Ranking Every New Jersey Devils 1st-Round Draft Pick Part 3: Success Stories
By Mike Luci
No. 12: Travis Zajac
Center
20th Overall, 2004
One of two active players and most recent to have been drafted in this tier of these rankings, Travis Zajac is one of three (and first to appear on this list) that’s played over 1,000 games in a Devils sweater. He was also the third University of North Dakota player to be drafted by New Jersey in round one from 2000-2004, joining David Hale and Zach Parise (who’s a few spots higher on this list).
As we all know, Zajac was dealt to the New York Islanders, along with Kyle Palmieri at the trade deadline. His 15 seasons and 1024 contests with New Jersey puts him third-all time among skaters in games played, and second for non-goaltender first-round picks. Zajac is also the franchise’s all-time leading scorer among centers with 202 goals and 550 points. He largely served as a 1-2 center since his rookie season in 2006-2007, sometimes arguably slipping through the cracks to maintain his lineup status as a consequence of injuries or subpar depth.
Not only was Zajac the last Devil to have been teammates with Martin Brodeur, but he was also around when New Jersey was a perennial playoff contender and last member of the 2012 Eastern Conference Championship squad. Until his trade, Zajac was the longest-tenured (and by far oldest) player on New Jersey, whose departure signifies a longtime era in team history officially ending.