New Jersey Devils: Pucks And Pitchforks Official 1st-Round Draft Picks

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!

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.