New Jersey Devils: Pucks And Pitchforks Official 1st-Round Draft Picks
The New Jersey Devils have two very important picks in the 1st round of Friday’s NHL Draft. One comes fourth overall where they are going to choose between a defenseman with a lot of upside (could be Luke Hughes, Brandt Clarke, or even Owen Power) or a forward who could do so many things (might be Dylan Guenther, William Eklund, or possible Kent Johnson). The Devils are going to get a very good player with their first pick.
But who is the right pick? Obviously, that’s almost impossible to predict because the top five in this draft are as volatile as any in recent history. We have no idea who is going to go first overall, and most of us are just guessing from there.
The Devils added another 1st-round pick in the draft after trading Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to the New York Islanders for what turned out to be the 29th-overall pick. It’s actually the 28th pick in the draft because the NHL is weirdly counting Arizona’s forfeited pick in the count. Either way, this is going to come down to a flier for the Devils who they are taking a complete chance on. Since the Devils traded their 2nd-round pick away in the Ryan Graves trade, they can literally take anyone with this pick. They showed us that last year when they drafted Shakir Mukhamadullin. If they had a 2nd-round pick, they probably end up with a different player.
It’s going to be a lot of fun, as the Devils look to finally stop picking so high in the draft. We got the Pucks and Pitchforks gang together to predict the picks. Here is who everyone thinks the Devils will take in the 1st round.
David Holliday: Luke Hughes
While this is the most obvious choice for the franchise it is also a very good selection. The Devils defense has been lackluster since 2012 and although they have some good young prospects no one outside of Smith is a sure thing to be an NHL player long term. Hughes is the youngest high-end pick of this draft missing the cutoff by 6 days and even so managed to put up some impressive numbers. At 6’2 with strong skating, transitional play, and room to grow, Hughes could end up being the best defender in the draft so taking Jack Hughes’s brother is a smart hockey move even if you disregard his last name.
Rob DeLuca: Luke Hughes
Unless the 17-year-old brother of Jack Hughes is taken with the third-overall pick this is exactly who we are taking. The Devils are going to be doing everything in their power to keep the superstar center happy, and if that means drafting his brother so be it. This should not be looked at as just taking him for the sake of keeping Jack happy. Luke Hughes is actually a very talented offensive defenseman with a ton of upside and room to grow his defensive game. Taking him would be a small project but I highly expect him to thrive at the University of Michigan next season and beyond. There is nobody in this draft that is NHL ready anyway so might as well take the best player available at the pick we have, which happens to be the player with the highest ceiling as well.
David Lebovitz: Luke Hughes
It’s easy to say that the Devils should draft Luke on familial connection alone. I can’t pretend that isn’t a consideration here. But sometimes things just line up: the Devils badly need help on defense and there’s a good chance he’ll be available at this spot. If he’s anything like his other brother Quinn, he might be ready to join the lineup sooner rather than later as well.
Luke Garrison: Luke Hughes
It might be the most apparent pick amongst the fanbase, but it makes sense. We want to make Jack happy, and drafting his brother would be an excellent start. Hughes is a very talented defenseman that the Devils need. Like Jack, Luke is known for his speed, which the team likes. Luke is also known for his ability to try and fight for the puck. Even though he couldn’t play an entire season last year with the USNTDP due to a leg injury, Hughes should be ready to play again sometime soon. If the Devils end up drafting him, it may take a while before he gets called up. Luke is playing at Michigan next year, from which a ton of prospects of this draft originate. When he is called up to the NHL level, he could become part of a Devils defense that could be nasty. It all depends on if Ty Smith can pan out, and recently acquired Ryan Graves can showcase himself as our best defenseman next year. The only thing we have to hope for is that the Anaheim Ducks or Seattle Kraken don’t take him.
Dave Brown: Dylan Guenther
The Devils are going defense here, right? I mean, they have to. It is an organizational need as the Devils lack a true number one defenseman. Also, top defensive prospects Luke Hughes and Brandt Clarke have brothers Jack and Graeme Clarke in the organization. The choice could come down to those two defensemen, or even Simon Edvinsson. But what if General Manager Tom Fitzgerald pulls an ace out of his sleeve, and selects the best pure goal scorer in the draft in right-wing Dylan Guenther. if available. 2020 1st round draft pick Alexander Holtz and Guenther would give the Devils two dynamic right-winger snipers to help fill out their top-6 for the foreseeable future. What was once a huge hole in their organization could become a strength with Guenther, Holtz, and Clarke.
Sam Woo: Luke Hughes
There is no way that the Devils will pass up Luke Hughes if he is available at number 4. Or else Jack Hughes would be mad! Okay, seriously. The Devils need a defenseman and Hughes has decent size to go along with his raw skill. Pick the best available at the draft. Go with Luke!
Charlie Borges: Brandt Clarke
You thought this would be Luke Hughes, didn’t you? While Hughes would be a solid pick, the Devils do not need another left-handed defenseman in the system. Besides Damon Severson, PK Subban(maybe if Seattle doesn’t take him), and Reilly Walsh there are no notable right-handed defensemen in the organization. If the Devils take Hughes, they might be able to shift Ty Smith or Hughes to the right side and play their off hand. The safer bet would be to take Clarke and have a pair of Smith-Clarke until the end of time.
