New Jersey Devils full seven-round mock NHL Draft

The New Jersey Devils have made trades that impacted multiple picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, but they still have the 10th-overall pick and five others. Who would make the most sense on this roster?

2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft - Rounds 2-7
2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft - Rounds 2-7 | Jeff Vinnick/GettyImages
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Tomas Lavoie is 6'4 and 225 lbs. As a once great professional wrestler once said, "you can't teach that." The Devils have a smaller core, so they've prioritized a larger lineup in general, whether it's their draft picks or their free agent signings and trades. They want a little size in the lineup. Lavoie definitely marks that off as a huge defenseman that can get things done.

With the loss of Kevin Bahl in the Jacob Markstrom trade, the Devils lost some size on their blue line that they will want to replace. They could do that more in the short term, but it makes sense to also replenish that size with prosects.

Lavoie's rankings are all over the place, with some giving him a late second grade and others thinking he's not worth a look until the fourth round. The Devils know that teams will talk themselves into his size, and if the Devils want him, they need to take him in the top 75.

Beyond size, Lavoie is different because he can skate at least decently. Most players of this size have to work really hard to be a good skater. That's not the case for Lavoie. He also knows how to separate a puck carrier from the puck. This could end up being the steal of the Devils draft if Lavoie falls to here.

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