Prospect Info: 2024 25 Devils DRAFT Thread

[JimEIV]

My expectation is they keep Glass in that role. He’s been a nice addition.

I still haven't decided if a 2.5 million dollar qualifying offer is something we should do for Cody Glass?

 

[My3Sons]

I still haven't decided if a 2.5 million dollar qualifying offer is something we should do for Cody Glass?

He’s been creating offense and can play decent defensively. He’s been a good fit with Bratt so you can move him up the lineup in a pinch. I doubt they get a better player for $2.5. Just my thoughts.

 

[JimEIV]

He’s been creating offense and can play decent defensively. He’s been a good fit with Bratt so you can move him up the lineup in a pinch. I doubt they get a better player for $2.5. Just my thoughts.

I definitely can see the "pro" argument. My real stumbling block is can we get someone that can provide a similar role for a 1/3 of the price?

I'm waiting on bated breath to see what Luke makes. I think that'll determine a lot and how much flexibility we have.

 

[Guttersniped]

2025 Draft Profile:

C/LW Michael Misa, Saginaw OHL
Technically, it's impossible to ask much more from a player who is actually great at every aspect of the game, and that's exactly what you're getting with Michael Misa. He's a very good skating kid with ideal size at 6'1-185 who excels virtually every shift, whether at center or wing, whether 5x5, on the PP or PK. He simply does it all, he's torn apart the OHL for an eye popping 59-67-126 stat line in just 62 games, and although his ultimate upside might be a tick below Matt Schaefer and James Hagens, you really can't go wrong drafting Misa anywhere in the top 3 of the 2025 draft.

Misa is easy to write up because he checks every box in the book at somewhere between "very good" and "exceptional". When he first entered the OHL I was a bit concerned about his then-average skating, but he's worked hard on it and it's now not just a strength, but a visible plus attribute. His straight line speed is good-not-great, but his stops and starts and edges and explosiveness have all become borderline high-end factors in his game.

Like most picks regarded so highly, it's tough to speak of his intangibles in anything other than complete superlatives. This is a kid who lives and breathes and bleeds hockey, who gives his all every shift whether his team is leading or losing by four goals. He works his tail off in all three ends. Misa's IQ is as high as any forward in the draft. He's always in the right place, especially in the offensive zone. He anticipates plays several steps ahead of the players trying to defend him, and he sees the ice like a chess grandmaster.

Misa's combination of elite puck handling, elite passing, elite offensive IQ and near-elite shooting make him a multi-faceted threat who is almost resistant to defensive adjustments. He likes to try new things and he's good at everything. Play him to pass and he'll rocket a puck into a corner, play him to shoot and he'll lace a seeing-eye sauce, double team him and he'll stickhandle through two guys to find space. He's going to pile up points at any level.

Misa is not a shut-down defensive forward at this level, but it's safe to say he's very good in his own zone. His competitiveness and smarts give him potential here. I'd say my only question about the kid is if he's a center or LW at the NHL level. Though he's a very good center, when he simplifies his game to the wing it really frees him up to dominate, and as such the Wolves' coaching staff has probably played him more on the flank than up the middle.

Ultimately, my conclusion on where to draft Michael Misa depends on where you think he'll play in the NHL. If you think he's a wing, that's fine -- he's quite clearly the best winger in the draft, and you probably take him 3rd after Schaefer and Hagens, who play more vital positions at LD and C. But if you think he's a center? I'm not sure there's a spot in the 2025 draft which is really "too early", because you're looking at an all-around PP+ NHL first liner who oozes heart and smarts.

For no good reason this is what I think of when I see Michael Misa’s name:

“Meesa Misa.”

 

[Brodeur]

U18s starting up in a couple weeks. Unfortunately this tournament gets badly overshadowed by the opening round of the NHL playoffs. Looks like Sweden was the first to declare their roster although a couple of the bigger names might still be in the SEL playoffs.

 

[The Wumpus]

1. Draft Cullen Potter
2. Put on line with Paul Cotter
3.

 

[Remparts666]

.

