NHL Draft: 3 Options For New Jersey Devils To Trade Back Into 1st Round

3. Rutger McGroarty

Rutger McGroarty is a player who is also splitting scouts and analysts alike. The U.S. forward is tenacious on the puck, and he has the kind of motor the Devils seem to love with their late first-round picks. McGroarty has been a leader everywhere he goes. He grew up in hockey, and it shows with his commitment to the sport.

He was a scoring machine with the U.S. National Development Team Program. He had 69 points in 54 games with the team last season. He scored 15 goals in 25 games in the USHL, as well. He was on the side of top prospect Logan Cooley most of this season, and he compares his game to Matthew Tkachuk. It’s actually a surprise he’s dropping this low on some people’s boards.

If he does, good for the Devils. He has a skill set that likely has him going higher, but the Devils might be able to make a move on other teams’ mistakes. This is a player with intangibles. While many other players in the Devils’ prospect pool have certain similar intangibles, McGroarty seems to put it all together in a total package. The Devils could be getting the ultimate steal here.

The Devils want to be a contender sooner rather than later. What will make them a contender sooner, taking three or four different players in the middle rounds or taking the big swing on a player at the top. Adding McGroarty is a much better option than taking a chance on a player falling to the second round. Make this deal happen Tom Fitzgerald!