New Jersey Devils: 5 NHL Draft Targets In Second Round

The New Jersey Devils are without a first-round pick in this year’s NHL Draft after the trade for Timo Meier. That means, barring any further movement, Tom Fitzgerald will have to wait for 57 picks before they can select their first prospect. Last year, the Devils literally had to wait for one team to make a surprise pick before they took Simon Nemec.

It’s been 10 years since the Devils didn’t have a first-round pick. They traded that pick as it was on the clock for goalie Cory Schneider. The draft was in New Jersey that year, and it was a wild moment.

This year was much less dramatic. We knew before the deadline that the second round is where the Devils will pick first. There can be some great players who are taken at 58th overall. Nikita Kucherov was the best player ever taken 58th overall. Tyler Bertuzzi, Jordan Martinook, and Christian Dvorak are all active players who are or at least have been quite good after teams took them 58th overall.

Now, the Devils hope to hit on a player like those (hopefully Kucherov). Who might be their best bets? Let’s take a look at five options.

Alex Ciernik – LW/RW – Allsvenskan

The New Jersey Devils will likely look to build up their forward prospects after spending a few years beefing up the defense. This would be a very interesting player to target. He has a lot of what the Devils typically like in a prospect. He’s incredibly fast, and his skating can come off as silky smooth. However, he is missing a little size. At 5’10, he doesn’t help the claim the Devils play too small.

Still, his skating ability cannot be taught. He is one of the best skaters in this draft. There is some lineage there, with his father Ivan playing for the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals. Ciernik has “steal” written all over him. The Devils can build around his skating and upgrade all the other parts of his game.

Jacob Fowler

The Devils always take a goalie. It’s just how things go under Tom Fitzgerald. They often go after bigger names, like when they used a third-round pick on Nico Daws, or last season when they took Tyler Brennan in the fourth round just last year. After all this, Akira Schmid looks to be the player who leads the clubhouse to take the Devils place as the future in net.

Despite Schmid’s ceiling, the Devils are still tied to goalies Connor Hellebuyck and maybe John Gibson. This, at least a little, shows the Devils aren’t 100 percent in on winning with the current tandem of Schmid and Vitek Vanecek (and we guess Mackenzie Blackwood). This impacts the Devils pursuit of star goalies, but it might impact the draft strategy, too.

This year is a deep class for goalies. There might be 10 that get drafted in the first five rounds. However, Jacob Fowler is one of the best. Like Schmid two years ago, Fowler was named the USHL Goalie of the Year. The American goalie is about the minimum size you want from a goalie (6’2, 200 lbs), but he has a sick glove hand.

His rankings are all over the place. Some might consider this an overdraft, but Fowler could easily become the best goalie in this class. The Devils need to find their “star,” and Fowler has the skills to make it in the NHL. Would it be smart for the Devils to take a goalie with their first pick? If it’s the right pick, who cares.

Lenni Hämeenaho – RW – Assat Pori

There is so much talent in this draft, there are going to be players that fall into the Devils lap. This is one of those players. Lenni Hämeenaho would be getting first-round buzz in previous drafts, but there are dozens of players who are finished products. Hameenaho might be one too, but it’s a safe prospect if that’s true.

He has an impressive resume, with an appearance with Team Finland in the U20 World Juniors Championship. He was the only draft-eligible on the roster, a roster that included Devils prospect Topias Vilén. Devils scouts were absolutely watching those games, so they saw what he brings to the table.

Hämeenaho was third amongst Liiga rookies in points despite playing for Assat Pori. This isn’t necessarily one of the best teams in the Finnish league. An 18-year-old was fourth on the team in goals with nine. This was a player that has been getting immensely better every year and beating expectations.

The Devils will love what they can get out of Hämeenaho. He has a scoring upside, and his floor is really high amongst current prospects. He has a really good chance of being an NHL regular. Will he be a 30-goal scorer or a great playmaker? Probably not, but it’s hard to get close to a guarantee in the second round.

William Whitelaw – C – Youngstown Phantoms

The Devils go back to the USHL, but this time, it’s for a center. One thing that has become clear is the Devils are weak down the middle in its prospect pool. It’s not a terrible issue since Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Dawson Mercer, and Michael McLeod are currently on the roster (at least for now with McLeod). On top of that, the Devils signed Erik Haula to a three-year contract.

Center might not be top of mind, but it is something the Devils need to address in the long term. Zero centers made our rankings when we did the Top 25 prospects in December.

The Devils need centers in the system, and William Whitelaw would be an interesting start. He’s a player with a lot of attention throughout his early career. That talent had scouts curious from an early age, but that hasn’t necessarily led to first-round hype. In fact, Whitelaw is being projected mostly in the third round, but we’ve seen Fitzgerald take a player early when he really wants them.

Unfortunately for Whitelaw, he’s 5’9. Even in 2023, teams don’t like to draft players that are missing size. However, this is a player whose skills transcend size. This could be another Brayden Point. Yes, that’s a lofty comparison used too much, but it works here. Whitelaw would be a great choice.