Possible Options For New Jersey Devils At Fourth Overall In NHL Draft
The 2021 NHL Draft Lottery just came to a close and the New Jersey Devils sealed the fourth spot in the draft. This is the first time in the past few draft lotteries that the Devils did not move up or down from their projected position.
In 2017 and 2019, the Devils moved actually won the lottery and got the chance to choose first overall. In last year’s lottery, the Devils dropped from sixth to seventh. Despite not winning the draft lottery this year, the Devils are in a great position to draft an amazing player that fits their needs.
Unlike some of the drafts from previous years, there is a clear consensus of where the top prospects are ranked. The only consensus is Owen Power being considered the first-overall pick, but even that isn’t a guarantee with Buffalo winning the lottery. Despite this, anything can happen since scouts do not have a lot of information on these prospects due to the pandemic. Anyone can go anywhere in this draft.
This makes it that much harder to determine which player will be projected to be picked by each team. So, let’s take a look at several players that might be available in a tier format. There will be three tiers. the first tier will be players that are the highest priority for the Devils to choose once July 23rd (the day of the NHL Draft) comes along. The second tier will consist of players that Devils should consider picking if the players in tier 1 players are not available. The third and final tier will consist of players that the Devils should not draft.
Tier 1: Who The Devils Should Draft
1. Brandt Clarke, RHD
Brandt Clarke is a gifted offensive-minded defenseman that spent his 2020-2021 season in a professional league in Slovakia. His offensive skills were on display scoring 15 points in 26 games. Clarke’s greatest assets are his hockey sense and vision. Dobber Prospects mentions that Clarke can see a man from a mile away. A couple of areas that need improvement are his straight-line skating and his overall defensive game.
Brandt Clarke is on the first tier because he can fill a huge hole in the Devils depth chart for a right-handed defenseman. The Devils only have four right-handed defensemen (RHD) in their prospect system, and only one of them is high quality (Reilly Walsh). In addition, Clarke showed that he can transition to playing at the pro level very well despite his young age. Also, Clarke is the younger brother of one of the Devils’ top prospects, Graeme Clarke. Drafting the younger Clarke will help fill the hole on the right side of the defense and he might be able to come up to the NHL sooner than some of the other top defensive prospects in this draft class thanks to his professional experience.
Trust the Devils coaching staff to help Clarke solidify his raw defensive game and straight-line skating, When those are improved, Clarke might be a force to be reckoned with if he is paired with Ty Smith or Kevin Bahl.
2. Owen Power, RHD
Owen Power is a formidable two-way LHD that has a huge frame. Power stands at 6’5″ and weighs around 209lbs. Power is praised for his smooth and fluent skating especially for his size and for his all-around game. He does a great job in his own end and can be an offensive threat.
Last season, Power entered his freshman year at the University of Michigan and put up a respectable 16 points in 26 games. To make it more impressive he did as a 17-18 year old. He was named to the second team All-Big 10 conference. Power has a lot more to prove as well when he enters his sophomore season.
Even though it is very unlikely that Power will fall to the Devils, it is still possible. It will be a dream come true if Power falls to the Devils. He is a complete package for a defenseman. The Devils will be extremely fortunate if the Devils draft Power because he can make the Devils defense much better when he makes the jump to the NHL. Even though Power does not have any siblings on the Devils and the fact that he is left handed, the Devils must consider drafting him if he somehow falls to the fourth spot.
Tier 2: Who The Devils Should Draft if Tier I is Taken
1. Luke Hughes, LHD
Luke Hughes is a very young left-handed defenseman that spent his previous season with the United States National Development Program (USNDPT). He has a decent frame (6’2″ 176lbs). Hughes is the youngest of the three Hughes brothers. Just like Jack and Quinn, Hughes has very smooth skating and has great puck skills. He showed significant improvements as the season progressed. In the 56 total games he played with the USDNPT, he scored an impressive 49 points. Unfortunately, his season ended early due to injury. Hughes hopes to add to the momentum that he had last season when he enters his freshman year at the University of Michigan.
Hughes is already a fan favorite for the Devils despite not being drafted yet. They want to see two of the three Hughes brothers play together in the state of New Jersey. In theory, having Jack and Luke on the same team might significantly help the Devils because Jack and Luke can push each other to higher levels. While Luke Hughes is a great option for the Devils with the fourth pick, he is not on the top of this list.
The main reason is that Hughes is a left-handed defenseman (LHD). Like mentioned earlier, the Devils have a surplus of high-quality LHD. On the other hand, the Devils lack RHD. Getting a high-quality defenseman that can naturally play on the right side is more important than getting an LHD to learn how to play on the right side. The Devils need to balance the left and right sides out. Therefore, Luke Hughes is not a primary option for the Devils with the fourth pick.
2. Simon Edvinsson, LHD
Simon Edvinsson is a Swedish LHD that displays amazing skating and puck handling abilities. Edvinsson is a unique defender like Owen Power where his great frame, elite two-way abilities, and amazing skating sets him above most defensive prospects. On the offensive end, the 6’4″ 184lbs defender can deceive opposing defenders and beat them with his elite skating.