 

[Brodeur]

Sounds like back-to-back below average crops for the USNTDP unfortunately. Doesn't sound like there's any potential top 10 picks for 2025 or 2026 that'll be on this year's team. Sweden and Canada definitely look like they'll have more high end firepower on paper.

Also makes me feel old seeing Donny Bracco on the roster. I was unknowingly sitting next to Bracco's grandmothers at the 2015 Draft (his older brother went in round 2) who were watching Donny and trying to keep him from running around the arena.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Watching Alex Bump in the NCAA tourney reminded me why it's always good to swing for the fences with late round picks, as opposed to to "giving all the scouts a guy" or grabbing over-agers with the idea of filling out your AHL roster one day. Philly's got a really promising prospect here, and the 2nd line scoring W upside is absolutely legit.

From my write-up of Bump in his draft-eligible campaign:


LW Alex Bump, Omaha USHL (STI Ranking #77, McKenzie: Not Ranked)
I don't know what to make of this kid, because one game he'll look like an early second round pick and the next he'll leave you scratching your head wondering why he did pretty much everything he did. But Bump's talent level is extremely high, and though there will be a whole lot of finger-crossing if you draft him, he's the type of player with very real NHL scoring upside who can make you look like a genius for taking him in the 6th round.

Bump started the season in the Minnesota USHS circuit for Prior Lake High and absolutely shredded it for 37 goals and 68 points in just 26 games. He then moved on to the Omaha Lancers, where he has scored at a fairly impressive pace of 11 points in 14 games. My analysis is based on his play in Omaha, as I did not get to watch him in any of his high school games.

Bump offers a good combination of size and speed at 6'0-195 with very good skating ability and directional mobility. He's a flashy stickhandler who can turn defenders inside out with a litany of moves. The problem is, he's always trying to do this. Alex Bump plays hockey like a live-action video game, and when it works for him it's extremely impressive, but when it doesn't he can leave his team in a bit of a lurch. When Bump does get into shooting position, he's deadly. He's utterly mastered the "toe-drag then snap it", as he's deftly able to hold the puck out as almost a decoy, before quickly changing the angle to fool the defenders and goal-keepers. His shot is both heavy and quick on the release, and his combination of puck skills and shooting ability would have to set his upside as a 2nd line scorer at the professional level.

 

[Brodeur]

I assume it's for budgetary reasons, but it always seems a little odd that Central releases their final rankings prior to the U18s. I suppose the argument is that a two week tournament shouldn't alter rankings that much, but there's usually a handful of guys every year who make a big leap. Jake Allen had a good showing at the 2008 U18s and that vaulted him from being the 8th goalie on Central's ranking of North American goalies to being the 4th goalie off the board.

 

[Brodeur]

Reading the rankings now, O'Brien at #4 and Mrtka at #5 on the NA list over Martone is interesting. I had been nudging O'Brien ahead of McQueen for my fantasy hockey rankings. I was trying to shoehorn Mrtka to either Buffalo or Anaheim in a mock draft but maybe that's not the most crazy thought. Although I anticipate somebody in my fantasy league to get blinded by Mrtka's WHL numbers (35 points in 43 games). I'm not sure those numbers would translate but he still looks like a solid enough defender.

 

[Billdo]

I definitely can see the "pro" argument. My real stumbling block is can we get someone that can provide a similar role for a 1/3 of the price?

I'm waiting on bated breath to see what Luke makes. I think that'll determine a lot and how much flexibility we have.

A 1/3 of 2.5 probably doesn't get us anything much better than a Dowling and almost certainly doesn't get us a Glass. He's been good with us, he will almost certainly not stay healthy for a full schedule so I do have some reservations.

 

[My3Sons]

A 1/3 of 2.5 probably doesn't get us anything much better than a Dowling and almost certainly doesn't get us a Glass. He's been good with us, he will almost certainly not stay healthy for a full schedule so I do have some reservations.

Glass gives NJ a skilled player that can play a stint in the top six in case of injury. He's far from perfect but he seems to be a good fit and really helps with roster flexibility.

