Prospect Info: 2024 25 Devils DRAFT Thread

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Commissioner Gary Bettman will announce the first selection, but the remaining 31 picks in the first round will be announced by special guests, such as a celebrity with a tie to a particular team or a current or former player from the team making the pick.

We probably won't have to worry about it, but I guess we could have asked to send Patrick Warburton who lives close-ish to downtown LA.

I'm overly hopeful for an Office (Steve Carell / Jenna Fischer) or Anchorman (Will Ferrell / Vince Vaughn / Carell) reunion.

I'd imagine it'll be mostly former players, but for fun, potential celebrities with some ties to the teams:

1. San Jose - Neil Young
2. Chicago - Vince Vaughn
3. Nashville - Nicole Kidman / Carrie Underwood
4. Buffalo - Jim Kelly?
5. Philadelphia - Rob McElhinney
6. Seattle - Rainn Wilson / Marshawn Lynch
7. Pittsburgh - Michael Keaton / Russell Crowe
8. Anaheim - Emilio Estevez
9. Boston - Steve Carell
10. Detroit - Kristen Bell
11. NY Rangers - Margot Robbie
12. Utah - Dwyane Wade
13. Columbus - Kirk Herbstreit
14. NY Islanders - Kevin Connolly / Ralph Macchio / Chloe Moretz
15. St. Louis - Jenna Fischer / Jon Hamm
16. Montreal (via CAL) - Viggo Mortenson / Jay Baruchel
17. Montreal - Sami Zayn / Kevin Owens
18. Vancouver - Cobie Smulders / Steve Nash / Michael Buble
19. Ottawa - Tom Green
20. Calgary (via NJD) - Bret Hart / Tate McRae
21. Columbus (via MIN)
22. Los Angeles - Will Ferrell / Retta
23. Philadelphia (via EDM)
24. Chicago (via TOR)
25. Nashville (via TBL)
26. Philadelphia (via COL)
27. Carolina - Stephen Colbert / Evander Holyfield
28. San Jose (via DAL) -
29. Calgary (via FLO) -
30. Nashville (via VGK/SJS) -
31. Winnipeg - Chris Jericho
32. Washington - Pat Sajak / Lynda Carter

Obviously availability would be an issue for most.

GRNHEjoaEAAoAsf


Screen_Shot_2022_07_08_at_4.11.40_PM.png
 



We probably won't have to worry about it, but I guess we could have asked to send Patrick Warburton who lives close-ish to downtown LA.

I'm overly hopeful for an Office (Steve Carell / Jenna Fischer) or Anchorman (Will Ferrell / Vince Vaughn / Carell) reunion.

I'd imagine it'll be mostly former players, but for fun, potential celebrities with some ties to the teams:

1. San Jose - Neil Young
2. Chicago - Vince Vaughn
3. Nashville - Nicole Kidman / Carrie Underwood
4. Buffalo - Jim Kelly?
5. Philadelphia - Rob McElhinney
6. Seattle - Rainn Wilson / Marshawn Lynch
7. Pittsburgh - Michael Keaton / Russell Crowe
8. Anaheim - Emilio Estevez
9. Boston - Steve Carell
10. Detroit - Kristen Bell
11. NY Rangers - Margot Robbie
12. Utah - Dwyane Wade
13. Columbus - Kirk Herbstreit
14. NY Islanders - Kevin Connolly / Ralph Macchio / Chloe Moretz
15. St. Louis - Jenna Fischer / Jon Hamm
16. Montreal (via CAL) - Viggo Mortenson / Jay Baruchel
17. Montreal - Sami Zayn / Kevin Owens
18. Vancouver - Cobie Smulders / Steve Nash / Michael Buble
19. Ottawa - Tom Green
20. Calgary (via NJD) - Bret Hart / Tate McRae
21. Columbus (via MIN)
22. Los Angeles - Will Ferrell / Retta
23. Philadelphia (via EDM)
24. Chicago (via TOR)
25. Nashville (via TBL)
26. Philadelphia (via COL)
27. Carolina - Stephen Colbert / Evander Holyfield
28. San Jose (via DAL) -
29. Calgary (via FLO) -
30. Nashville (via VGK/SJS) -
31. Winnipeg - Chris Jericho
32. Washington - Pat Sajak / Lynda Carter

Obviously availability would be an issue for most.