On the defensive end, Edvinsson uses his body and stick very well to break up plays. He also displays great awareness as well. This previous season, Edvinsson played for Frolunda’s U20 Junior Team, Vasteras IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League. He also played for Team Sweden at the 2021 U18 World Junior Championships.
Edvinsson saw the most success with the 14 games he played for both Frolunda’s U20 team and Vasteras IK where he scored six points and five points respectively. With Frolunda, Edvinsson only put up one assist. At the 2021 World Junior Championships, Edvinsson scored four points in seven games.
Edvinsson is a very talented defender. The Devils should consider drafting Edvinsson if the tier one options are taken before their turn to pick. Edvinsson seems to be more defensively sound than Hughes and Clarke, but his offensive side on paper is not as good. The Devils do need a defender that is good in their own zone since the defense has been struggling. Edvnisson is not in my tier one though because he is an LHD. An RHD is a bigger priority for the Devils since they are lacking high quality and depth in that department.
3. Dylan Guenther, LW/RW
Dylan Guenther is a 6’1, 170lb winger who is a huge offensive threat. While playing for the Edmonton Oil Kings, he scores a whopping 24 points in 12 games. Guenther also had a small stint with the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the AJHL where he scored five points in four games. He is known for his hockey sense, passing, and his ferocious one-timer. He also takes advantage of high danger areas so he can create scoring opportunities and help create openings for his teammates to have high-quality scoring chances as well. One of the only concerns is the small sample of games that he played. Since Guenther only played 28 games due to Covid, it is not known if he could have kept up his production if the season was longer.
The Devils should consider drafting Guenther with the fourth pick if Power, Clarke, and Hughes are somehow taken before them. He can solidify the wing depth even more. In the future, he can complement well with Nico Hischier or Dawson Mercer. Gunther can help make the Devils’ offense more dangerous since he loves attacking the dangerous zones. His style of play might fit very well with Lindy’s Ruff’s system.
Tier 3: Who The Devils Should Stay Away From
1. Jesper Wallstedt, G
Jesper Wallstedt is a Swedish goaltender that played for Lulea in the SHL and their U20 Junior team this previous season. Wallstedt impressed by having a 0.908 save percentage, 2.23 goal against average, and twelve wins while playing 22 games in the SHL. Wallstedt struggled in the two playoff games he played in. He has a 0.871 save percentage, 3.46 goal against average, and lost in the games he played. Wallstedt also has a huge frame for his age and as a goaltender by standing at 6’3″ and 214lbs. One of Wallstedt’s best qualities is his lateral quickness and positioning. He has been hyped the last year as being one of the best goalie prospects in a while, a similar accolade to Yaroslav Askarov.
Wallstedt is an amazing goalie prospect. However, the Devils should not consider drafting him at fourth overall. The Devils have much bigger holes to fill than goalie. They have a reliable starter in Makenzie Blackwood and a decent backup in Scott Wedgewood. the Devils also have an emerging prospect in Nico Daws as well. It will be best for the Devils to draft a goalie outside of the first round so they can focus on defense and the wings in the first round. Even though it will be nice to have Wallstedt, he is not the best player available at pick number four and it is not the Devils’ biggest need.
2. Matthew Beniers, C
Matthew Beniers is an intelligent two-way center who currently attends plays at the University of Michigan. The 6’1″ 174lb center displayed his offensive prowess by scoring a point per game (24 points in 24 games) during his freshman year at Michigan. This is very impressive. Beniers also gained some international experience by competing in the 2021 World Junior Championships and is currently playing at the 2021 IIHF World Championships. Beniers is well known for his skating, especially his powerful stride. This stride gives the edge against his opponents and it allows him to get into open spaces to create scoring chances.
Beniers is the top center and is arguably the best forward in the draft. What he has done so far in the college and international levels at his age is very impressive. He can be very valuable for a team that drafts him. Unfortunately, I do not think the Devils should pick him. The Devils have a lot of depth at center right now. Adding Beniers to this depth might cause long-term issues when it comes to the salary cap. If Beniers does become a top 6 center even though Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes are the Devils’ first and second center, he might ask for a hefty contract. If that does happen, that will accumulate with Nico’s current expensive contract, Jack Hughes’s potential long-term extension. all the other players that need to sign extensions (a lot of the Devils’ rookies still have their entry-level contract). All of this might accumulate and it can cause salary cap issues. Without a doubt, Matthew Beniers is an amazing prospect, however, the Devils do not need a prospect that projects to be a top 6 center. The Devils have their core in Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and maybe Dawson Mercer. Beniers will be a better fit for a team that needs a top 6 center.
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Overview
The New Jersey Devils are in a great spot for the upcoming draft. They have a lot of top-level prospects to choose from that can help the team return to the playoffs. Based on the tiers, the Devils’ biggest priority with the overall pick is to draft the best defenseman available, preferably an RHD. If the Devils address their defense in this draft, it will give rebuilt a huge step in the right direction and hopefully become playoff regulars again in the next couple of years.
What do you think about these options? Who do you think the Devils should draft with the fourth overall? Feel free to leave a comment below and let’s get a discussion going.