The New Jersey Devils, after an extremely disappointing 2025-26 season, own the 12th overall selection in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. There is certainly debate as to whether or not the pick should be traded or kept, with legitimate arguments for both. On one hand, the 12th overall pick may not be NHL-ready for several years, and the Devils are in the midst of what should be their Cup contention window. On the other hand, the Devils lack a legitimate blue-chip prospect, with some regression from 2024 tenth overall selection Anton Silayev and a lack of first-round picks in recent years.
For Devils fans looking to keep the pick and use it for a high-end prospect, some good tidings showed up a day ago.
Yesterday, Corey Pronman of The Athletic published an article in which six scouts and executives were polled to predict the first ten picks of the 2026 Draft. Of note, two players the Devils should have eyes on did not place in the top ten: Viggo Björck and Wyatt Cullen.
Cullen received three votes in the exercise (two for ninth overall, one for tenth), while Björck received none at all.
This should be a breath of fresh air for those yearning for a true high-end prospect to drop to the Devils' spot in the draft, especially if it ends up true that Björck is the more likely of the two to fall. As great as Cullen is as a prospect -- between his extremely high offensive IQ, lightning-fast hands, and superb playmaking ability, he's a very high-ceiling player -- Björck would be the real steal.
The undersized center from Sweden has made plenty of noise over the course of the season, forcing himself into the top five of most pundit and outlet rankings. Björck has the best work ethic in the draft class -- a must for any highly touted player of his stature -- with quick-twitch stickhandling abilities, a strong shot, and smarts that rival the very best in the class. Defensively, there is perhaps no player as mature as he is in this crop of draftees.
At the World Championships, Björck has played top-line minutes for Sweden while playing against NHLers like Macklin Celebrini, Sidney Crosby, Nico Hischier, and Matthew Tkachuk. Björck, so far, has accrued one goal and six points in seven games while wowing analysts with his board-battling abilities and nonstop motor. He has connected with fellow top prospect Ivar Stenberg and Red Wings star Lucas Raymond on a myriad of goals and opportunities at both even strength and on the power play, and has looked like one of the most threatening players on the Swedish team.
The presumptive drop is for one reason and one reason only: his size. Björck's listed height is under 5'10", well below what is comfortable for many NHL General Managers when it comes to actually pulling the trigger on an ultra-talented prospect. The same fate befell Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Logan Stankoven, and, among names that have not yet reached the NHL (but should), Cameron Schmidt, LJ Mooney, and Adam Benák.
The New Jersey Devils could get very lucky if Viggo Bjorck falls to them in the NHL Draft
You'll notice that the players on that list who have made the NHL have been incredible players. Caufield was runner-up for the Rocket Richard, with 51 regular-season goals, and is a finalist for the Lady Byng award. Lane Hutson was in and around the Norris Trophy conversation all season despite not being a finalist, and Stankoven is currently a part of the most dangerous line in playoff hockey. The non-NHLers have been lighting up their respective leagues as well, and certainly all look the part of future impact NHLers at this point in time.
So, then, one would expect GMs to learn their lesson about overvaluing size -- or rather, undervaluing undersized players -- when that player has the ilk of a top-tier prospect. However, the success of first-round-caliber talents with size deficiencies has not persuaded GMs to be any more prudent when it comes to preferring skill to size. With that, it's entirely possible, if not plausible, that Björck is available with the Devils' 12th overall selection.
If he is, Sunny Mehta would be wise to throw size to the wind and choose who is arguably the third-most talented player in the draft. The Devils could certainly use the scoring talent.
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