Final evaluations of the New Jersey Devils' draft class

Three questions must be asked when the New Jersey Devils draft a player. Can this player become an NHL player? How much does this player help his team win? Can this player consistently tilt the ice in his team's favor?

For those of you who remember, yours truly used to be a video scout. There are still a lot of people who believe it should all just be more eye test than analytics when drafting a player. Of course, analytics can be flawed with teenagers. Over the past few years, Sunny Mehta has shown a knack for player evaluation with the Florida Panthers, and Mark Dennehey was able to evaluate players and how their models work. Together, they put together a quality 2026 draft class.

First Round - Alexander Command

If you look at his profile via Hockey Prospecting, he has the same Star Probability Rating as Sam Bennett in his draft year. They're both the same height, but the Swede is 185lb versus Bennett's 201lb frame. In plain English, Alexander has room to grow into his frame and become much harder to move off the puck, while remaining a phenomenal puck distributor and a complete centerman with a great 200-ft game. 

The environment in Orebro has certainly given him a lot of command (no pun intended) and control over how to become such a dominant competitor. If there's a blend of spices that makes up Alexander's play style, he's a Sam Bennett-Nico Hischier blend. Chief Amateur Scout Mark Dennehey was delighted that they could select him. In simple terms, Sam Bennett may be an average producer while Nico Hischier is a star producer. Alexander is already the same height as Nico Hischier but is 11 lbs. heavier than Nico was when he was selected 1st overall.

Matias Vanhanen - Second Round

To most people, Matias Vanhanen may just be an undersized Finnish winger, but this kid is built with a frame similar to Jesper Bratt, has nifty stickhandling like Pavel Datsyuk, and his release is lethal for a player taken outside the first round. If he can not only read the plays a few chess moves ahead as he does now, but also be that Ivan Ryabkin-to-Jesper Bratt floor-and-ceiling kind of player, he will certainly be. His Star Probability may be 8%, but his stock can rise, and potentially his NHLer probability could go up from 29% in his Draft+1 season. He is a very intriguing player and certainly has a great motor and sees the open ice and quiet areas rather well, becoming a more elusive player.

Nikita Shcherbakov - Second Round

Nikita Shcherbakov, the left-handed defenseman, is a very mobile skater who is very fluid and is a Salavat Yulaev product who is 6'5" and has an 187 lb frame. He is a defensive-minded and two-way player. 

However, he does need to beef up and look more like Chewbacca; not only can he destroy opponents, but also adds that muscle more in the offensive zone, where he's not only an assist wizard but also has a really nice wrist shot from the low danger zone. 

He is not a Shakir Mukhamadullin type because he has a really nice transition game. On the flip side, he is going to take more than two seasons to see where he can improve his build and stay a bit more positioned in defense at the KHL level. He is already playing with wider ice, and he could have easily been a fringe first, but this is a really solid pick by Sunny Mehta's scouting staff. He is 3 inches and 17 pounds heavier at this time than when former Devils first-round pick Shakir Mukhamadullin was drafted. His star probability and NHLer probability are similar to former NJ Devil and Ottawa Senators defenseman Anton Volchenkov. If that's the floor for Nikita, then fans should be very excited and open-minded about his journey to the NHL, where Shcherbakov is already onto season two in the KHL.

Lavr Gashilov - Fourth Round

The native of Russia is still 17 years old and has already shown in his 6'2", 170 lb frame that he can really skate as an agile guy who doesn't scream super speedy, but is really sneaky fast. Lavr Gashilov is already a 42% star probability player in his draft year, and he has a 70% chance of making the NHL according to Byram Bader's Hockey Prospecting. 

Lavr Gashilov has a quick release and is always looking to take a shot from any angle, and plays the game with a lot of swagger like Evgeny Kuznetsov. He is a blend of a sniper and a playmaker. He mirrors a lot of Arseny Gritsyuk in his frame and muscular build, and the way Lavr Gashilov is on the power play, he's a real assassin who goes for the nail in the coffin. He plays with such conviction and needs to see who is open a few plays ahead, and has no problem whipping a puck right off a teammate's skate for a goal. 

This guy already looks like that Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jesper Bratt, Arseny Gritsyuk type guy every top 6-line needs.

Daniil Rusakovich - Fifth Round

Belarusian netminder Daniil Rusakovich has shown to be a really phenomenal butterfly goalie who always has very fluid legs, always has his goalie stick down, and swats a lot of five-hole shots to the side rather than up the middle. He does a tremendous job tracking the puck on net under heavy traffic. The only issue truly holding him back is being able to thrive under pressure in the playoffs. Daniil is a really phenomenal shutdown goalie in the MHL at 6'3" and 183 lbs. It is only a matter of improving that playoff composure. 

If you look at his peer, Tobias Trebjal, who got drafted by the Calgary Flames 3 rounds before him with a similar 6'4" frame, Daniil has a 1.50 Draft year score over 1.42 of Tobias Trebjal's Draft year comps. Daniil's NHL probability at 35% vs 41% is still very high considering he is a 5th round pick and we have seen a lot of similar situations where there have been good starters, franchise goalies, and even phenomenal backup goalies at this range. 

His numbers are well above Nico Daws' in his draft class, and if the Devils take their time developing him into a better-than-average goalie in the playoffs while showing stellar play and numbers and competing, then the Devils really found the gem in this draft in this goalie, who they didn't even think drafting a goalie would occur.

Luke Wilfley - Sixth Round

The Portland Winterhawk is a very pesky, defensively minded right-handed center. He's an average skater but has all the intangibles to be a shutdown forward. If there are a few player comparables where he can mirror his game, it would be Curtis Lazar. Sunny Mehta is definitely going for that A.J. Greer-Curtis Lazar blend for a guy who can be an excellent bottom-six center who makes a difference late in the game, providing that important late-game shutdown role. 

He comes from a family of rugby players and knows how to bring that sasquatch energy. He has one of the more underrated wrist shots in the late rounds, and if he can play like that and contribute a few points more than expected, then the Devils will have time well spent finding a bottom-six center that can be a phenomenal replacement producer and a Michael McLeod-lite. 

Quinn McKenzie: He was the second American the New Jersey Devils selected in the 2026 draft, and McKenzie has good speed, really great spatial awareness, and glimpses of Josh Anderson, and plays a very creative, high-motor game. He is a very strong undersized player who looks to be a strong consideration for a middle 6 center who is more of a playmaker but is a very underrated goal scorer for the Soo Greyhounds. 

He is a Pennsylvania native who is off to play at Penn State, and there is no need to rush him as he goes on to play D1 hockey. Sunny and the upper brass can keep tabs on him before eventually reevaluating him as he gets ready to join the big club a few seasons out. He looks to be this year's Matyas Melovsky, a potential steal candidate.

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