Post by NJDevilsGM on Aug 2, 2023 23:21:52 GMT -5
Newark, NJ - The New Jersey Devils went shopping at the annual NsHL Draft last weekend, picking up a number of skilled players who could double as smurfs.
Size was indeed not the prize at the draft for the Devils, who's nine total picks averaged size is just 5'11, 177 lbs., and that's bumped up significantly by blueliner Matteo Mann who is 6'5, 222 lbs and looks like the Andre the Giant surrounded by Ray Mysterio's fan club in the post draft group photo.
"It's a skill league, speed kills," said Devils GM Trent Allen. "Unless you catch the speed I guess, then size kills. It's kind of a Coyote and Roadrunner thing. Good thing Scott Stevens is to old."
The top pick was Will Smith, who -after going full Hulk mode and pimpslapping Seattle Kraken GM Jade Graber like he was on a street corner in 1970's Toronto- took a lunchbox-sized dose of Xanax and calmed down long enough to accept being selected by the Devils.
The 6'0, 181 lbs. Smith is deemed as one of the most offensively talented players in the draft, possibly sitting only behind Bedard. The Devils may be loaded at centre already with Nico Hischier, Jack Eichel and Joel Eriksson Ek, but there's always room for one more.
When asked why he slapped Graber, Smith would only comment "f**k around and find out," before declining to explain exactly how Graber had 'f**ked around' or what exactly he 'found out.'
The Devils shortly after pulled the trigger on a deal when they were on the clock with the 14th overall pick, sending that selection to Boston in a package for Thomas Chabot. More on that deal will come in a later article. Despite the trade, the Devils weren't out of the first round for long, later trading a pair of draft picks to move back into the first round at 26th overall to grab 5'10, 167 lbs. left wing Andrew Cristall.
"Amazing skills, and a breeze could blow him over, but that's why he's there at 26th. We had a couple of our scouts rank him as high as 10th overall, and a couple of others who threatened to quit if we picked him higher than 20th, so I felt 26th was a nice compromise to get a good player and avoid a mutiny," explained Allen.
Cristall posted 39 goals and 95 points in just 54 games on a Kelowna Rockets team that had so little talent, Spenny Cawker could have laced them up.
After the Cristall pick, the Devils waited until pick 90 late in the third round to take Noah Dower Nilsson, a 6'0, 174 lbs. LW out of Sweden. Raised on reindeer meat and pine needle tea, Nilsson put up a solid year with Vastra Frolunda Jrs., netting 26 goals and 54 points in just 37 games.
The Devils then waited until late in round four when they started a run of four picks within 30 selections, starting with 5'9, 167 lbs. center Zeb Forsjfall, then continuing with fifth round selections Emil Jarventie (LW, 5'10, 167 lbs.), Aiden Fink (RW, 5'9, 153 lbs.) and Tuomas Uronen (RW, 5'11, 183 lbs.) All four carry with them offensive upside and obvious bust potential given their size, with Fink posting the most eyepopping numbers of the group, netting 41 goals and 97 points in 54 games in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
In round six, the Devils selected their only normal-human-sized player, 6'5, 222 lbs. defenseman Matteo Mann. Mann is the obvious sore thumb of the group, a stay-at-home bruising shutdown defenseman than probably needs a map to find the offensive zone. In 134 career Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games he has just three goals, which says a lot given the QMJHL is easier to score in than a frat house on a Friday night.
"We were surprised he was still on the board, so we had to nab him. Someone needs to clear the front of the net," said Allen, adding he hopes Mann can follow in the footsteps of a Jani Hakanpaa.
The final pick of the day for the Devils returned them to the little people section of the draft floor, where they picked up Angus MacDonnell, a 5'9, 180 lbs. center who put up ok numbers after a mid-season trade in the Ontario Hockey League that included 17 goals in 31 games.
