New Jersey Devils Full 7-Round Mock Draft

3rd Round, 84th Overall

Devils select Antonio Stranges, LW, London Knights

Antonio Stranges is a player with an epic skillset. He’s a highlight reel on skates. However, his results have never been there. According to Elite Prospects, he had 34 points in 2018-19, and 40 points in 2019-20. Only going up marginally in points while playing almost the same amount of games from his D-1 year to his draft year is scary.

Still, with the Devils having a pick just 15 picks from here, they can afford to take a chance on a winger with a lot of upside. This feels a lot like the Graeme Clarke pick last year. Stranges could be one of the best offensive players with the right coaching. If he ever plays for Lindy Ruff, it could do wonders for his game.

The Devils basically fought for this pick in the offseason after the Carolina Hurricanes said the Sami Vatanen trade was “done”. Well, it wasn’t done, and the Devils got lucky to get this pick. It makes a lot of sense to shoot for the moon on a pick that almost didn’t exist.

This pick also feels like it could be involved in a trade up. The Devils have a really deep prospect pool, and more than anything they need top-flight talent. Eamon Powell or Jaromir Pytlik would be better fits for where the Devils are trying to go, but Stranges is still a fit.

He’s probably three years minimum from being an NHL-ready forward, but once the Devils get Stranges in Binghamton, it could lead to a huge rise in his play. Because of his massive inconsistency despite his skills, Stranges is ranked all over the place. Some have him as a 2nd rounder while others have him falling in the 4th. The Devils use their first pick outside the 1st round to swing for the fences. With his incredible skating ability, he could turn into a top-six forward if he’s developed correctly.