The New Jersey Devils, along with the rest of the National Hockey League, are about to participate in the 2021 NHL Draft. Unlike most of the drafts in recent years, it is very hard to predict what is going to happen overall. This is a draft that lacks depth and the scouting has been strange due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each team is hoping that they did what they needed to do to get the best possible player available to them.
The Devils are going to make the fourth-overall pick behind the Buffalo Sabres, Seattle Kraken, and Anaheim Ducks. We assume that Owen Power, Luke Hughes, Matt Beniers, William Eklund, and Brandt Clarke are going to be the five players in the conversation for the top five. There are some other really good players there to consider as well.
The biggest thing to remember about this draft is that you should expect the unexpected. Anyone can go in any spot. There is also a big potential for trades. The trade factor is there every year but this year could actually have some big ones. Players like Jack Eichel, Seth Jones, and Vladimir Tarasenko all have their names out there. Any one of them getting moved would change the entire landscape of the NHL.
The hope is that no matter what happens, the New Jersey Devils do what they need to do to become a better hockey team. If Matt Beniers is there for them at pick four, he seems like a really nice option. It also feels like Luke Hughes would be a great fit for a lot of reasons. Of course, he is Jack’s younger brother but he is also a dynamic defenseman that can make plays which is something the Devils could really use.
The New Jersey Devils are going to have some big decisions to make on draft day.
Luke isn’t the only one with ties to the team. Eklund is a very good friend and a former linemate in Sweden with Alexander Holtz. Brandt Clarke is also the younger brother of Graeme Clarke who is a New Jersey Devils prospect as well. All of these connections make New Jersey’s decision even more interesting than usual. Regardless of all that, they need to just make the pick that will improve their chances to get back to the playoffs in the future.
Who knows, maybe the Devils will even participate in a trade. They also have another first-round pick later in the round which makes things interesting as well. If they are able to turn this event into a positive one for their organization, they will really be moving along in their rebuild with some key pieces in place.