Prospect Info: 2022 Devils Draft Review, Recap and Grades

[Devs3cups]

I give you hot take. Power isn`t the most talented prospect defenseman outside NHL.

I will admit that, to me, that 1-2-3 is extremely tight. Who do you believe is the top 3 or top 5 D prospects? I always value your opinion and outlook on things, I'd love to read your thoughts!

 

[Guadana]

I will admit that, to me, that 1-2-3 is extremely tight. Who do you believe is the top 3 or top 5 D prospects? I always value your opinion and outlook on things, I'd love to read your thoughts!

I was higher on Power before I was lower on Hughes before.

Now I would say Hughes can be even better defensive defenseman in some situation than Power. And even Nemec. Btw I like Nemec little better than Luke for now.

Power is good without the puck, but what is goin on when he should to make decision with the puck and escape defensive zone? He is losing time. Not everytime, but I saw it by my own eyes. I literally saw how he did mistakes of Mukhamadullin pre draft level in KHL. Against weaker competition. And people repeating that Fitz did wrong choice even now, when Shaq is playing pretty solid game. I`m not telling that Shaq is better than Power, but his skating isnt worser, and he will gain more weight. Power has good ceiling, but positionally he isn`t good, he loses the zone against the cycling time after time. I just can`t put him on the throne.

I like Edvinsson and his floor. He is playing very solid balanced game, he isn`t good as playmaker, but he is very solid transitional game and I like his overall defensive game very much.

For now Sanderson is my top-1 defensive prospect. Hate Ottawa. And afraid. And Detroit. Kasper, Seider, Edvinsson, Soderblom, Bertuzzi, Larkin, even Raymond as offensive force - very hard to play against.

I would say I have
1 Sanderson
2-4 Hughes, Edvinsson, Nemec
5 Faber

Can`t say where I have Niemela, missed him last year, Jiricek is very controversial for me. I like Nemec`s iq, I believe guy will develope his weaknesses. I think Edvinsson doesnt have high offensive upside, but he has awesome defensive ceiling and will produce some points just because of his skating, transitional game and good partners. For example I like Slavin much more than the most defensemen in the league. And now he figured it out how to produce more.

I don`t know where I have Power. I like him as a concept, I liked how he simplify his game in NHL, may be Buffalo should use him not as a dominant force, but protect him and give him more space. With some... speedy, defensive oriented guy in pair. But I think Guys like Hughes and Nemec have better offensive ceiling. I like Sanderson more overall. And I think Sanderson, Edvinsson and Faber have better defensive ceiling.

 

[Devs3cups]

I was higher on Power before I was lower on Hughes before.

Now I would say Hughes can be even better defensive defenseman in some situation than Power. And even Nemec. Btw I like Nemec little better than Luke for now.

Power is good without the puck, but what is goin on when he should to make decision with the puck and escape defensive zone? He is losing time. Not everytime, but I saw it by my own eyes. I literally saw how he did mistakes of Mukhamadullin pre draft level in KHL. Against weaker competition. And people repeating that Fitz did wrong choice even now, when Shaq is playing pretty solid game. I`m not telling that Shaq is better than Power, but his skating isnt worser, and he will gain more weight. Power has good ceiling, but positionally he isn`t good, he loses the zone against the cycling time after time. I just can`t put him on the throne.

I like Edvinsson and his floor. He is playing very solid balanced game, he isn`t good as playmaker, but he is very solid transitional game and I like his overall defensive game very much.

For now Sanderson is my top-1 defensive prospect. Hate Ottawa. And afraid. And Detroit. Kasper, Seider, Edvinsson, Soderblom, Bertuzzi, Larkin, even Raymond as offensive force - very hard to play against.

I would say I have
1 Sanderson
2-4 Hughes, Edvinsson, Nemec
5 Faber

Can`t say where I have Niemela, missed him last year, Jiricek is very controversial for me. I like Nemec`s iq, I believe guy will develope his weaknesses. I think Edvinsson doesnt have high offensive upside, but he has awesome defensive ceiling and will produce some points just because of his skating, transitional game and good partners. For example I like Slavin much more than the most defensemen in the league. And now he figured it out how to produce more.

I don`t know where I have Power. I like him as a concept, I liked how he simplify his game in NHL, may be Buffalo should use him not as a dominant force, but protect him and give him more space. With some... speedy, defensive oriented guy in pair. But I think Guys like Hughes and Nemec have better offensive ceiling. I like Sanderson more overall. And I think Sanderson, Edvinsson and Faber have better defensive ceiling.

