This is the 1st draft in awhile where beading into it I'm not to concerned in the back of my mind about us drafting an organizational need per say. I was skeptical about drafting Luke last year just to appease Jack for a long term deal but as it turns out it looks like a good pick so far even though we need right shot d men more tha left. Seeing Smith struggle his 2nd year makes the Luke pick even that much more important. Going into this draft I'd prefer a Defensman but I won't complain if we somehow wind up with Savoie , Coolry or Slafkovsk. We have a alot of young forwards on the team but getting another potential top line forward couldn't hurt. Slafovsky is that big bodied skilled player that could work wonders in our top 6 if he pans out , a player like Miko Rantanen.
I would say the opposite. This is a draft in which the Devils have a major opportunity to fill several organizational needs, as player-types the organization is desperate for will be available with several picks.
The Devils have neglected RD -- foolishly -- in the past two drafts when they had several viable options available to them. This is biting the team right now, as they have one opening this year with Subban gone and another one impending next year with the end of the Severson contract. Fortunately, the Devils have a very good chance at two franchise-type RD in David Jiricek or Simon Nemec. In the 2nd and 3rd round, there are several more intriguing names, notably Sam Rinzel, Maveric Lamoureux and Noah Warren.
Were the Devils to pass on a Jiricek or Nemec for a Savoie or Cooley (which is extremely unlikely), it would be catastrophic. As good as those two centers are, where do they fit in a future Devils depth chart? Neither is supplanting Hughes or Hischier as a top 6 center, and though Savoie has shown he can also play RW, he doesn't offer the elite shooting of Holtz or the complete game of Mercer. It's a worst case scenario for Savoie and a complication for the Devils at the expense of an obvious need at RD. As for Cooley, he has little experience at LW, and he's another forward who does his best work on the perimeter when the Devils need interior forwards.
It is for this reason why Juraj Slafkovsky must interest the Devils. The idea of an elite-skilled, 6'4 power forward playing on a top line with Hughes or Hischier is extremely compelling. Slafkovsky does his best work in the interior and creates room for high-skill linemates, which is contrary to Savoie or Cooley who also need the puck and like to play it around the perimeter. Now, this is not an insult to Savoie or Cooley -- both great players -- but their talents are redundant to Hughes and Bratt and Hischier. Who is going to screen goalies and bang home rebounds? Who is going to create more room down low and win battles down low? Slafkovsky answers these questions, while these questions prevail with a pick of Cooley or Savoie.
It is for this reason that, if Jiricek, Nemec and Slafkovsky are all gone when the Devils pick, I would prefer either Nazar or Gauthier, both of whom feature a more interior style to their game.
The Devils certainly also need center depth, but they need more bottom-6 types who can be found in later rounds. I have repeatedly espoused the talents of such sleepers as Logan Morrison, Brennan Ali, Liam Arnsby, Topi Ronni and Alex Kaskimaki -- all of whom would be great fits later in the draft. With the 1st round pick, it's pretty imperative the Devils fit a need.
I get the "best available player" philosophy. But it must be tempered to some degree. If the Kansas City Chiefs are picking in the first round and the best available player is a quarterback, should they still take him? Obviously not, because they have a 26 year old superstar there in Pat Mahomes -- so the smart thing to do would be to take the next best player, or to trade down. This is sort of the situation with the Devils and top 6 centers or LD -- they're set at those spots for a very long time. The Devils have major needs at 4 spots, and with 9 picks they must address
all of them --
1 Right Defensemen
2 Interior/Power Forwards
3 Depth/Bottom 6 centers
4 Goaltending
I think it's okay to use a couple of the later picks on "luxury" picks. If NJ is picking in the 3th round and a small, skill center with big upside like Noah Ostlund is still there? Then, sure -- grab him. If they're picking in the 4th round and potential top-4 LD Arseni Koromyslov is still there? Then, fine, grab him. But the Devils also have to go into the draft with a strategy of filling some serious needs.
theathletic.com
www.sportingnews.com
