For the first time in what feels like forever, there is very little hype or anticipation for what the New Jersey Devils will do in the NHL Deqraft.
In two of the last three seasons, the Devils finished with a top-10 selection, using the 2022 No. 2 pick and the 2024 No. 10 pick on defensemen Simon Nemec and Anton Silayev, respectively.
With this year's first-round pick going to the Calgary Flames in the Jacob Markstrom trade, the Devils won't be on the clock in the 2025 NHL Draft until the 50th pick in Round 2.
That all said, though, the Devils could still very well land a decent prospect. Look at Lenni Hameenaho (2023) and Seamus Casey (2022) as examples.
With players like Silayev, Nemec, Casey, Topias Vilen, Mikael Diotte, Ethan Edwards, Artem Barabosha, and Daniil Karpovich in the system, the Devils are best suited selecting a forward at 50 in the upcoming draft.
One player who would be the perfect fit at that slot is Ivan Ryabkin, a former projected top-10 pick who slid down draft boards all season long.
Ryabkin, currently ranked 52nd by EliteProspects, reportedly bombed interviews and athletic testing at the recent NHL combine and played in the VHL, MHL, and KHL this season before making a surprise jump to the USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks.
Having scored just one goal in 15 MHL games and one goal in 25 games in Russia overall, Ryabkin's draft stock was in free fall before a successful stint in North America.
In 27 games with the Lumberjacks, the 18-year-old ripped off 19 goals, 11 assists, and 30 points while showing his nasty side with the 70 penalty minutes. Ryabkin ultimately guided the Lumberjacks to the Clark Cup, scoring seven goals, nine assists, and 16 points in 14 postseason contests in addition to another 30 penalty minutes.
So, while Ryabkin absolutely comes with his warts, the Devils could very easily find themselves with the steal of the 2025 draft if they can get the enigmatic center in line.
At 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, Ryabkin has the solid build and the aggressive nature the Devils desperately need to add to their forward group, and especially down the middle. If Ryabkin can successfully become a No. 3 center or top-six forward (Ivan Barbashev comes to mind) and bring those elements to New Jersey, that's a job well done by Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald and Co.