New Jersey Devils NHL Draft Options At Second Overall
When the New Jersey Devils won one of the two options in the NHL Draft Lottery, it gave them the right to move up to the second-overall pick. There are some very enticing options here, but it really comes down to four players we expect to be on the table after the Montreal Canadiens take Shane Wright.
Juraj Slafkovsky
The man with what has felt like a rocket strapped to his back in terms of his draft position will be the first player we look at. Juraj Slafkovsky took a big step from a likely top 10 guy to one of the best players available with some even saying he could and should go first such as Corey Pronman of The Athletic. This is not likely to happen.
Slafkovsky is a big body for his age standing at a whopping 6’4 with a solid 218 lb. frame, which is for lack of better words a big deal. Teams have been looking for that late 90’s or early 2000’s power forward for a decade. It is just not a role and style that many players execute anymore. This always intrigues teams and general managers because we can see how valuable it would be should one arrive. If they produced at a point-a-game pace, they could terrorize the league and most importantly play that hard-nosed playoff hockey with incredible skill.
In my own view, however, this is the riskiest pick at the top of the draft. While his ceiling looks like the 60-70 point guy, his floor is far lower than some of the other players at the top. The Devils could be trying to draft Mikko Rantanen and end up with Pavel Zacha.
Against his own age group, he has good numbers and his performance in the Hlinka-Gretzky was impressive where he had 3 goals and 6 assists in five games. In Finland’s junior league, he played 11 games scoring 6 goals while adding 12 assists which is also a strong showing and boosts his value.
The other thing people always talk about with him is that he played against men. It is a hard thing to do and no one can or should take anything away from a kid going up against players more mature and holding his own, but it is something people put too much stock into sometimes. Still, let’s look quickly at Slafkovsky versus other high-end players in the Finnish men’s league for their draft year.
Slafkovsky GP:31 G:5 A5 PTS: 10 PPG: 0.32
Puljujarvi GP:50 G:13 A:15 PTS: 28 (4th 2016) PPG: 0.56
Kotkaniemi GP:57 G:10 A:19 PTS:29 (3rd in 2018) PPG: 0.64
Kaako GP:45 G:22 A:16 PTS:38 (2nd in 2019) PPG: 0.84
Lundell GP:44 G:10 A:18 PTS:28(12th in 2020) PPG: 0.64
As Devils fans, we all remember the Hughes vs. Kaako debate and the number one thing brought up was always he already plays against men. Could that mean he was more ready for the NHL? Maybe. Does that mean he would have a better career? Probably not. Already Hughes has proven he is a much better player and the numbers show that despite the first season in which he was not NHL-ready.
Hughes GP:166 G:44 A:64 PTS:108
Kakko GP:157 G:26 A:32 Pts:58
While the debate is more Wright or Slafkovky online and with the experts, for the Devils it is more Slaf or Logan Cooley. The numbers above however are relevant because it is a similar situation.
In the Olympics, Slafkovsky shined. He scored seven times in seven games, was the youngest player to score since 1984, took home tournament MVP, and won the first medal his country has ever won. Of course, this needs to have some context since the tournament involved no NHL players and this obviously would have impacted his perfomance. He was also shut down by Canada, Germany, and Finland while points were scored on France, Italy, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, and Denmark.
Most recently, he played again against men, this time in the IIHF World Hockey Championships. He ended up tied for 11th in scoring overall with three goals and nine points in eight games. It is impressive but was mostly done against weak teams again. This was still a 17-year-old exceeding expectations at a big tournament.
So the question is which player will the team be getting and if the tournaments were a bit of a flash in the pan. Is he a man that shines when the light is brightest?
Logan Cooley
At 5’10, Logan Cooley might not be the big body fans want, but when it comes to drafting, especially this high, teams need to look at the best player available. If you are getting a forward, he better be putting up points. Playing for the U.S. National Development Team, Cooley scored 27 times and had 75 points in 51 games. That made him the top scorer on the team. In terms of draft-eligible players in this program, he is sitting in the top 10 all-time. He also played in the U18 Men’s World Championships where he had another strong performance with three goals and 10 points in six games being named the tournament’s top forward.
His skating is at the top end of the draft and he makes it look easy getting past defenders which is something that is needed to keep up to the pace of the modern NHL but what is most noticeable when he is moving is that he protects the puck well while doing this and uses his body to keep the defender in a position that he can’t stick check it easily. This should translate into the NHL very well.
His release is very fast, deceptive, and another part of his game that will translate to the NHL. He can pick the corners with ease, and if you can’t catch junior goalies by surprise, there is no chance of doing so at the top of the sport. This is also a player who drives the play and despite the size, this is something the Devils desperately needed.
If Bratt and Hughes were not split up or when Hughes was injured the team was just too easy to stop and relied on one guy to carry the offensive play. If they pick Cooley, and with Mercer improving, the team is as close to guaranteed as getting another play driver as possible.
The problem with him like most young offensive players is that he can puck watch a bit in the defensive end, which will frustrate fans. The reality is this is 99% of draft-eligible players and what is most important at this age is that he is putting the effort in on both sides of the rink and is always willing to learn and improve that part of his game.
Simon Nemec
Another Slovak player who should be going early in this season’s NHL Draft is a good thing to see as more and more countries in Europe produce top-tier NHL players it can only help the overall talent level moving forward and bring more attention to the game we love.
This player is a defender and a rather offensive one at that. He has the puck-moving skills that teams like to see in the modern NHL. He had positive possession stats in the Slovak League and he had more points per game than Brandt Clarke, who as many Devils fans remember was the defender other than Hughes who could have gone 4th overall at the NHL Draft last season.
He finished the season with one goal and 26 points in 39 games. This is a very solid output. Adding to this, his 6’1 frame really helps, and being just shy of 200 lbs. is another bonus since so many puck movers tend to be small. His vision is high end and his skating is an asset but with physicality lacking he could be a bit of a niche player if he isn’t putting up big points. It is worth noting to that he put up positive possession numbers at his age in the Slovak league, which is at least promising.
David Jiricek
Another draft-eligible player playing above his age group, David Jiricek sits at the 6’3 190 pounds. He is a right-handed defender in the Czechia league. In 29 games, he scored five goals and had 11 points. He controls the gap better than defenders his age and is good at anticipating the play, which could be massive moving up to the NHL level. With his size added to this attribute, he could be the guy that quietly becomes a defender that teams need even if he is not the exciting player that people want. He is also willing not just to throw out hits but take them to make a play. This is just something that defenders need to do especially when the season gets winding down and the intensity steps up.
The downside here is the skating is mediocre and the NHL is getting faster but we have seen players gain a step in the offseason and with strong positional play and good reach can be compensated for.
In the end, despite looking at more players, the Devils already have this down to the two forwards and that is if they even make the pick. When it comes to Slafkovsky and Cooley right now, I would be leaning toward Cooley for the skill over the size of Slafkovsky. From what I have seen, Devils fans look to be about 80% leaning the size route, so it will be interesting to see what the team is thinking. Either way, it will be an exciting draft to be sure and we will all be cheering for the player they select.
Next. 3 Trade Options With Second-Overall Pick. dark
Let’s go Devils!