New Jersey Devils: 5 Players To Target In Second Round Of NHL Draft
A lot of the focus right now is on what the New Jersey Devils will do with the second-overall pick in the NHL Draft. They could go after Juraj Slafkovsky, that is unless the Montreal Canadiens take him. Then the Devils would likely take Shane Wright. Or, they could trade the pick. That one is starting to seem unlikely, but things could get crazy before the draft.
However, the Devils still need to make some picks after that top player. The Devils have never had a second-round pick in the Tom Fitzgerald era. This year, they are scheduled to do it for the first time. Some might say the lack of a second-round pick caused Fitzgerald to reach at the end of the first round in 2020 and 2021. Chase Stillman and Shakir Mukhamadullin were both expected to be available deep into the second round. Since the Devils didn’t have a second-round pick, they reached. This season, there will be no reaching necessary.
So, who might the Devils target in the second round this year? It’s hard to find a precedent since Fitz has never had a pick here, but we can find the right pieces based on how the Devils prioritize talent.
1. Jack Hughes – Northeastern University
This one seems a little too on the nose, right? People have been circling Jack Hughes for the entire year because of his name only. He has no relation to our Jack Hughes, but he is the son of Montreal Canadiens general manager Ken Hughes. He grew up in a hockey family, and he’s been around the sport for years. It likely won’t help the kid getting mistaken for the former first-overall pick when he is drafted by the same team, but that’s not something the Devils will really worry about.
The center had a weird freshman season, starting the year as a likely mid-to-late first-round pick. Now, he’s considered a late first rounder at best, but it seems like the second round is his destination. Maybe it’s because of his hype backfiring on him. It’s possible that he was looking for a little more growth.
The Canadiens might end up taking Hughes with their own second-round pick. However, it’s possible Ken Hughes avoids nepotism entirely. This would give the Devils a chance to take a player who has the talent of a top prospect but the output of a lower player. 16 points in this past season doesn’t build confidence, but it does show he was on a phenomenal Northeastern team that won Hockey East. He will see his role build with Northeastern, and his ceiling will only grow.
2. Owen Pickering – Swift Current Broncos
The Devils could go defense with their second-round pick. There has been some success with teams as of late taking defensemen in the second round. It’s more of a crap shoot because defensemen take a little longer to develop, but it’s usually a good bet. This is a place where the Devils can be patient. A defensive prospect can take their time, and they aren’t expected to make the NHL right away. The Devils can let them develop into something great.
One thing general managers look at with defense is the size of the player. Owen Pickering definitely has that. He stands at 6’4, even though he’s on the smaller size in terms of weight. That’s something he will add as time goes on.
Pickering has amazing offensive upside. He could be really good on the power play, and his skating is hard to compete with.
The Devils might not get the chance to draft Pickering, as some are predicting he should go in the first round. He definitely has the pedigree to go there. General managers are always looking for defensemen who can break out on their own. The Devils have plenty of offensive defensemen on the team and in the prospect pool, but Pickering has a chance to be special. He’s definitely worth making a move early in the second round.
3. Jani Nyman – Liiga
What are two things the Devils desperately need on the wing? It’s obviously size and finishing. Those are two things Jani Nyman can provide in a big way. He might have the best shot in the draft. At 6’3, he has all the tools that will have general managers drooling. Again, why wouldn’t Nyman go in the first round? His numbers haven’t exactly followed his skillset.
At U18 World Juniors, he had four points in six games. One has to look at his game and not just his stat line to get impressed. Many might even say the Devils would be reaching to take Nyman here, but he’s very much worth the pick. He has a lot of development to go, but his talents are hard to match.
Nyman has a knack for finding the right positioning. He isn’t very fast, but he has a way of staying in position. That lack of speed might be why he isn’t exactly tearing it up in his current leagues, but that tends to translate better in the NHL when it comes to an elite shot.
Nyman played all over Finland it seems last season. He tried to get in as much hockey as possible, including putting up 10 games in the Finnish Elite League. He only had one point, which isn’t out of the ordinary for a teenager. The Devils would be smart to take a chance on Jani Nyman.
4. Christian Kyrou – Erie Otters
Let’s look at another defenseman, but this time it’s at a position of a serious need for the Devils. Outside of Reilly Walsh, the prospect pool for right-handed defensemen for the Devils is incredibly weak. It might not be a problem if the Devils are able to re-sign Damon Severson long-term, but if he’s gone after the season, the Devils might be in trouble.
Christian Kyrou is one of the more interesting prospects in the draft. He might be the oldest prospect, as his birthday is one day from the cutoff. He’s like that really old friend you had because they had an October 1st birthday. It would be one thing to see an insane output from Kyrou, but it makes sense given his age. He had 60 points for the Otters. His age is why he’s falling into the second round, and the Devils will likely be considered too high for where he’s being projected to go.
He had some struggles before his most recent season, but with the pandemic really hurting players’ development, it’s not something that should be held against Kyrou.
Kyrou is dynamic, and that is something the Devils could sorely use on the right side. The Devils will have plenty of opportunities to take a chance on left-handed defensemen. In the second round, if they don’t go for Simon Nemec or David Jiricek in the first round, Kyrou would be a great get in the second.
5. Danny Zhilkin – Guelph Storm
Danny Zhilkin had quite the season with the Guelph Storm. He had 55 points in 66 games, as he finally had that breakout season. It was the first season where he had a full year under his belt. After losing an entire OHL season, it was nice to see his development wasn’t stunted completely.
Zhilkin is a player who can play 200 feet. That’s a quality the Devils truly desire. They don’t want players who can’t play defense. Zhilkin is a center at heart, which might make this pick a little awkward. The Devils have the center position locked up seemingly for the foreseeable future. They have Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier locked up in contracts for years. They also have young centers in Michael McLeod, Jesper Boqvist, and Dawson Mercer. On top of all that, there’s a slim possibility they could end up with Shane Wright if the Canadiens truly go for Juraj Slafkovsky at the top of the draft.
In the second round, the Devils can decide to go with a safe pick like this. Zhilkin seems like a good bet to make the NHL one day. He has a decent work ethic, and he will never be a liability. He has enough elite talents to make whatever situation he’s dealing with work.
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His motor is what the Devils will fall in love with. He constantly fights for pucks, and when he gets them on his stick, his hands do the rest of the work. This allows his teammates to focus on getting in position. This is something the Devils would love to have in their bottom six, as they’ve struggled to find the right offensive weapons down there.