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New Jersey Devils: 5 Defensive Prospects To Watch Before 2021 NHL Draft

By Nick Villano

EVERETT, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 16: Winnipeg Ice defenseman Carson Lambos #7 skates the puck into the neutral zone during the first period of a game against the Everett Silvertips at Angel of the Winds Arena on November 16, 2019 in Everett, Washington. (Photo by Christopher Mast/Getty Images)
EVERETT, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 16: Winnipeg Ice defenseman Carson Lambos #7 skates the puck into the neutral zone during the first period of a game against the Everett Silvertips at Angel of the Winds Arena on November 16, 2019 in Everett, Washington. (Photo by Christopher Mast/Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils
2020 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

The New Jersey Devils could be looking at another really good player in the 2021 NHL Draft.

The New Jersey Devils have made marked improvements this offseason. Things should go better, but the reality is the competition is going to be very hard again in the 2020-21 season. This could lead to another rough season for the Devils. There is a positive development with all this. This year’s NHL Draft is one of the deepest in terms of defensemen in a long time.

In the past 20 years, only three defensemen have been chosen first overall, but most 2021 mock drafts, including this one from ESPN, have Michigan’s Owen Power as the top pick. He would join Rasmus Dahlin, Aaron Ekblad, and Erik Johnson as the only defensemen this millennium to go before every other player.

Four defensive players are expected to go in the top ten. This will very much help the Devils as they have a ton of forward prospects, but their defensive prospects come down to Ty Smith, Reilly Walsh, Kevin Bahl, and Nikita Okhotyuk. There’s also Shakir Mukhamadullin, who the Devils took in the 1st round this season. Only Smith is really guaranteed to make a mark in the NHL, and it’s still a question about where he fits over the next few seasons. It’s hard to say the Devils have their top-line defenseman of the future in their ranks right now.

This next draft could give the Devils the final piece of their puzzle with one more major defensive piece. This is the draft to get that piece. There are 10 players who could one day become stars, and there are others that are waiting to take a step forward. Jake Sanderson was considered a tweener 1st-round pick before last season. He ended up going ahead of Jamie Drysdale, who was basically a guarantee to go as the first defenseman before the season.

Things can change. Seasons will make some defensemen look better than others, but the high-end skill at the position makes this a unique draft for the Devils. They need to hit on this pick if they want to build something special. These five players should be on Devils’ fans radar.

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