New Jersey Devils Full Seven-Round Mock Draft

2nd Round, 37th overall
Jani Nyman, Ilves, Liiga

Going right back to the same league in the second round, Jani Nyman is a player that has all the makings of a star in the making. He can shoot about as well as anyone in this draft, and he seems to have a natural inclination of where to go on the ice. He knows the best spot to get the best shot. We talk about how Alexander Ovechkin has his “office”. Nyman isn’t the player Ovechkin is, obviously, but he has that same natural instinct to get to a spot with a high shooting percentage.

The issue with Nyman is total production. His lack of speed has been an issue in the past, and it might be why his production and talent aren’t 1-to-1. That’s something the Devils can work on with Nyman, as his lack in speed doesn’t need to be a hinderance to his performance.

Nyman had a great start in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, and it looked like he could grow into a first-round pick. However, that production didn’t last, like we’ve said. There is some risk in this pick, because most have him going a little later, but the upside with this pick is hard to ignore. Tom Fitzgerald said they have a lot of assets that might cancel each other out, but Nyman is not one of them. A pure shooter with a lethal shot sounds like Nolan Foote, but that’s really it when it comes to pure prospects. The Devils could use a development prospect who can shoot like this.

Another reason to believe in Nyman is how last season went. After two seasons derailed by COVID-19, Nyman was bounced around leagues last season. Including different international teams, Nyman recorded points for NINE different teams according to Elite Prospects. If the Devils can provide him with some stability, it could lead Nyman to turning into a good player and possibly a really good one.