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New Jersey Devils: Looking At Arizona Vs Vancouver Matchup

By Vincent Parise

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 28: Goaltender Thatcher Demko #35 of the Vancouver Canucks in action during the third period of the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on February 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Canucks 5-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 28: Goaltender Thatcher Demko #35 of the Vancouver Canucks in action during the third period of the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on February 28, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Canucks 5-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils could potentially have three first-round picks this year. They do need some things to work out in a certain way.

The New Jersey Devils have made plenty of trades this season. The two trades that people were focused on last night were trades that the Devils acquired first-round picks. They got one from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Taylor Hall and they got one from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Blake Coleman. The one from Tampa Bay is a pick that is originally from the Vancouver Canucks that they received in the J.T. Miller trade.

There are some stipulations to those picks. If Arizona wins one of the three Draft Lotteries, they get to keep the pick and it becomes a 2021 first-rounder. If Vancouver misses the playoffs, Tampa Bay keeps Vancouver’s pick and gives the Devils their 2021 pick. So, the perfect scenario would be for Vancouver to barely make the playoffs so their pick is as high as possible and the Arizona Coyotes miss the playoffs but don’t win the lottery.

That made last night’s game between Vancouver and Arizona a game that Devils fans should be paying attention to. In a perfect world, Vancouver would win in regulation so the Coyotes don’t earn any points and Vancouver pads their lead in a playoff position. Well, the Canucks blew a third period lead to the Coyotes who walked away with the win.

It is okay, however, because it would be ideal for Vancouver to barely make it as a Wild Card team anyway. The 2020 NHL Draft is very deep so having three picks in the top 20 could go a long way in getting this team back to the playoffs in short order. They want to bring in as many impact prospects as possible so this result can be seen as a win. Was it the preferred outcome? Probably not, but it can still be viewed as an outcome that’s not all bad.

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The Devils themselves right now are concerned with the young players playing well down the stretch. They are back home tomorrow when the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues come to Newark. As focused as they are on themselves, it is okay for fans to keep up with what the Canucks and Coyotes are doing. The results of their seasons are very important to the future of the Devils.

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