5 Dream Scenarios For New Jersey Devils At 2020 NHL Draft

Dream Scenario One: Seventh-Overall Pick

The best case scenario for the Devils at number seven is getting Jamie Drysdale. For that to happen, six teams need to pass on him. It’s obvious who the first three picks will be in the NHL Draft. Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, and Tim Stutzle will be gone by the time Detroit picks at four. The latter two’s order is a little murkier than number one. That leaves the Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, and Anaheim Ducks ahead of the Devils. Detroit is the wild card. Some mocks have Steve Yzerman bringing in Cole Perfetti and others have him taking Marco Rossi. Most reports have Perfetti being linked to the Red Wings. For the purposes of this scenario, Detroit will take Perfetti.

The Senators will be making their second pick in the top five. They will have either Byfield or Stutzle, whom both are centers. Reports have suggested that they will take Yaroslav Askarov with that selection. A haul of Byfield/Stutzle and Askarov have Ottawa as the clear winners of the draft and they have another selection to make in the 1st round.

The Ducks do not have a top defensive prospect in their system. They have been waiting for Josh Mahura to step into the lineup for about four years now, and he is their only notable defensive prospect. In this dream scenario, they relieve the panic of Devils fans and take Jake Sanderson.

Now you’re probably thinking that the Devils would be mistaken if they did not choose Lucas Raymond or Alexander Holtz.  However, besides Reilly Walsh, the Devils do not have a right-handed defenseman in their prospect system of note. Kevin Bahl, Nikita Okhotyuk, Michael Vukojevic, among others are all left handed. Yes, Josh Jacobs and David Quenneville are right handed, but it will be shocking if they ever suit up in the NHL full time.

At the big club, the Devils have P.K. Subban, Damon Severson, and Connor Carrick. Severson is consistently thrown into trade rumors. Carrick is entering the final year of his contract. While Subban isn’t the same player as he once was. Admittedly, we are all hoping he takes a step forward.

To bring in Drysdale, you bring in a player that can be along side of Ty Smith for a lot of years to come. Having a left and right defensive combo that can lead the backend while having depth down the middle with Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes is a recipe for success. He can quarterback the powerplay and sees the ice well. Drysdale was on the verge of being a point per game player as a defenseman in the OHL. Smith was also a top defenseman in the WHL. A right-handed shot of Drysdale’s caliber and potential to put along side Smith for the future is as rare as they come without breaking the bank via free agency or giving anything else up via trade.