rumor has it he wants to stay in Russia. Yeah, this again.
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The Devils obviously have been down this road before. Do we want to deal with it again? In this case, we don’t get out of an albatross contract before it gets really bad if Podkolzin never shows. You just lose a top-five pick for even less than Zacha gives this team. At least Zacha is a dominant penalty killer and decent center. He’s not what we thought he was, but he’s an NHL player.
No matter how good this kid might be, can the Devils afford to take this chance? He’s signed with SKA St. Petersburg (yup, the same team Ilya Kovalchuk left us to go to) through the 2020-21 season. Word on the street is he wants to stay in Russia even longer than that. Maybe that’s not true, but we know for a fact that Dylan Cozens and Bowen Byram are coming to play in the NHL. Maybe they have slightly less upside, but we know they’re coming.
It’s sad, really. Podkolzin plays right wing, which the Devils need in their system. He could immediately slot into the second line, and with a little development, could be a decade-long first-line right wing. He plays a 200 foot game as much as you’d like from a teenager, and he takes advantage when facing a lesser opponent.
It’s just not worth the risk for the Devils. Even if they pick five, and he’s still there, it would be a hard sell for this fanbase and this front office. Do you really want to go on Twitter as Devils fans speculate daily about whether or not this guy wants to come here? Imagine over analyzing his ever move, his every comment from now until he makes a final decision? That could take five years.
He’s the third best player in this draft, but his ties to Russia are just too much to overcome.