The New Jersey Devils are preparing for the NHL Draft in a much different way this offseason. With no first-round pick, their scouting has been mostly about players who they hope will fall to them in the second and third rounds.
Some of that research might be a little rushed since the Devils just learned they had a third-round pick. Tom Fitzgerald was able to get this third-rounder from the Columbus Blue Jackets for the rights to unrestricted free agent Damon Severson. They might get more picks, with the rights to Yegor Sharangovich, Ryan Graves, Mackenzie Blackwood, and others still on the table. However, we will function as life is right now.
The Devils have the 80th-overall pick. As of right now, it will be their second pick in the draft. For the most part, once players get past the first 45 picks, anyone can go anywhere. Some of these players might seem too high, and others might seem too low. These players can go around 80th overall in a perfect world.
Kalan Lind – LW – Red Deer Rebels
There are some analysts who really like Kalan Lind, a player who could go in the second round, and there are analysts who think he’s a solid third-round pick. It all comes down to how much people believe in intangibles. Kalan Lind makes sure he plays in the dirty areas, and he does play the type of game that gets under the skin of others.
This is something teams might prioritize after what Matthew Tkachuk did with the Florida Panthers. Lind is nowhere near as skilled as Tkachuk, but he did break the point-per-game threshold for the first time in the WHL. He was so good for his team, both offensively and defensively.
Honestly, if Lind makes it past the second round, the Devils should trade up for him. Maybe they should just take him in the second round. We already wrote our second-round piece, so we didn’t want to miss out on Lind. He is really perfect for what the Devils might be looking for. He needs to add size, but he already has the snarl that’s still partially missing from this lineup.