Thanks for the post! I definitely respect your list, it's fairly similar to mine actually! Good stuff!

 

[Guadana]

Until December. Omg. What we are going to do? We even didn't make a podcast, didn't open our own YouTube channel and even didn't start our own prospects tv show. Can fell this year completed without it.

Its a best Fitz draft. The only thing I regret that we drafted Hauser and few picks later Dallasdrafted Mayorov. He was my goalie pick on this draft. Big, mobile, with good stats. Could be a great addition as a potential starter after 5-7 years from the draft.

And I would prefer to trade some second third round picks for Smith or Zacha. There were enough forwards with top 6 potential. Smith especially. Afrer next year Devils should invite Luke. And even Nemec may be. Graves and Sevs deals will come to an end. It could be to much rockie defensemen for one nhl season. They should start now and open the spot for Okhotiuk and Bahl to make for them a room for adapting and playing nhl roles, to have more experience and find a way to build their groove in nhl. I don't wanna see defensive line full of pp defensemen or be in the situation where we should try to invite 3 defensemen in the same time. Even two defensemen is too much, if we have play off ambition in the next two seasons.Hope they will give Nemec and Luke all the time they need in AHL to mature and adapt their game for NA adult level.

Draft was very good, but I can't give the maximum rank when I saw Carolina, who did draft 4-5 guys with real NHL potential without first round picks. It's phenomenal.

I'm rethinking what I thought about draft.
And I think I can't give A for the draft to Fitz. It is still his best draft if we try to give a mark for draft day job. May be some other year will give us more nhl players, there were a lot of people, me include, who wasn't exited about previous draft, but in some reality we would have even 4 nhl players from it.
Anyway. I'm looking at teams like nyr, Ottawa, Anaheim, Detroit. Teams are trying to build young core of skilled and grit players. In the same persons. They have enough young players who can do both.
And Devils don't. Their top 4 prospects Nemec, Hughes, Gritsyuk and Holtz aren't of that type. May be Mercer would develop physical and aggressive part of his game(he looks like he would never do things, that Kasper, Othmann, Gaucher or Tkachuk would). Nico is a player who is hard to play against, but I would say I want to take away some physical part of the game from him to save his health and open space for his creative part of his game.

I like pick of Casey in vacuum, I like player, but now I think I prefer Fitz would adress huge need in that moment. Would be great if Stillman could develop into the third noisy liner who can score some goals and be annoying for opponents. There were a lot of talks about be the team that is hard to play against, but Nemec and Casey are the ones of most gente players of the draft.

I hope Fitz will start adress that need on the draft, will trade some defensive prospects for forward prospects, who can be goal scorers and create the space for partners and cut the space from opponents in the same time.

I would say only Zetterlund and Thompson are the only guys who could be that type of players and for now we can't pencil them as potential top 6 forwards. Even third line job is a height for them.

I don't know who, I don't know how, but Fitz should have 4-5-6 players for top 9, who can do both. Who can be strong on the boards, block opponents for shot them down or create space for partners, tall and grit, doesn't give a breath. I can pencil Nico, for now I can pencil Palat. May be Yegor and Dawson could develope this parts of the game. But I would say Fitz should find 3 players of needs type with top 6 potential. Some of them will find a place in third line, some of then will find a place in top 6. May be one of then is Zetterlund, may be another one is Thompson, but scouting work should continue, there are a lot to find.

Losing Slavkofsky was really sad. Anyway I'm happy with Nemec, but it doesn't close our needs.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I'm rethinking what I thought about draft.
And I think I can't give A for the draft to Fitz. It is still his best draft if we try to give a mark for draft day job. May be some other year will give us more nhl players, there were a lot of people, me include, who wasn't exited about previous draft, but in some reality we would have even 4 nhl players from it.
Anyway. I'm looking at teams like nyr, Ottawa, Anaheim, Detroit. Teams are trying to build young core of skilled and grit players. In the same persons. They have enough young players who can do both.
And Devils don't. Their top 4 prospects Nemec, Hughes, Gritsyuk and Holtz aren't of that type. May be Mercer would develop physical and aggressive part of his game(he looks like he would never do things, that Kasper, Othmann, Gaucher or Tkachuk would). Nico is a player who is hard to play against, but I would say I want to take away some physical part of the game from him to save his health and open space for his creative part of his game.

