How Drafting Adam Larsson Has Helped Rebuild New Jersey Devils Defense
By Sam Woo
Remember the 2011 NHL entry draft? The New Jersey Devils were coming off the short-lived John MacLean era and valiantly tried to salvage their 2010-11 season under Jacques Lemaire but were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 1996 in the last week of the season. It was a season without Zach Parise, who only played a handful of games due to injury. Lou Lamoriello and the Devils found themselves in the NHL Lottery Draft for the first time since 1996.
After improbable odds, the Devils moved up four spots to pick 4th overall and selected then highly touted Swedish defenseman, Adam Larsson. Coincidentally, five picks later, the Boston Bruins, who just came off from winning the Stanley Cup, selected a talented big right-handed shooting defenseman named Dougie Hamilton, now signed by the Devils, by then Boston GM Peter Chiarelli courtesy of the infamous Toronto Maple Leafs’ gift that keeps on giving Phil Kessel trade.
It has been a decade since that draft. Larsson was eventually traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Taylor Hall. After a few seasons which included a Hart trophy winning season, Hall and Blake Speers were traded to the Arizona Coyotes for Kevin Bahl, Nick Merkley (Traded for Christian Jaros), Nate Schnarr, 2020 1st-Round Pick (Dawson Mercer), and a conditional 2021 condition 3rd-round pick (Traded to Washington for defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler).
If you follow the current day trade lineage, drafting Adam Larsson has turned into Bahl, Seigenthaler, and Jaros on the current beefed up and revamped Devils blueline.
And don’t forget to add in highly coveted prospect centerman Dawson Mercer as well. That’s just the cherry on the top!