GRNHEjoaEAAoAsf


Screen_Shot_2022_07_08_at_4.11.40_PM.png
I don't know if they'd have to award Toronto a special pick at the end of the round or they'd appear for Ottawa but Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have to appear for one of the Canadian teams. They should be in the Limelight.
 
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We probably won't have to worry about it, but I guess we could have asked to send Patrick Warburton who lives close-ish to downtown LA.

I'm overly hopeful for an Office (Steve Carell / Jenna Fischer) or Anchorman (Will Ferrell / Vince Vaughn / Carell) reunion.

I'd imagine it'll be mostly former players, but for fun, potential celebrities with some ties to the teams:

1. San Jose - Neil Young
2. Chicago - Vince Vaughn
3. Nashville - Nicole Kidman / Carrie Underwood
4. Buffalo - Jim Kelly?
5. Philadelphia - Rob McElhinney
6. Seattle - Rainn Wilson / Marshawn Lynch
7. Pittsburgh - Michael Keaton / Russell Crowe
8. Anaheim - Emilio Estevez
9. Boston - Steve Carell
10. Detroit - Kristen Bell
11. NY Rangers - Margot Robbie
12. Utah - Dwyane Wade
13. Columbus - Kirk Herbstreit
14. NY Islanders - Kevin Connolly / Ralph Macchio / Chloe Moretz
15. St. Louis - Jenna Fischer / Jon Hamm
16. Montreal (via CAL) - Viggo Mortenson / Jay Baruchel
17. Montreal - Sami Zayn / Kevin Owens
18. Vancouver - Cobie Smulders / Steve Nash / Michael Buble
19. Ottawa - Tom Green
20. Calgary (via NJD) - Bret Hart / Tate McRae
21. Columbus (via MIN)
22. Los Angeles - Will Ferrell / Retta
23. Philadelphia (via EDM)
24. Chicago (via TOR)
25. Nashville (via TBL)
26. Philadelphia (via COL)
27. Carolina - Stephen Colbert / Evander Holyfield
28. San Jose (via DAL) -
29. Calgary (via FLO) -
30. Nashville (via VGK/SJS) -
31. Winnipeg - Chris Jericho
32. Washington - Pat Sajak / Lynda Carter

Obviously availability would be an issue for most.



Maybe a new LA based celeb for Columbus.....
 
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I can't tell if the NHL is behind the times here, ie living in the Covid era where everything was virtual/remote (and it sucked from a TV perspective), or ahead of the curve in that the world is really going in that virtual-remote direction and this pull back to in person is only a temporary phenomena. tj

Guess it will depend on the production.

But I'm getting old and grumpy. I could care less about the celeb's. I just want to see breakdowns of the prospects.
 
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I can't tell if the NHL is behind the times here, ie living in the Covid era where everything was virtual/remote (and it sucked from a TV perspective), or ahead of the curve in that the world is really going in that virtual-remote direction and this pull back to in person is only a temporary phenomena. tj

Guess it will depend on the production.

But I'm getting old and grumpy. I could care less about the celeb's. I just want to see breakdowns of the prospects.
Sorry Mr. "I expect the important people in my life to be able to read" but the rest of us are much more interested in who is making the announcement and what they are wearing on the red carpet.
 



We probably won't have to worry about it, but I guess we could have asked to send Patrick Warburton who lives close-ish to downtown LA.

I'm overly hopeful for an Office (Steve Carell / Jenna Fischer) or Anchorman (Will Ferrell / Vince Vaughn / Carell) reunion.

