New Jersey Devils: Grading Shakir Mukhamadullin Pick In 2020 NHL Draft

The New Jersey Devils went off the board with the 20th-overall pick.

The New Jersey Devils hit the nail on the head with their first two picks of the NHL Draft. They took Alexander Holtz seventh overall, giving them a pure scorer on the wing that can pair with either Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes for years to come. Then, with the 18th-overall pick, they took the best player available. Dawson Mercer fell to the Devils, and he was a slam dunk pick there. Just two picks later, the Devils took Shakir Mukhamadullin. That pick came with a much different feeling.

Mukhamadullin is a really big Russian who is currently playing in the KHL. Many Devils fans were worried about a Russian currently playing in the KHL, but this wasn’t the one they had in mind. Mukhamadullin was definitely a reach here, but upon reading more about him, one can see why they reached.

He’s a lanky 6’3 with a booming shot. He honestly can hit the heck out of the puck from the blue line. This is something that the Devils can build off of.

There’s the old adage that we can learn more about prospects when they are playing against men. That’s what Mukhamadullin is doing right now. He’s played 14 games in the KHL already this season with six points. He’s currently playing with the Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

He can move the puck well enough for a defenseman his size. There are things to like about this player, but it’s just a weird, weird pick. What probably makes it worse is the New York Rangers took Braden Schneider, who was a solid defenseman who fell, right before the Devils pick at 19. There was a lot for the Devils fans to process at once.

Mukhamadullin could be really good, but the Devils didn’t have the right pick to get value on him. He was a much better 2nd-round pick. Since the Devils took him not only in the 1st round but with a top-20 pick, the grade can’t be very good. There are high hopes for him. He’s a highlights machine, but for now, this is a below-average pick in a very good draft so far. It’s okay. They can’t all be gems.