 

[evnted]

Reading the rankings now, O'Brien at #4 and Mrtka at #5 on the NA list over Martone is interesting. I had been nudging O'Brien ahead of McQueen for my fantasy hockey rankings. I was trying to shoehorn Mrtka to either Buffalo or Anaheim in a mock draft but maybe that's not the most crazy thought. Although I anticipate somebody in my fantasy league to get blinded by Mrtka's WHL numbers (35 points in 43 games). I'm not sure those numbers would translate but he still looks like a solid enough defender.

definitely like obrien, incredible playmaking vision and ability. im a little uneasy over how pp reliant his production is, but thats not to say im coming away from his 5v5 play overly concerned. will need to grow in terms of pace, physicality, not always deferring to a pass, etc. feel like ive seen at least some progression in those areas over the course of the season, which gives optimism

mcqueen is such a tough read. this isnt a lindstrom scenario where the baseline identity/performance is so solid that we can wave away all the missed time, i have no idea what this player is supposed to be. big, mobile, right shot center, obviously very valuable, but i dont really see him take over games, i dont always see him know how to use his frame (though this has been better in later viewings), theres two way support but hes not a defensive player, hes skilled but apart from his hands im not sure any one component is that high end, i like his game sense but again im not sure if its some elite trait, and so on. very uncomfortable player to rank. feels just as likely that youd get burned for going too high on him as youd get burned for going too low

in comparison to martone, if you guys remember i was trying to throw cold water on him at the beginning of the year because i just didnt see the 1OA caliber player some outlets were hyping up. hes very much not some tkachuk/perry type player like people say, and for as much as hes considered some super competitor, i see him get pretty lax away from play, when plays dont work out, and when the teams down. now, that said, theres such a rarity to his profile that i still like him above the other two for now. obrien can flip that with a strong enough postseason, potentially, but i dont expect to put mcqueen above him. martone, in spite of his warts, has some tremendous playmaking vision on top of a near automatic goal scoring ability in tight to the net, all in such a big, heavy package. i think hes ones of those kids who you just kinda deal with the down side of because its so hard to find a similar player

and very much true with mrtka, solid defensive prospect. some complaint over awareness, play getting behind him, not being as mean/physical as he should be, etc. but his defensive fundamentals, ability to close gaps, etc. are all quite strong, and when you're talking a huge, right shot defender like that, theres definitely a pro to some degree here. dropping down to NA this season was a big help for him. production is absolutely misrepresented by virtue of being the primary blue line option for the tbirds (we're talking playing upwards of about half the game most nights). that said, though, he has some vision, and hes not bad at all with moving pucks. for reference, i would take silayev over every defender in this class, and he wasnt even my best available when we picked

 

[StevenToddIves]

Reading the rankings now, O'Brien at #4 and Mrtka at #5 on the NA list over Martone is interesting. I had been nudging O'Brien ahead of McQueen for my fantasy hockey rankings. I was trying to shoehorn Mrtka to either Buffalo or Anaheim in a mock draft but maybe that's not the most crazy thought. Although I anticipate somebody in my fantasy league to get blinded by Mrtka's WHL numbers (35 points in 43 games). I'm not sure those numbers would translate but he still looks like a solid enough defender.

Mrtka is an extremely solid defense prospect, the problem is that in most drafts he's a guy you look at in the 15-25 range and this draft is thin enough that he could squeeze into the top 10. But there's nothing not to like with this player, he's a good bet for a good, two-way 2nd pairing type NHL D.

 

[StevenToddIves]

definitely like obrien, incredible playmaking vision and ability. im a little uneasy over how pp reliant his production is, but thats not to say im coming away from his 5v5 play overly concerned. will need to grow in terms of pace, physicality, not always deferring to a pass, etc. feel like ive seen at least some progression in those areas over the course of the season, which gives optimism

mcqueen is such a tough read. this isnt a lindstrom scenario where the baseline identity/performance is so solid that we can wave away all the missed time, i have no idea what this player is supposed to be. big, mobile, right shot center, obviously very valuable, but i dont really see him take over games, i dont always see him know how to use his frame (though this has been better in later viewings), theres two way support but hes not a defensive player, hes skilled but apart from his hands im not sure any one component is that high end, i like his game sense but again im not sure if its some elite trait, and so on. very uncomfortable player to rank. feels just as likely that youd get burned for going too high on him as youd get burned for going too low

