New Jersey Devils will pick 12th in the NHL Draft Lottery, lose shot at Ivan Stenberg

The New Jersey Devils did not win the NHL Draft Lottery. The dream of selecting Gavin McKenna or Ivan Stenberg with the second-overall pick in June's NHL Draft is now a goner. We know where Sunny Mehta's first draft pick is expected to land.

We only say "expected" because Mehta can very well trade the pick for a player, trade up for a better player in the draft (he was in those scouting meetings with the Florida Panthers, after all) or trade back to secure more draft capital that Tom Fitzgerald moved for nonsense before his tenure ended.

The Devils have drafted 12th overall twice before, and both times, it didn’t end well. In 2015, they took Michael McLeod 12th overall. He’s no longer in the league after he was arrested, but later found not guilty, of sexual assault crimes. In 1988, the Devils took Corey Foster 12th overall. He played 45 games in the league in his entire career. 

The New Jersey Devils will pick 12th overall in the NHL Draft

The Devils just missed a Hall of Fame trio at 8, 9, and 10, with Jeremy Roenick, Rod Brind’Amour, and Teemu Selanne going in order. We know RBA hasn’t been enshrined yet, but his time will come.

This is an interesting draft with some talent to be had, but the middle of the first round has bust potential as well. The Devils have to hope some stars fall, which has happened in previous drafts. The Devils were surprised when both Anton Silayev and Zeev Buium fell in 2024, taking the potential unicorn 10th overall. Unfortunately, he hasn’t grown into the potential he has, but there’s still time there. 

There are a few interesting prospects available at 12th overall. The most popular name we’ve seen tied to the Devils is winger Oscar Hemming. He’s obviously someone who fills a need as a large scorer who already has a year of college hockey under his belt. The Devils could trade Simon Nemec this offseason, which would open a need for a young right-handed defenseman. That could be Daxon Rudolph from the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL. 

There are other options, like center Tynan Lawrence or winger Ethan Belchetz, who could fall to the Devils at 12th. Either way, this isn’t the worst-case scenario for the Devils. Yes, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the lottery, adding a star to the Eastern Conference, but they have a big hurdle before they have a path forward to contention, especially with questions about Auston Matthews and frustration with their new GM hire John Chayka. The New York Rangers fell to fifth overall, and they have the highest pick from the Metropolitan Division. 

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