NHL Draft: 5 Forwards New Jersey Devils Could Draft With 29th Pick
By Nick Villano
Logan Stankoven
2020-21 Stats: 6 games, 7 goals, 3 assists
League: WHL
Team: Kamloops Blazers
There are some scouts that absolutely love Logan Stankoven. Friend of the Let’s Go Devils Podcast Will Scouch couldn’t say nice enough words about the WHL product in his latest rankings video. His rankings are all over the place. Some people have him in the top 15 in the draft. Others think he’s not worth a look until the 2nd round.
The fact that he only played six games this past season doesn’t help, but those six games were absolutely electric. He scored more than a goal per game. It’s not his fault that the pandemic shortened seasons for most Canadian junior teams. Sure, playing six games in a full calendar year is concerning, but it isn’t his fault.
Stankoven is going to fall in this year’s draft because of the same thing that forced Alex DeBrincat and Brayden Point to fall. He’s not very big. Stankoven stands at 5’8 tall. Sure, that’s short for a hockey player, but this league isn’t where it used to be. Size doesn’t matter like it used to. Stankoven is the most exciting player in this draft. He gets the puck on his stick, and magic happens.
His ability in the offensive zone is something the Devils should crave. He finds space, he puts defenders on their back foot, and he knows how to put the puck in the back of the net. This is a player the Devils should target.