in comparison to martone, if you guys remember i was trying to throw cold water on him at the beginning of the year because i just didnt see the 1OA caliber player some outlets were hyping up. hes very much not some tkachuk/perry type player like people say, and for as much as hes considered some super competitor, i see him get pretty lax away from play, when plays dont work out, and when the teams down. now, that said, theres such a rarity to his profile that i still like him above the other two for now. obrien can flip that with a strong enough postseason, potentially, but i dont expect to put mcqueen above him. martone, in spite of his warts, has some tremendous playmaking vision on top of a near automatic goal scoring ability in tight to the net, all in such a big, heavy package. i think hes ones of those kids who you just kinda deal with the down side of because its so hard to find a similar player

and very much true with mrtka, solid defensive prospect. some complaint over awareness, play getting behind him, not being as mean/physical as he should be, etc. but his defensive fundamentals, ability to close gaps, etc. are all quite strong, and when you're talking a huge, right shot defender like that, theres definitely a pro to some degree here. dropping down to NA this season was a big help for him. production is absolutely misrepresented by virtue of being the primary blue line option for the tbirds (we're talking playing upwards of about half the game most nights). that said, though, he has some vision, and hes not bad at all with moving pucks. for reference, i would take silayev over every defender in this class, and he wasnt even my best available when we picked

I like Martone, I just don't like the fact that he's been described at length as a totally different type of player than the one I see when I watch him. It's a bit weird, to be honest. He's not so physical or high-compete, he's a very high-skill guy in a very big frame. I'd still rank him higher if he were a better skater.

O'Brien and McQueen are also players with palpable talent but also many questions. The type of guys you'd normally look at with a pick in the teens somewhere. Unfortunately, this draft is a bit light on high-upside guys, so players like this move up in the rankings and get scrutinized as such.

Nothing not to like about Mrtka. He's a high-floor, surefire NHL D. Again, he's a guy you'd love in the 20-25 range in most drafts who is a bit of a stretch where he'll go in 2025, but that's not his fault. This year is certainly a year to draft safe.

 

[Brodeur]

Draft lottery will happen after the first round, so it'll be a couple weeks before I can do some futile mock drafting with the correct order.

Couple interesting season finales in terms of positioning.

Philly@Buffalo - Flyers would get #4 (pre-lottery) with a regulation loss but would drop to #7 with a regulation win.

Buffalo could finish between #6-8. Pittsburgh can be #7-9. Detroit can be #11-13.

One scenario I've been conjuring is Yzerman calling up his former lieutenant Pat Verbeek and trading up with Anaheim so Detroit can land the one of the centers.

 

[Brodeur]

Futile mock 1.0: Pre-lottery edition

1. San Jose - LD Matthew Schaefer

Sharks add a cornerstone D to the mix.

2. Chicago - C/LW Michael Misa

Blackhawks tried to trade back into last year's draft for Ivan Demidov. They can land Misa here to flank Bedard. Some questions about whether Misa will be a center or wing as a pro, but here they have some flexibility.

3. Nashville - C Anton Frondell

Nashville has been on the hunt for a 1C for seemingly their entire existence and Trotz tried to trade up for Fantilli/Carlsson/Smith in 2023. Not sure if there's clear separation between Hagens/Desnoyers/Hagens, but Frondell seems to be trending up lately.

4. Philadelphia - C Caleb Desnoyers

They took the slightly undersized Jett Luchanko last year, so that might cause them to pass over James Hagens. Desnoyers has been dominating the QMJHL playoffs so far. As a small bonus, the Flyers drafted his older brother a few years back.

5. Boston - C James Hagens

Easy PR win for the Bruins to draft somebody from Boston College.

6. Seattle - RW Porter Martone

Kraken have drafted forwards with their first four first rounders, but perhaps GM Ron Francis borrowed the "don't draft a D in the first round" mentality from his previous stop in Carolina.

