Who Could New Jersey Devils Select With 10th-Overall Pick In NHL Draft?
The New Jersey Devils did not win the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery and the rights to select Macklin Celebrini. However, they are going to have a chance to select some really good players in the NHL Draft.
The New Jersey Devils did not win the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery. That's okay since they only had a 3.5% chance going in to win the rights to Boston University's Macklin Celebrini. It wasn't too bad a night, with Columbus staying at four, Pittsburgh losing their rights to their first-round pick to San Jose (who also won the rights to Celebrini), and Philadelphia staying behind the Devils in the pecking order.
Many believe the Devils will now look to trade the pick for a goalie, but that might not be the best route for a top-10 pick in the NHL Draft. Juuse Saros seems like the only sure thing on the trade market, and he needs a massive extension after his deal. Jacob Markstrom won't require that pick, and who knows what Linus Ullmark's value is right now.
We're going into this process assuming the Devils make the 10th-overall selection. There is some interesting talent that could be available. Despite some saying this is a top-heavy draft, the Devils could get another star at 10 with the right development. The first option is a player who broke a record held by one of Jack Hughes' former teammates.
Cole Eiserman
US NDTP
Cole Eiserman is an incredible player. The Massachusetts native sees himself ranked somewhere between eighth and 15th on prospect lists heading into the draft. He proved he can score in bunches, breaking Cole Caufield’s points record from 2018-19. Eiserman finished last season with 123 points. Of that, Eiserman had 83 goals.
Eiserman was once considered a possible top-two pick in this draft. Now, issues with his consistency and effort have him falling to an area where the Devils are selecting. This could be a blessing in disguise. Eiserman would be coming to a team with an established core where he might never be the best player in the room. It sounds like he just needs competition. He needs someone who’s clearly better than him to set a standard. As much as Hughes likes goofing around, he sets a standard with his play on the ice.
Obviously, many Devils fans would have dreams of Hughes getting himself an American winger for the long term. It’s been five years since he joined the league, and the Devils still don’t have someone who is stapled to his line. Jesper Bratt has spent more time with Nico HIschier than Hughes, and Timo Meier is still looking for a home with a healthy center. Hughes doesn’t know who his winger will be next season.
Eiserman wouldn’t be his winger next season, but he might be there sooner rather than later. Despite his age, the Devils might push to get his scoring prowess in the NHL. We have to see how he reacts to NCAA hockey. Luckily, he’s going to a great Boston University program that can work out some of those kinks under Jay Pandolfo.
Tij Iginla
Kelowna Rockets
Tij Iginla had a rocket strapped to his back, as the son of a Hall of Famer has gone from the late-teens, mid-20s range to now a pretty secured top-10 pick. There are a few legitimate reasons for this. For one, many are believing in the pedigree.
Another reason is his insane performance at the U18, leading Canada to a gold medal. He even scored the game-winner for the Canadians, adding the tally in the waning seconds of a major penalty that changed the game for the Americans. In total, he finished with 12 points in just seven games. He almost averaged a goal per game, showing he truly might just be a late bloomer ahead of the draft.
Iginla was pretty mediocre coming into this season. Our friend Lyle Richardson with Bleacher Report didn’t even have him in his “way-too-early” mock draft from last summer (it’s also especially cruel to see the Devils expected to select 31st overall). He had just 18 points in 48 games with the Seattle Thunderbird of the WHL. He was sent to Kelowna, and he exploded with 47 goals and 84 points in 64 games.
We’ve seen these types of explosions of points in the WHL before. Gaining just a little bit of muscle mass will give players a severe advantage. Iginla might not even be available when the Devils pick, with many saying the Seattle Kraken will make the pick. However, the Devils should be ready to make the pick if he falls to them.
Konsta Helenius
Jukurit
Now this one is interesting. Konsta Helenius is trying everything out. He was playing with Jukurit and the U18 team at different points of the year, representing Finland everywhere he could. His production is compared to former second-overall picks Patrik Laine and Kaapo Kakko. He eventually looked like one of the better young players in all of Liiga. That’s what you want from a player in this year’s draft.
Helenius is a slightly undersized center who will grow into his body and should finish up just a hair over six feet tall. He won’t help the Devils’ size issues, but he’s not exactly Johnny Gaudreau.
One slight issue was his performance at the U18 World Championships. Many thought he would take over for Finland, but he was just fine (based on the hype). While other top prospects were putting together insane performances, he finished his tournament with no goals. It’s something that might have him falling from the top international skater midseason to available around the Devils pick (possibly).
What would probably push the Devils to pick Helenius is his two-way game. He’s a great defensive center for his age. He really puts effort into stopping the other team from scoring. His Hockey IQ is through the roof, and the Devils would be getting a player whose ceiling hasn’t been realized yet.
Cayden Lindstrom
Medicine Hat Tigers
While some of the very top picks in this year’s draft aren’t exactly the biggest, the Devils could draft for need and take Cayden Lindstrom. He’s a big, strong center who can push people around when he wants to. He’s enjoying his life as a teenage athlete in a 6’3, 210-pound body.
He’s already a great skater, which is something you want to see from a “big” forward. That’s something the Devils NEED. If you are going to succeed on this team, you have to skate. Even moving away from Lindy Ruff’s system, the Devils will always be an upbeat team. Lindstrom’s skating is exactly what the Devils are looking for.
Many say what the Devils are missing from the forward core is some size and strength. The retort to that is they can’t have players who slow them down. With Lindstrom, they don’t need to choose. He’s a big body with an incredible skillset that would fit in very well with what the Devils already built.
The biggest gripe people have on Lindstrom is his ceiling is probably that of a second-line center. That’s great! How about third-line center? Or maybe he plays the Erik Haula role with Jack Hughes to the highest-possible degree? This has the upside to be a game-changing pick.
Anton Silayev
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
Speaking of big, it's hard to find bigger than the 6'7 behemoth that is Anton Silayev. His size and his ability have allowed him to rocket up this draft. It's such a strange draft, and this is why there's such volatility in the top 20. There is a certain sense of change in the first round, but this year seems different. That's how a player on a KHL team most of us never heard of is now in the conversation for the top 10.
He actually broke a record for U18 scoring in the KHL. It was a record held by Vladimir Tarasenko and wasn't touched by the likes of Kirill Kaprozov or Matvei Michkov. Silayev is a defenseman, and he is now the one with this record.
Will he be able to repeat the offense in the NHL? We have trouble believing that. Maybe he’ll grow, but the record is still just 11 points. That’s okay, because this isn’t why the Devils will draft Silayev. Yes, his size is why he’s even in the top 10 discussion, but his skill is why it wouldn’t be a crazy pick.
This draft might be considered lacking talent, but these five players would be fantastic for the Devils in the future. The draft is just a few weeks away, and now we have finality on their pick. It’s time to see what the Devils are going to do.
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