We all know Team E won the NHL Draft Lottery at first overall. But we must remember this is the best case scenario with the following conditions, as per CapFriendly: If the Canucks do not make the playoffs in 2019-20, the 2020 first-round pick will transfer to a 2021 first-round pick instead.
Let’s focus on what would happen if the Canucks won the play-in round and the Coyotes don’t land first overall in phase two. According to CapFriendly, the conditions are as follows: If Arizona’s 2020 first selection is in the top three, New Jersey will receive Arizona’s first-round pick in 2021.
As the Devils first selection currently sits at seventh overall after dropping back one spot, there are a ton of options in front of them. People have to remember sometimes it’s a blessing in disguise not to be first overall because we saw how Dylan Cozens fell to the Sabres, Quinn Hughes to Vancouver, Ivan Provorov to Philly and even Mark Scheifele to Winnipeg.
So yes, seven has typically provided a really bold spot for potential steals at really high-end talent that can impact a team’s draft. So there are going to be names in why I like these players at certain spots.
Seventh overall selection: Lucas Raymond, Marco Rossi, Jamie Drysdale and Alexander Holtz in that tier.
In recent articles and podcasts, I have mentioned here at TPA and on my Heads Up Hockey Podcast that Lucas Raymond is one of the younger 18-yea-old birthdays in this draft. That gives him an extra year of growth, development and being able to season around players older and tougher, logging in big minutes. He’s a really good skater with very great vision as a two-way winger with possible Selke candidate trophy caliber that would help kick start New Jersey’s offence. Lucas has a very underrated shot, yet pretty sneaky unlike his counterpart, Alexander Holtz.
Lucas, to me, is a very reliable winger in the SHL and he will be able to get two more seasons of U-20 hockey in for Frölunda HC. Competition and adversity at higher levels is where this young, versatile winger thrives and drives. That extra year in the SHL will allow him to gain confidence and let him become a very dynamic winger for a team like New Jersey.
Alexander Holtz may be classified as the most lethal sniper in this year’s draft, but don’t let him fool you. He is also a very excellent passer and Holtz was able to prove that to me at the international level with his smarts, skating, speed and that shot. Holtz is the kind of right-winger you need to have on your top line pairing, and with guys like Jack Hughes looking for snipers to compliment that chemistry, you can see where “pork roll meets egg and cheese on a hard roll” (a New Jersey reference in cuisine) where Devils fans will love to consume on a game-to-game basis.
Marco Rossi is the kind of centreman you want to bring in with that alpine nitty-gritty, speedy, hard nosed play in his game. Even Todd Cordell put it that Rossi’s play and stick handling is very similar to Mathew Barzal. I can see that with Rossi’s slick stick handling. Rossi, to me, is an Austrian version of Nico Hischier where his hockey sense, hockey IQ and the skating in the dirty areas is astonishing for a guy of his size.
Jamie Drysdale is the exception in this year’s draft and he sees the ice very well. Having him move fast, agile and being an amazing stickhandler and breaking the offensive zone entries is a big deal in today’s game. Moving the puck up the ice, helping out your offence by passing the puck, shooting on net and sometimes looking like a fourth forward on a top-two line makes a big difference in a game. If Kevin Bahl and Nikita Okhotyuk or Daniil Misyul make it to New Jersey, having a big physical left defensemen on your opposite end can help you defend your side of the crease much easier.
10th overall selection: Cole Perfetti, Yaroslav Askarov, Anton Lundell and Seth Jarvis.
Having watched Cole Perfetti highlights from Saginaw online, I noticed from what Craig Button said during a goal from Perfetti is that “the way he skates is by changing it to another gear.” His stick handling, hockey IQ and hockey sense makes a 10th overall selection look pretty good. The way he stick handles is very silky and smooth, yet rapid.