I'd imagine it'll be mostly former players, but for fun, potential celebrities with some ties to the teams:

1. San Jose - Neil Young
2. Chicago - Vince Vaughn
3. Nashville - Nicole Kidman / Carrie Underwood
4. Buffalo - Jim Kelly?
5. Philadelphia - Rob McElhinney
6. Seattle - Rainn Wilson / Marshawn Lynch
7. Pittsburgh - Michael Keaton / Russell Crowe
8. Anaheim - Emilio Estevez
9. Boston - Steve Carell
10. Detroit - Kristen Bell
11. NY Rangers - Margot Robbie
12. Utah - Dwyane Wade
13. Columbus - Kirk Herbstreit
14. NY Islanders - Kevin Connolly / Ralph Macchio / Chloe Moretz
15. St. Louis - Jenna Fischer / Jon Hamm
16. Montreal (via CAL) - Viggo Mortenson / Jay Baruchel
17. Montreal - Sami Zayn / Kevin Owens
18. Vancouver - Cobie Smulders / Steve Nash / Michael Buble
19. Ottawa - Tom Green
20. Calgary (via NJD) - Bret Hart / Tate McRae
21. Columbus (via MIN)
22. Los Angeles - Will Ferrell / Retta
23. Philadelphia (via EDM)
24. Chicago (via TOR)
25. Nashville (via TBL)
26. Philadelphia (via COL)
27. Carolina - Stephen Colbert / Evander Holyfield
28. San Jose (via DAL) -
29. Calgary (via FLO) -
30. Nashville (via VGK/SJS) -
31. Winnipeg - Chris Jericho
32. Washington - Pat Sajak / Lynda Carter

Obviously availability would be an issue for most.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Sabres is Josh Allen, he's from just outside of Fresno and lives in California during the NFL offseason. He just won MVP and Pegula owns both the Bills and the Sabres.

It would be cool if CM Punk announced one of the Chicago picks.
 
I can't tell if the NHL is behind the times here, ie living in the Covid era where everything was virtual/remote (and it sucked from a TV perspective), or ahead of the curve in that the world is really going in that virtual-remote direction and this pull back to in person is only a temporary phenomena. tj

Guess it will depend on the production.

But I'm getting old and grumpy. I could care less about the celeb's. I just want to see breakdowns of the prospects.

TV production should look close to normal. It was the NHL GMs behind the change rather than something Bettman imposed; Bettman seemingly has said he preferred it the old way where everybody was there. I could understand it from a GM perspective since the travel is rough. Last year's draft for instance:

Friday, June 28th: Round 1
Saturday, June 29th: Rounds 2-7
Sunday, June 30th:
Monday, July 1st: Free Agency

Day 2 last year was especially rough since it started earlier than normal at 8:30am (instead of 10am) because The Sphere needed to clean the venue for a 4pm show. Felt bizarre to force myself to go to sleep around midnight on a perfectly good Friday night in Vegas so I could get up at 6am. I ended up walking in with Tampa's group. The draft wrapped up around 12:30pm. West coast teams probably could stick around for lunch/dinner before flying back. But some east coast teams might have dashed to the airport, while others apparently chose to stay in Vegas for the first day of free agency.

TL;DR a lot of teams were fatigued from the travel and they wanted to be closer to 100% mentally/physically for July 1. Albeit it seemed like most of the big fish free agents already had wink wink agreements in place.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Sabres is Josh Allen, he's from just outside of Fresno and lives in California during the NFL offseason. He just won MVP and Pegula owns both the Bills and the Sabres.

It would be cool if CM Punk announced one of the Chicago picks.

Good call on Josh Allen, although I forget how the NFL offseason looks nowadays with minicamps and OTAs. I would have guessed Ryan Miller as a likely candidate since he lives in California, but it looks like he's a goaltending scout for the Sharks now so he might be busy in the San Jose war room.

Somehow I included Sami/KO but omitted Punk. KO is on Smackdown so that'd probably be a no go for him on that Friday. Maybe Punk would be okay with with some extra flights, but getting a Hollywood actor might be easier.
 




Just for the excuse to have somebody on Michigan to follow, I am going to irrationally advocate using a late round pick on Aidan Park. He was eligible last year but was still playing high school hockey. 5th in USHL scoring at the moment, although he is converting a likely unsustainable 28.6% clip.
 




Just for the excuse to have somebody on Michigan to follow, I am going to irrationally advocate using a late round pick on Aidan Park. He was eligible last year but was still playing high school hockey. 5th in USHL scoring at the moment, although he is converting a likely unsustainable 28.6% clip.

