The 2019 NHL Draft has come to an end and the New Jersey Devils were a very busy team to say the least. Before rounds two through seven even began, General Manager Ray Shero pulled off yet another highway robbery trade acquiring star defenseman P.K. Subban from the Nashville Predators. But we are here to talk about the draft picks that were made yesterday, specifically the ones made in the later rounds.
Ray Shero made 11 picks in total. So which ones should be considered a steal?. New Jersey has had a little bit of recent success drafting in the later rounds, prime example being 2017 6th-round draft pick Jesper Bratt.
This was a close decision between the final two draft picks but after reviewing the numbers I am determining that the steal of the draft for New Jersey was Patrick Moynihan of the United States National Team Development Program.
Moynihan,18, is a commit to Providence College for the 2019-2020 season. He was selected by the Devils with the 158th overall selection. He comes in at 5’11” and 183 pounds, which makes him on the “smaller side”. That is apparently a thing in the NHL if you are under six feet tall.
His stats are very solid for someone taken in the 6th round. His pre-draft rankings had him in the top 100 on every website that ranks prospects prior to the draft. This past season for the USNTDP he played in 64 games and notched 46 points, 19 goals and 27 assists. He also is not afraid to get a little gritty and play physically as he also received 53 penalty minutes in those games.
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Moynihan also played for the junior team in the USHL where he picked up 22 points in 28 games. However, the stat that will stand out here is his plus/minus of +32. To sum it up for those that may not know, you get a plus when you are on the ice for your team scoring and a minus when you are on for your team being scored against. So a positive 32 is beyond good. He is a very positive impact on the ice and can be a very threatening playmaker. You do not get a plus/minus that high without being involved.
The bottom line is that Patrick Moynihan is a solid player that probably should have been taken in the 5th round maybe even late in the 4th. The New Jersey Devils grabbed him in the 6th round. Even though he may not be on the roster in 2019-2020, he will get to grow at Providence and might make it sooner than most will think.
Maybe he will make it, who knows, Bratt did.