New Jersey Devils: Players To Take Second Overall In NHL Draft
With the season over for the New Jersey Devils, it’s time to focus on the draft again. Usually, the Devils are bound to select a pick in the top 10. The 2022 NHL Draft had the Devils initially getting the 5th or 6th overall pick before the draft lottery. When the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery aired on Tuesday night, the Devils’ luck changed when they moved up three spots to get the second overall pick. They didn’t even have Taylor Hall this time to help them. But there is a complicated problem. The Devils originally had plans to trade the pick to acquire a talented high-end player. Now that they’re selecting 2nd overall, they’re likely to keep the pick to draft a player. But who exactly can the Devils draft 2nd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft?
Juraj Slafkovsky
While it may not be a deep draft in terms of talent, there are many good players that the Devils can take at 2. While Shane Wright is most likely to go no.1 to the Montreal Canadiens, this would be the Devils’ best option at no.2. Juraj Slafkovsy is a Slovakian left wing who has been the best player out of all the European skaters. Slafkovsky is 6’4, which is a good thing for Fitzgerald because he loves big-size guys. Slafkovsky is usually known for his shot and his net-front presence. He could be potentially a first-line player with speed and presence. While the last few seasons haven’t raised his draft stock, this year changed everything, and people noticed him as a potential star. The Olympics made his stamp on how good he can be.
During his time in the 2022 Men’s Winter Olympics in Beijing with the Slovakia men’s team, he turned heads in the ten games. In the first seven games he appeared in, he had seven goals. Each time he has the puck, he works his vision to determine the open net and shoots hard to beat the goaltenders he faces. Against Sweden, he scored the first and last goal leading Slovakia to get the bronze medal. So how could Slafkovksy fill a need on a team?
For one, he is an LW, which could be a massive get for the Devils. Depending on whether Tom Fitzgerald re-signs Jesper Bratt, filling that hole with the skill of Slafkovksy could prove deadly for the team’s offense. Aside from Bratt, the LW position has been growing thin. Tomas Tatar and Andreas Johnsson seemed to be invisible all year, and Miles Wood didn’t play for most of the year, and as for Jimmy Vesey, he’s had some good moments but not much. Getting Slafkovsky would be a big boost for the LW core. Placing him on a line with Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich could be a unique young line. This player would be the number 1 choice for who they get at no.2 overall for the Devils.
2022 NHL Draft Pick #2- Logan Cooley
Another pick that the Devils could select at #2 could involve talent and familiarity. The player in question here is Logan Cooley, who played with the USNTP Juniors this year. Last year, I did an article about how Luke Hughes could get selected by the Devils over Owen Power, and both Luke and Jack played in the same program. Here is another player that the Devils could add from that program to their roster.
While Shane Wright may be the best player in this year’s draft, Logan Cooley’s talent could make him another superstar. Cooley’s main assets are his speed, maneuvering, and score near the net. Another essential thing to know is that Cooley is a faceoff guy, which could be huge for the Devils, who struggle with faceoffs from time to time.
He put up 36 points with USNTP Juniors this year with 13 goals and 23 assists. It’s important to know that Logan Cooley will start his first year at the University of Minnesota. So, like Luke Hughes last year, if the Devils draft him, they will have to wait to see him play. But there is one big issue that could avoid the Devils drafting Cooley.
Cooley is a center, which for the Devils is not a need. The team already has Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, which they both drafted 1st overall. Then we have guys like Dawson Mercer and Jesper Boqvist, who have played great at the center position. The depth for the Devils for a center is so good. Adding another doesn’t feel like the right move. While Cooley could have a successful career in the NHL, he needs to do it on a team that lacks a big playmaking center which is not what the Devils need. But that doesn’t mean that it’s terrible if the Devils get it. They would still get a good player in Cooley, who could help make the future even brighter.
2022 NHL Draft Pick #3- Simon Nemec
Like Juraj Slafkovsy, the Devils could look at a player to fill with need. A defenseman is an absolute must for the Devils. Another player with Slafkovsy in the Olympics is defenseman Simon Nemec.
Nemec is likely the top defenseman in this year’s draft and has been ranked high by analysts. While Simon maybe not be an all-type goal-scoring defenseman, he is agile. The significant part of his game is his speed, and his skating has gotten good this year. Watching him play looks like a long-lost Hughes brother. Even though he isn’t a goal-scoring defenseman, he is a big assist guy. Nemec had 26 assists in 39 games for HK Nitra this year. Nemec has many potentials and a high ceiling, which could be significant for a brutal Devils’ defense core last year.
Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Graves have had terrible starts on their contract years. PK Subban and Damon Severson didn’t fare any better. Ty Smith perhaps had the worst overall year out of all the defensemen, as he had a lot of issues and had an injury this year. While Kevin Bahl was a bright spot, there isn’t anything to be wowed by this defensive core.
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So, getting a rookie like Nemec, who could fill a spot with his play, could be a big step in the right direction. While getting him would be good, the Devils could skip over him to see how Luke Hughes can pan out after his time in Michigan is done. Sure, the Devils could still draft him, but Cooley and Slafkovsy have better odds of being drafted. However, the best part of this is that at least one of these three players from the 2022 NHL Draft could be a big part of the Devils’ dynasty.