New Jersey Devils: 5 NHL Draft Prospects Third-Round Targets

Juraj Pekarcik – LW –  HK Nitra

Juraj Pekarcik’s rankings are all over the place. Some have him as high as the beginning of the second round, and others have him as low as the fourth round. We like this as a player who might fall through the cracks. This is exactly how the Devils like to operate in the draft’s middle rounds. They don’t care about rankings. If they think the player is the best fit for them, the pick is happening.

Pekarcik can absolutely be that pick in the third round. Again, teams might look at other players since there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on him. If there is this much indecision amongst the analysts, we have to believe there’s a similar discussion happening with the scouts.

This player rose quickly on boards. He was great in the U18s, and that bronze medal game against Team Canada was one for the ages. Dalibor Dvorsky was given more credit, but Pekarcik was a driving force on the offensive end.

Pekarcik is 6’2, which is something that always gets scouts salivating. However, his stickhandling makes him really stick out. It’s his past that might give teams pause, allowing the Devils to snag him in the third round. Again, it’s possible the Devils just jump the gun and take him in the second round.