From Elite Prospects 2024 draft profile:

"Park is a high-motor centre that plays all out on every shift. His game is built on relentless effort, both on and off the puck. He sprints and crashes hard on the forecheck, always ready to support his linemates."

Listed at 6'1" 180. Put up big numbers for Shattuck in HS, where he was teammates with current Gamblers teammate Will Zeller who was drafted last year in the 3rd round. Also played with Ryker Lee at Shattuck who also had a big year in the USHL and is draft eligible this season, so that Shattuck team was pretty stacked.

That is an older tweet though as Zeller took the team lead in scoring.

5th rounder? I'm in.
 
Can’t believe we don’t have a first with how bad we are and how poor our prospect pool is.

It's a crummy draft year by most accounts. Most lists have Logan Hensler as a top 15-20 pick but pretty much everybody says they wouldn't be at all excited to take him (steady stay at home D).

I was mad when we gave up our 1st in 2002, but even with hindsight there wasn't a ton that we passed up. Circa 2007, younger me probably blurted out "Sucks that we gave up the pick to dump Vladimir Malakhov, we could have drafted Nick Petrecki."
 
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.
 
2025 Draft Profile

RW Porter Martone, Brampton OHL

It's rare that a surefire top 5 pick -- as scrutinized as they are -- become as generally misunderstood as Porter Martone. Because of his mix of size (6'3-210), willingness to engage physically and high-end offensive skill (95 points in 56 games, and counting) -- well, Martone is often described as essentially the next Tkachuk, and very commonly compared to a young Corey Perry. Porter Martone is none of these things, but that does not mean he does not deserve to be a top 5 pick in the 2025 draft.

In reality, everything about Martone's game is about scoring goals, sometimes to a flaw. His physicality is more of a detriment to defenders trying to stifle his scoring than something he initiates strategically. We're not talking about a kid who will be among the NHL league leaders in hits or a guy who will get under the skin of the opposition so badly that he'll get them off their game, but rather a guy who will spend most of his time making highlight reel offensive plays and occasionally getting a big lick in in order to create space. Where his size/strength/physicality is most effective is also in tandem with his offense -- whether it be winning board/netfront battles and using his body protecting the puck during his oft-stunning stick handling displays.

Simply put, Martone has more young Jaromir Jagr in his game than Tkachuk. Now, this is not a comparison -- it's unfair to compare any human to a young Jagr -- but we're just talking stylistically. Regardless, Martone's offensive skill set is borderline stunning, which combined with his power potential makes him a rather unique and certainly covetable player.

Martone is, quite simply, an offensive dynamo -- he's a borderline elite stickhandler, passer and shooter, and he lives to score and set up his teammates with highlight-reel feeds. Down low with offensive possession, he's literally a cheat code. Between his elite hands -- and I'd call his puck skills his finest attribute -- and his huge frame (and awareness of how to use it to protect pucks), he often looks like an adult playing keep away with children against OHL competition. His shot is terrific, and he's become a stud at the Auston Matthews-esque "quick toe drag to change the angle then fire it in a corner" goal; a move which can be well-nigh unstoppable when done well.

Martone's passing game is complicated to describe. He possesses elite vision and the ability to make high end passing plays. He has the elite ability to create seams and exploit them, to set-up high-danger scoring chances 99.9% of hockey players would not even imagine. But he also knows this a bit too much, and is often guilty of turning the puck over to try a highlight reel sauce when there are smarter options open to him. This will have to be coached out of him a bit -- you don't want to step on the kid's immense creativity, but it needs to be tempered so that it does not work against his team. Martone is a kid who can make the best pass of the game and the most ill-advised, sometimes on the same shift.

Unfortunately, we cannot discuss Porter Martone without mentioning his biggest flaw, which is skating. He's not a bad skater per se, but he's meh -- which means without huge improvements he will find himself below the overall game speed at the NHL level. When we combine this with the fact that his compete level, though good, is not elite? Well, he often has to cheat to create offense at the expense of defense and transition. Once in the offensive zone? Martone is certainly in the top handful of players for the 2025 draft. But he's really just "okay" in the other two zones, without necessarily being a liability.