He is also a really good centreman at the takeaway aspect of the game and is able to create offence as well. The Devils have been known to play more “defence creates offence” style of hockey and Perfetti is one of those guys that fits that bill. His shot is absolutely dynamite within the high danger areas, and in a game against Finland, he ripped really quick on the top right corner with the goaltender down in the butterfly.
Yaroslav Askarov is the top available goaltender in this year’s draft and possibly going higher than fellow countryman and goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy. Askarov is the kind of goalie who doesn’t take any prisoners. He is out there in the MHL and international tournaments, usually going out to poke check the puck away on opponents.
He’ll pass the puck to his teammates to redirect play up the neutral zone. He’s very square to the shooters in a game and it’s very hard to get him rattled. Having him develop in the KHL for a little bit before bringing him over would allow him to adjust properly. If you’re looking to have an excellent starting goalie, it’s Askarov.
Anton Lundell is one of the more polished two-way centreman in this year’s draft coming out of one of the best professional hockey leagues in Liiga. He’s a very fluid skater, nothing too flashy about him, but he does every small thing right. He’s the kind of 6’1″ center that you want on an offensive zone entry, especially on odd-man rushes.
He likes to feed off the play, whether it be in mid danger or high danger areas. One of my favourite parts of his game is not only being a great puck distributor. Anton does it very well behind the opposing goalies net, looking to make his teammates look very wise, getting close to that bang-bang play in a game. Lundell does have a really quick wrist shot which makes goalies look out of position when he does it.
Seth Jarvis is one of the most electrifying and excitingly skilled players in this draft. As a winger in the WHL for the Portland Winterhawks, he put up a lot of points in a conference that is historically known for great, hard to play defence. Jarvis has a long reach and is very agile and swift on his edges. He does a great job getting wide open and finding slots to receive passes and rebounds. Seth looks a lot like Alex DeBrincat for his frame and looks a lot like a winger that could certainly do wonders for a young and upcoming New Jersey Devils team.
17th overall selection) Dawson Mercer, Jack Quinn, Jacob Perrault, Rodion Amirov
Dawson Mercer, the Newfoundlander, is an assistant captain for Chicoutimi in the QMJHL. He is very creative and shifty with the puck and is tight on opposing goalies. He likes being in on goalies in the high danger areas, getting a quick wrist shot and snapshot off right away.
He is capable of taking slap-shots from the point and scoring from that area with a heavy shot. Mercer also plays well along the boards in the offensive zone, aiding teammates along the play. On one play, he stripped the puck and scored a goal on a quick feed. He has good foot speed, but he doesn’t have the road runner speed as a center on breakaways.
Jack Quinn, much like Seth Jarvis, is a very fast, very creative offensive dynamo, but does so playing for the Ottawa 67’s. Quinn is the kind of right-winger who can create a lot of space and score in tight areas. His speed and smarts allow him to get open and yield havoc against open opponents. He is the kind of winger you want with Jack Hughes or a Nico Hischier where speed and creativity, along with energy, makes perfect sense.
Rodion Amirov is a very underrated left-winger for Tolpar Ufa in the MHL. He had 22 points and 12 assists in 17 games while in Russia. Some of his best tools are his speed, his senses and the ability to get open. Amirov has a really quick shot release and is also a pretty solid passer.
He is also very useful on the penalty kill and has the ability to create short-handed goals there. Rodion also likes to play on the power play, being not too far from the opposing goalie with a defender in front. His forehand-to-backhand movement with his feet also draw penalties to create special team scoring drives.
In the shootout, he likes to come in from his right side and gradually swoop in and dangle, similar to Patrick Kane and leans into his shot to score. Amirov is also great on the back-check and is able to clean out any threats offensively.
Jacob Perreault is one of the more goal scoring type of players in this draft in the later first round. Perreault is a pretty good skater and he does create a lot of assists. He loves to shoot and skates well while his hockey IQ and offensive awareness will make him one of the late steals in the draft. On a two-man advantage, he was able to snap one home outside the crease and roof it.