7. Buffalo - RD Radim Mrtka

Sabres have been searching for a steady RHD for awhile. Feels like a little bit of a reach but they probably can't trade down and risk Anaheim possibly taking Mrtka.

8. Anaheim => Detroit - C Jake O'Brien

Steve Yzerman calls up his apprentice Pat Verbeek to arrange a trade up to get his choice in centers. Anaheim picks up a 2nd rounder to move down a few spots; Anaheim previously dealt its 2nd in the Gauthier/Drysdale trade.

9. Pittsburgh - C Roger McQueen

Penguins maybe a little bummed in this scenario and settle for McQueen an eventual guy to fill the Malkin void. Maybe with Kyle Dubas' Sault Ste. Marie connections, Brady Martin could be a consideration?

10. NY Islanders - LD Jackson Smith

Isles could use a little bit of everything as they restock the cupboard. They picked up Cal Ritchie at the deadline, so picking up a defender might make sense.

11. NY Rangers=>Columbus - LW/RW Victor Eklund

Eklund drops a bit due to positional needs from other clubs. Rangers don't need another winger so they drop a couple spots to pick up some draft capital. Columbus probably happy to add a top 10 caliber talent.

12. Detroit => Anaheim - LW/C Carter Bear

Verbeek moves down and gets a heart and soul type guy in Bear who could remind Verbeek of himself. Anaheim drafted Bear's teammate Tarin Smith last year.

13. Columbus => NY Rangers - C Brady Martin

Rangers add a center prospect as Zibanejad/Miller are aging. Martin has some similarities to Chris Drury.

14. Utah - LD Kashawn Aitcheson

Utah used a late 1st to draft Aitcheson's teammate Cole Beaudoin last year. Aitcheson sounds like a Bryan McCabe fan favorite type.

15. Vancouver => Anaheim - RD Logan Hensler

Vancouver is apparently shopping this pick for immediate help; They had already parlayed the 1st from the J.T. Miller trade to get Marcus Pettersson. Essentially they're aware they have Quinn Hughes under contract for two more years so they need to show some improvement. So here I have them moving the pick to Anaheim for Trevor Zegras. Zegras is a Hughes family buddy which is a bonus.

Meanwhile Anaheim nearly traded Zegras at last year's draft and things didn't seem to improve this season. So it might be time for a change of scenery as Zegras will be RFA after next season. Anaheim has a stacked pipeline but could use a steady RHD. Trouba/Gudas are UFA in 2026, so Hensler could be a candidate to replace them in a couple seasons.

16. Montreal (via CAL) - C Jack Nesbitt

The 6'4 Nesbitt has been steadily rising. He'd provide a decent contrast to Nick Suzuki and 2024 1st rounder Michael Hage down the middle going forward for Montreal.

 

[Guadana]

Desnoyers said he wants to play for flyers because of his brother.

 

[nugg]

Sounds like back-to-back below average crops for the USNTDP unfortunately. Doesn't sound like there's any potential top 10 picks for 2025 or 2026 that'll be on this year's team. Sweden and Canada definitely look like they'll have more high end firepower on paper.

Also makes me feel old seeing Donny Bracco on the roster. I was unknowingly sitting next to Bracco's grandmothers at the 2015 Draft (his older brother went in round 2) who were watching Donny and trying to keep him from running around the arena.

There's a great movie about him. Fugetabattit...

 

[nugg]

Does anyone know if we managed to keep our 2nd rounder that could/could've gone to Montreal if Allen played over a certain amount of games? Thanks.

 

[ecco]

Does anyone know if we managed to keep our 2nd rounder that could/could've gone to Montreal if Allen played over a certain amount of games? Thanks.

Yes, we have that pick. Allen only played 31 games this year and he needed to play 40.

 

[devilsfan950003]

Checking out cap space and contracts, unless they unload some contracts, like Palat, Haula, Dillon, they're going have the same pathetic line up next season.

Not much cap space to even tweak the lineup.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Futile mock 1.0: Pre-lottery edition

1. San Jose - LD Matthew Schaefer

Sharks add a cornerstone D to the mix.