As such, I still see Porter Martone as a top 5 pick in a far-from-outstanding 2025 draft class. His offensive upside is simply humongous, and he should be an absolute beast on the PP. It is not difficult to conceive him as a PPG top liner at the highest levels. But although I expect him to assert his power more and round out his game, I don't see him ever being the complete threat of this year's clear-cut top 3 of Schaefer/Hagens/Misa. We should not confuse him with a Tkachuk or Corey Perry or Jamie Benn, because he's not as violent or competitive, but it does not mean that his physicality and size will not help a team win games. He's a tremendous prospect, but a few questions leave him slightly outside the top tier.
 
2025 Draft Profile

RW Porter Martone, Brampton OHL

It's rare that a surefire top 5 pick -- as scrutinized as they are -- become as generally misunderstood as Porter Martone. Because of his mix of size (6'3-210), willingness to engage physically and high-end offensive skill (95 points in 56 games, and counting) -- well, Martone is often described as essentially the next Tkachuk, and very commonly compared to a young Corey Perry. Porter Martone is none of these things, but that does not mean he does not deserve to be a top 5 pick in the 2025 draft.

In reality, everything about Martone's game is about scoring goals, sometimes to a flaw. His physicality is more of a detriment to defenders trying to stifle his scoring than something he initiates strategically. We're not talking about a kid who will be among the NHL league leaders in hits or a guy who will get under the skin of the opposition so badly that he'll get them off their game, but rather a guy who will spend most of his time making highlight reel offensive plays and occasionally getting a big lick in in order to create space. Where his size/strength/physicality is most effective is also in tandem with his offense -- whether it be winning board/netfront battles and using his body protecting the puck during his oft-stunning stick handling displays.

Simply put, Martone has more young Jaromir Jagr in his game than Tkachuk. Now, this is not a comparison -- it's unfair to compare any human to a young Jagr -- but we're just talking stylistically. Regardless, Martone's offensive skill set is borderline stunning, which combined with his power potential makes him a rather unique and certainly covetable player.

Martone is, quite simply, an offensive dynamo -- he's a borderline elite stickhandler, passer and shooter, and he lives to score and set up his teammates with highlight-reel feeds. Down low with offensive possession, he's literally a cheat code. Between his elite hands -- and I'd call his puck skills his finest attribute -- and his huge frame (and awareness of how to use it to protect pucks), he often looks like an adult playing keep away with children against OHL competition. His shot is terrific, and he's become a stud at the Auston Matthews-esque "quick toe drag to change the angle then fire it in a corner" goal; a move which can be well-nigh unstoppable when done well.

Martone's passing game is complicated to describe. He possesses elite vision and the ability to make high end passing plays. He has the elite ability to create seams and exploit them, to set-up high-danger scoring chances 99.9% of hockey players would not even imagine. But he also knows this a bit too much, and is often guilty of turning the puck over to try a highlight reel sauce when there are smarter options open to him. This will have to be coached out of him a bit -- you don't want to step on the kid's immense creativity, but it needs to be tempered so that it does not work against his team. Martone is a kid who can make the best pass of the game and the most ill-advised, sometimes on the same shift.

Unfortunately, we cannot discuss Porter Martone without mentioning his biggest flaw, which is skating. He's not a bad skater per se, but he's meh -- which means without huge improvements he will find himself below the overall game speed at the NHL level. When we combine this with the fact that his compete level, though good, is not elite? Well, he often has to cheat to create offense at the expense of defense and transition. Once in the offensive zone? Martone is certainly in the top handful of players for the 2025 draft. But he's really just "okay" in the other two zones, without necessarily being a liability.

As such, I still see Porter Martone as a top 5 pick in a far-from-outstanding 2025 draft class. His offensive upside is simply humongous, and he should be an absolute beast on the PP. It is not difficult to conceive him as a PPG top liner at the highest levels. But although I expect him to assert his power more and round out his game, I don't see him ever being the complete threat of this year's clear-cut top 3 of Schaefer/Hagens/Misa. We should not confuse him with a Tkachuk or Corey Perry or Jamie Benn, because he's not as violent or competitive, but it does not mean that his physicality and size will not help a team win games. He's a tremendous prospect, but a few questions leave him slightly outside the top tier.

Wasn’t Shero going to send Zacha to Brampton during his contract negotiations?
 

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