New Jersey Devils full seven-round mock NHL Draft

The New Jersey Devils are preparing for one of the most important NHL Draft experiences of Tom Fitzgerald's tenure. He's had more important picks, like when he took Simon Nemec with the second-overall pick or the three picks he had in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, but this year should be the final time in a long time that the Devils have a top-10 pick.

The Devils have resisted using the pick in trade discussions despite Fitzgerald saying point-blank that he'd be willing to use it to get a very good player. He's already made the trade for a goalie, acquiring Jacob Markstrom for a 2025 protected first-round pick and Kevin Bahl. They are also rumored to be in on Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce to be a major upgrade on defense.

It appears they are going to keep their 10th-overall pick and the rest of their 2024 picks in the NHL Draft. They did sell this past season after some disappointing results, which led to an extra third-round pick, but they are missing their second-round pick (Timo Meier trade), their fourth-round pick (Curtis Lazar trade), and their seventh-round pick (also the Timo Meier trade). With six total picks this season, the Devils could have a transformative draft if the pieces fall in the right place.

This has been one of the hardest decisions in this blog's history (not that it's really up to us). There are literally a dozen players who could go here. Whether it’s someone who could fall to 10 like Sam Dickinson (the Devils would 100 percent take him here) or Cayden Lindstrom or just wondering who might be available in that position like Tij Iginla, Berkly Catton, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Konsta Helenius. At the end of the evaluation, based on who should be available, what Tom Fitzgerald might be thinking, and what the Devils will want, this came down to USNDTP’s Cole Eiserman or OHL’s Beckett Sennecke.

We went with Sennecke for two reasons. One, Eiserman has very little smoke around him and the Devils. While he seems like a perfect compliment to Jack Hughes on paper, Fitzgerald likes those who can make their own plays. Eiserman is the best shooter in the draft, but he can’t create.

Sennecke can absolutely create plays. He helped a major second-half push for the Oshawa Generals. He’s been rocketing up the draft boards thanks to his increased size. While he doesn’t use his size to his advantage just yet, he can learn that. 

Sennecke is a point-per-game player in Juniors. He was even better in the playoffs, scoring 22 points in 16 games. A player who can play at that level in the most important moments is essential to showing they can translate their game to the NHL level. It’s a risk, as he wasn’t someone with a pedigree as a top-10 pick, but he earned this, and the Devils should be excited to give him a shot.

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.

The New Jersey Devils take a goalie every year in the NHL Draft. It’s a strategy that seems to work, as they have Nico Daws, Akira Schmid, Jakub Malek, and Tyler Brennan in the system. It’s a true dice roll with these goalies, but some of the best in the league were taken late in the draft. Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, and Juuse Saros were all taken in the third round or later. So, the Devils strategy of taking a goalie every year isn’t a bad one.

This year, they go for Samuel St. Hilaire of the QMJHL. He’s been good-to-great in his two seasons playing for the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Last season, he finished the season with a .915 save percentage. That was good for fifth in the league, and he wasn’t exactly on a great team. Outside St. Hilaire, everyone on the team had an .879 save percentage or worse on Sherbrooke. 

His ability to play at a higher level, dragging his team to the playoffs, is worth taking him despite being older than most of the draft-eligible players. Goalies often take an extra year or two to really develop into a prospect, and it’s the fifth round. These players don’t often make the league.

For reference, two players in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL Draft have played 100 games. Only 10 players have played any NHL games. This is a crap shoot, and it’s much better to shoot on a goalie who might be finally finding his groove despite the team around him.

We talk about development often, and predicting development when it’s not exactly in the team’s control is very hard. Teams are spending millions of dollars on scouting just to then let a small team with an overworked coaching staff in either Europe, Russia, or Canada to control that player’s present as the team waits for his future. However, there are a few teams with a better track record than others. 

The Sudbury Wolves are one of those teams. They’ve had players drafted in the last five drafts, and they’ve shown that they can keep them growing. Players like Quinton Musty, David Goyette, and heck, even Chase Stillman have grown their profile after being drafted (even if Stillman was and always will be drafted too high).

That brings us to this player here. Taking a flier on Kieron Walton makes all the sense in the world. He jumped from 18 points last year to 43 points this past season doesn’t make him a superstar, but it does show the correct progression. 

Did we mention he’s gigantic and plays center? At 6’6, Walton would immediately be one of the biggest centers in professional hockey. Who knows if he’d keep that position in the NHL, but it’s interesting that’s where he is now. Walton is also expected to take on more of an offensive role with some of their best players going pro, so this might be huge value at this point in the draft.

Honestly, this one would be really fun. Obviously, the Devils are playing in Czechia this season to start the year. Being able to showcase their draft pick during their trip would be fun, and Vojtech Hradec could be that guy. It makes so much sense to draft him here with the Devils last pick. He saw his stock fall this year, which is an interesting target. However, it seems to be solely because of injury. If he can stay healthy, we should see a normal development path this season in Czechia. 

He’s another big forward with a nonstop motor that wins puck battles and makes plays with the puck. He’s been playing in the adult league and scored his first goal for Mlada Boleslav BK this past season. We often see pedestrian numbers from players in European leagues, and he’s no different, but he has a skillset that could eventually grow.

At 6’4 and over 200 lbs, his size will always get the attention of Tom Fitzgerald. Hopefully, this ends up being a fit. 

As we look on these six picks, there is a lot of risk here, but that’s where the Devils are. They can take these risks for players with high ceilings and decent size. It’s not necessarily Fitzgerald drafting for need, but he looks for players that can make the NHL.