2. Chicago - C/LW Michael Misa

Blackhawks tried to trade back into last year's draft for Ivan Demidov. They can land Misa here to flank Bedard. Some questions about whether Misa will be a center or wing as a pro, but here they have some flexibility.

3. Nashville - C Anton Frondell

Nashville has been on the hunt for a 1C for seemingly their entire existence and Trotz tried to trade up for Fantilli/Carlsson/Smith in 2023. Not sure if there's clear separation between Hagens/Desnoyers/Hagens, but Frondell seems to be trending up lately.

4. Philadelphia - C Caleb Desnoyers

They took the slightly undersized Jett Luchanko last year, so that might cause them to pass over James Hagens. Desnoyers has been dominating the QMJHL playoffs so far. As a small bonus, the Flyers drafted his older brother a few years back.

5. Boston - C James Hagens

Easy PR win for the Bruins to draft somebody from Boston College.

6. Seattle - RW Porter Martone

Kraken have drafted forwards with their first four first rounders, but perhaps GM Ron Francis borrowed the "don't draft a D in the first round" mentality from his previous stop in Carolina.

7. Buffalo - RD Radim Mrtka

Sabres have been searching for a steady RHD for awhile. Feels like a little bit of a reach but they probably can't trade down and risk Anaheim possibly taking Mrtka.

8. Anaheim => Detroit - C Jake O'Brien

Steve Yzerman calls up his apprentice Pat Verbeek to arrange a trade up to get his choice in centers. Anaheim picks up a 2nd rounder to move down a few spots; Anaheim previously dealt its 2nd in the Gauthier/Drysdale trade.

9. Pittsburgh - C Roger McQueen

Penguins maybe a little bummed in this scenario and settle for McQueen an eventual guy to fill the Malkin void. Maybe with Kyle Dubas' Sault Ste. Marie connections, Brady Martin could be a consideration?

10. NY Islanders - LD Jackson Smith

Isles could use a little bit of everything as they restock the cupboard. They picked up Cal Ritchie at the deadline, so picking up a defender might make sense.

11. NY Rangers=>Columbus - LW/RW Victor Eklund

Eklund drops a bit due to positional needs from other clubs. Rangers don't need another winger so they drop a couple spots to pick up some draft capital. Columbus probably happy to add a top 10 caliber talent.

12. Detroit => Anaheim - LW/C Carter Bear

Verbeek moves down and gets a heart and soul type guy in Bear who could remind Verbeek of himself. Anaheim drafted Bear's teammate Tarin Smith last year.

13. Columbus => NY Rangers - C Brady Martin

Rangers add a center prospect as Zibanejad/Miller are aging. Martin has some similarities to Chris Drury.

14. Utah - LD Kashawn Aitcheson

Utah used a late 1st to draft Aitcheson's teammate Cole Beaudoin last year. Aitcheson sounds like a Bryan McCabe fan favorite type.

15. Vancouver => Anaheim - RD Logan Hensler

Vancouver is apparently shopping this pick for immediate help; They had already parlayed the 1st from the J.T. Miller trade to get Marcus Pettersson. Essentially they're aware they have Quinn Hughes under contract for two more years so they need to show some improvement. So here I have them moving the pick to Anaheim for Trevor Zegras. Zegras is a Hughes family buddy which is a bonus.

Meanwhile Anaheim nearly traded Zegras at last year's draft and things didn't seem to improve this season. So it might be time for a change of scenery as Zegras will be RFA after next season. Anaheim has a stacked pipeline but could use a steady RHD. Trouba/Gudas are UFA in 2026, so Hensler could be a candidate to replace them in a couple seasons.

16. Montreal (via CAL) - C Jack Nesbitt

The 6'4 Nesbitt has been steadily rising. He'd provide a decent contrast to Nick Suzuki and 2024 1st rounder Michael Hage down the middle going forward for Montreal.

Nice job. "Futile" mock haha.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Desnoyers said he wants to play for flyers because of his brother.

I was a big fan of Elliott Desnoyers too, if you recall.