"All-in-all we added a ton of skill to the depth chart, but we'll see how much comes to fruition. No way all of these guys pan out, but there's hopefully a few picks we'll look back on as steals as well," Allen explained.
Size was indeed not the prize at the draft for the Devils, who's nine total picks averaged size is just 5'11, 177 lbs., and that's bumped up significantly by blueliner Matteo Mann who is 6'5, 222 lbs and looks like the Andre the Giant surrounded by Ray Mysterio's fan club in the post draft group photo.
"It's a skill league, speed kills," said Devils GM Trent Allen. "Unless you catch the speed I guess, then size kills. It's kind of a Coyote and Roadrunner thing. Good thing Scott Stevens is to old."
The top pick was Will Smith, who -after going full Hulk mode and pimpslapping Seattle Kraken GM Jade Graber like he was on a street corner in 1970's Toronto- took a lunchbox-sized dose of Xanax and calmed down long enough to accept being selected by the Devils.
The 6'0, 181 lbs. Smith is deemed as one of the most offensively talented players in the draft, possibly sitting only behind Bedard. The Devils may be loaded at centre already with Nico Hischier, Jack Eichel and Joel Eriksson Ek, but there's always room for one more.
When asked why he slapped Graber, Smith would only comment "f**k around and find out," before declining to explain exactly how Graber had 'f**ked around' or what exactly he 'found out.'
The Devils shortly after pulled the trigger on a deal when they were on the clock with the 14th overall pick, sending that selection to Boston in a package for Thomas Chabot. More on that deal will come in a later article. Despite the trade, the Devils weren't out of the first round for long, later trading a pair of draft picks to move back into the first round at 26th overall to grab 5'10, 167 lbs. left wing Andrew Cristall.
"Amazing skills, and a breeze could blow him over, but that's why he's there at 26th. We had a couple of our scouts rank him as high as 10th overall, and a couple of others who threatened to quit if we picked him higher than 20th, so I felt 26th was a nice compromise to get a good player and avoid a mutiny," explained Allen.
Cristall posted 39 goals and 95 points in just 54 games on a Kelowna Rockets team that had so little talent, Spenny Cawker could have laced them up.
After the Cristall pick, the Devils waited until pick 90 late in the third round to take Noah Dower Nilsson, a 6'0, 174 lbs. LW out of Sweden. Raised on reindeer meat and pine needle tea, Nilsson put up a solid year with Vastra Frolunda Jrs., netting 26 goals and 54 points in just 37 games.
The Devils then waited until late in round four when they started a run of four picks within 30 selections, starting with 5'9, 167 lbs. center Zeb Forsjfall, then continuing with fifth round selections Emil Jarventie (LW, 5'10, 167 lbs.), Aiden Fink (RW, 5'9, 153 lbs.) and Tuomas Uronen (RW, 5'11, 183 lbs.) All four carry with them offensive upside and obvious bust potential given their size, with Fink posting the most eyepopping numbers of the group, netting 41 goals and 97 points in 54 games in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
In round six, the Devils selected their only normal-human-sized player, 6'5, 222 lbs. defenseman Matteo Mann. Mann is the obvious sore thumb of the group, a stay-at-home bruising shutdown defenseman than probably needs a map to find the offensive zone. In 134 career Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games he has just three goals, which says a lot given the QMJHL is easier to score in than a frat house on a Friday night.
"We were surprised he was still on the board, so we had to nab him. Someone needs to clear the front of the net," said Allen, adding he hopes Mann can follow in the footsteps of a Jani Hakanpaa.
The final pick of the day for the Devils returned them to the little people section of the draft floor, where they picked up Angus MacDonnell, a 5'9, 180 lbs. center who put up ok numbers after a mid-season trade in the Ontario Hockey League that included 17 goals in 31 games.
"All-in-all we added a ton of skill to the depth chart, but we'll see how much comes to fruition. No way all of these guys pan out, but there's hopefully a few picks we'll look back on as steals as well," Allen explained.