Clarke’s biggest knock is his skating. However, his offensive upside, ability to get the puck through transition, and ability to defend make up for it. Clarke was having a solid first season in the OHL prior to the event that must not be named and was on loan to HC Nove Zamky with his brother, Graeme. This may not be the brother-brother connection Devils fans may want in this draft, but it may be the smartest. The handedness of the player, offensive ability, and way he will fit into Lindy Ruff‘s system makes Clarke the pick. It may be a year or two before he makes it to the NHL, but Clarke projects to be a top-three defenseman.
David Holliday: Zachary L’Heureux
This pick will be controversial, I’m sure. It is admittedly high-risk, high reward. For those who do not know the player, Zachary L’Heureux is 5’11 and nearing 200 lbs. already. He plays a very physical game. He models his game after Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk, which really says wonders about what kind of player he is. This is a guy you hate to play against and probably will love on your team. He was over a point a game guy in Halifax this season with 29 goals and 20 assists which is straight-up good for a guy with his physical edge. The risk here is that he has a temper. With four suspensions, he is a wildcard and there is the chance he implodes and never makes it, but with some discipline keeping a bit of that fire in check, he could easily become a terror in the NHL for other teams, especially in crunch time for the playoffs.
Rob DeLuca: Zachary Bolduc
I am not even entirely sure that the Devils are going to use this pick. The way Tom Fitzgerald is playing his cards makes it seem like he is going to be very aggressive in getting this team better. Therefore I believe he will sell this pick for some other assets the team can use right away. But, if they are not selling the pick then I would say that Bolduc will be a great pick for the Devils. He is your average-sized player at 6’1” 174 lbs but his play definitely leaves some potential to really grow into a 3C role especially for a team like New Jersey. It will most certainly not happen right away, he is going to have to develop more whether it be with Rimouski or the minors. But Bolduc has performed adequately, considering he had to replace Alexis Lafreniere once he was drafted last year.
David Lebovitz: Logan Stankoven
Even under the best circumstances, guessing the draft positions of players in the late first round is a crapshoot. These are not the best circumstances — everyone expects this draft to be chaotic since there are limited scouting reports. As such, I’m picking Logan Stankoven for two reasons. First, The Sporting News suggested him for the spot, and that’s decent enough for me. Second, and more importantly, I love his name. Logan Stankoven. It’s got this little rhyming situation going on. Imagine Cangi saying it.
Luke Garrison: Matthew Coronato
Matthew Coronato is one of the better picks picked by the Devils late in the first round. Coronato is a left-winger, which is a position that the Devils need to upgrade. Coronato is a winger known for his excellent shot, and as a good handler of the puck, and is always resilient when getting shots on goal. Before being a prospect in the NHL Draft, he played for the Chicago Steel in USHL. During the last season with the Steel, he became the 2nd best player in the USHL, scoring 80 points that year, with 48 goals and 37 assists. If he comes to New Jersey to play with the Devils, he could become a great left winger on a young team who needs his skills. If the team can find a way to extend Jesper Bratt after next season, and Miles Wood continues to be good, this might be a good core. Also, a couple of good LW during FA would be lovely as well. I would love to see the Devils get him at 29th overall.
Dave Browne: Corson Ceulemens
This is a high-risk, high reward pick. However, in a draft with few certainties, upside picks like this could pay off. And since when does Fitzgerald shies away from risk, as evidence by last year’s surprise first-round pick defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin. Ceulemens stands at 6’2, 181 pounds with a heavy right-handed shot. He plays with an edge, aggressive offensive style, moves the puck well, and could quarterback a power play. He has all of the tools to be an effective defenseman, albeit very raw, and will need to be coached up to unlock the potential. The Devils do not have a plethora of talent on the right side of their defense, and a prospect of his caliber could provide a boost if he hits his potential ceiling.
Sam Woo: Sasha Pastujov
For the 29th pick, take a high-risk, high-reward sniper. Sasha Pastujov is one prospect I would take a risk on. Good shot and hockey IQ, but scouts say he needs to work on his skating. Let’s hope he is available!
dark. Next. Defensemen Devils Could Draft Late In 1st Round
Charlie Borges: Sasha Pastujov
The 29th pick that the Devils acquired from the Islanders is an interesting one. If they do not trade it for a defenseman or high profile forward, they should not have any shortage of options. Among those options are Colton Dach, Nikita Chibrikov, and Francesco Pinelli. However, the name people should be on the lookout for is Sasha Pastujov. Pastujov is a part of the US National Development program and did quite well for himself this past season. His offensive game really shined through and is something the Devils would love to have in their system.
Pastujov is committed to the University of Notre Dame for his collegiate career and will have time to develop his skills and defensive game. He also plays mostly on the right-hand side and will slot nicely behind Alexander Holtz on that size in the organizational rankings. The one knock against him that is Devils specific, is that he is a left-handed shot. The Devils had only six forwards play a game last season that was right-handed, two of which were Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac. The other four are Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, Nick Merkley, and Tyce Thompson. A notable right-handed shot forward that the Devils might reach for with this pick is Logan Stankoven. However, Pastujov’s upside would be too good to pass up with this pick should he fall.