I like pick of Casey in vacuum, I like player, but now I think I prefer Fitz would adress huge need in that moment. Would be great if Stillman could develop into the third noisy liner who can score some goals and be annoying for opponents. There were a lot of talks about be the team that is hard to play against, but Nemec and Casey are the ones of most gente players of the draft.

I hope Fitz will start adress that need on the draft, will trade some defensive prospects for forward prospects, who can be goal scorers and create the space for partners and cut the space from opponents in the same time.

I would say only Zetterlund and Thompson are the only guys who could be that type of players and for now we can't pencil them as potential top 6 forwards. Even third line job is a height for them.

I don't know who, I don't know how, but Fitz should have 4-5-6 players for top 9, who can do both. Who can be strong on the boards, block opponents for shot them down or create space for partners, tall and grit, doesn't give a breath. I can pencil Nico, for now I can pencil Palat. May be Yegor and Dawson could develope this parts of the game. But I would say Fitz should find 3 players of needs type with top 6 potential. Some of them will find a place in third line, some of then will find a place in top 6. May be one of then is Zetterlund, may be another one is Thompson, but scouting work should continue, there are a lot to find.

Losing Slavkofsky was really sad. Anyway I'm happy with Nemec, but it doesn't close our needs.

You can full those needs thru trade or FA. High ceilings and elite skill is what I would always target in the draft.

 

[Nubmer6]

May be some other year will give us more nhl players, there were a lot of people, me include, who wasn't exited about previous draft, but in some reality we would have even 4 nhl players from it.

I think the make or break for a draft is 3 NHL regulars. If you find 3, it's successful. If you find 2, it's disappointing.

Mathematically, to break even, you need all your draftees in a year to play a combined 1640 games in their careers. That's 3 players playing about 6.667 years each.

 

[My3Sons]

I think the make or break for a draft is 3 NHL regulars. If you find 3, it's successful. If you find 2, it's disappointing.

Mathematically, to break even, you need all your draftees in a year to play a combined 1640 games in their careers. That's 3 players playing about 6.667 years each.

It would be nice if NJ could have a draft with more than one impact player. Maybe 2020 if we are lucky.

 

[devilsblood]

I think the make or break for a draft is 3 NHL regulars. If you find 3, it's successful. If you find 2, it's disappointing.

Mathematically, to break even, you need all your draftees in a year to play a combined 1640 games in their careers. That's 3 players playing about 6.667 years each.

Quality of said NHL regular needs to be considered, but in general, I think 2 regulars is OK. 3 is pretty good.

 

[Guadana]

You can full those needs thru trade or FA. High ceilings and elite skill is what I would always target in the draft.

Yeah yeah, good stories how we can, but can't. How many other team can, but can't. Some of your top 6 players should make two different jobs in the same time. If we will watch it clearly, internet specialist don't clearly understand, how big level hockey works. Way above average stickhandling making impact in less situations, than good positional game and moves of your partners without the puck. There are only few players who can produce consistently by fast moves, by manipulating of defensemen or stick tricks. Most of them is a hard work, creating space, positional moves on the speed, and ofcourse - good decision making helps a lot.
I know many fans love to draft for skills only, but it is not nhl drafting strategy for the most successful gm's. As I remember you are often missed with drafts in our conversations. With guys like Sanderson and Edvinsson. But we can make a bet. Team like Detroit are trying to bet on skill+grit, team like Buffalo are trying to bet on very skilled players. If one team or another will hit some ceiling, we can decide, which strategy is better.

So, good luck.

I think the make or break for a draft is 3 NHL regulars. If you find 3, it's successful. If you find 2, it's disappointing.

Mathematically, to break even, you need all your draftees in a year to play a combined 1640 games in their careers. That's 3 players playing about 6.667 years each.

3 is too much. 2 regular NHL players is successful draft. 3 or more - your scouting team is making awesome job.

 

[Goptor]

5 years ago you didn't need to be big to win in the NHL.
10 years ago you didn't need to skate well to win in the NHL.

Trying to draft players that would be perfect fits in the NHL today doesn't always work.

 

[Guadana]

15 years ago you don’t need to draft to win in the NHL.
20 years ago you don’t need to score to win in the NHL.
35 years ago you don’t need to play in NHL to win in the NHL.
55 years ago all you need is love.