New Jersey Devils: 5 Possibilities With 6th-Overall Pick In NHL Draft
By Nick Villano
Alexander Holtz
Alexander Holtz fills a major position of need for the Devils. Right wing is just a point of weakness across the board. Outside of Kyle Palmieri, their options on the right is to play Nikita Gusev out of position, do the same with Jesper Bratt, then there’s John Hayden, Joey Anderson and Janne Kuokkanen. That’s it on the team currently. In Binghamton, they have Nathan Bastian, Nick Merkley and Fabian Zetterlund. Then, in the pipeline, they have Nikita Popugaev, um, that’s pretty much it. Maybe Graeme Clark can play on the right side.
Holtz would immediately become the best right wing prospect in the Devils system. He had 16 points in 35 games in the SHL this season, jumping into the major leagues right away. His intelligence sets him apart from other players. He’s able to put the puck where it needs to go at all times, and his impressive shot allows him to mix skill with smarts.
He apparently molds his game after Alexander Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos, which is easier said than done, but it sounds like he can replicate Palmieri’s skills on the power play. If the Devils can just have someone sit “in their office” and drill shots in on one times, it could lead to a much better offense overall.