New Jersey Devils Full Seven-Round Mock Draft

3rd Round, 70th Overall
Christian Kyrou, Erie Otters

Every year, there are players that have wildly different ratings depend on who you go to. Christian Kyrou is right up there with anyone this season. Elite Prospects ranks him 39th on their draft board, but McKeen’s Hockey has him ranked in the 80s. We liked him as an outside-the-box second-round pick, but this draft had him falling to the third round, which makes us even happier.

Kyrou would give the Devils something very valuable for the blueline; someone who is right handed. The Devils have Dougie Hamilton and Damon Severson in the NHL. If they re-sign Severson, they won’t need another right hander for a while. Their top two spots are full for a little while at least.

Outside of them, they have Reilly Walsh on the right side, and that’s really it. Ty Smith played on the right side some in juniors, but he’s clearly a left-handed defenseman in the NHL. The Devils had seven other defensemen in Scott Wheeler’s top prospect list, and all of them were left handed.

Kyrou is an older prospect, with his birthday coming days after the cutoff. That might be why some have him falling. They attribute his big season with the Erie Otters to his rising age. However, no matter the reason, it’s impossible to ignore he just had 60 points in 68 games in the OHL. He’s considered a dynamic option on the blueline, and the Devils would be silly to let him fall past them at this point in the draft.