Prospect Info: Dawson Mercer (#18 pick - 2020 draft)

[Stephen Gionta]

CapFriendly says he is a slide candidate (blue arrow)

Yes, keeping reading we've established this

 

[JimEIV]

McLeod was 12th

We went into the draft with the 11th pick.

 

[Guttersniped]

We went into the draft with the 11th pick.

Sure, but do you consider Blackwood the 36th or the 42nd pick? That’s a rhetorical question, I’m assuming 42nd.

We traded up for Josefson in 2009, the 20th was Calgary’s 1st and we gave them our 1st (23rd Tim Erixson) and our 3rd (84th Nicolas Deslauriers) to get it. You would refer to him as the 20th pick though because that’s that way that makes the most sense. (It makes the only sense really.)

It’s one spot, you don’t have to try to make the McLeod pick look worse than it is by calling it the “11th pick”.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I think he's going to fly under the radar in his first few seasons in the NHL, similar to how Anthony Cirelli has in Tampa Bay. But he has all the makings of the best player to ever come out of Newfoundland.

Will be really exciting to see how he and Alex Newhook develop this year.

Newhook is an outstanding prospect, and I would not be shocked to see him supplant Kadri as the Avalanche 2C by next year. His speed and puck skills are positively electrifying. He's going to be fun to watch.

So is Mercer. I honestly feel Mercer might be the Rod Brind'Amour-iest player since Rod retired. He's just so smart and competitive that people somehow overlook the fact that he is an extremely skilled hockey player, as well. I find myself rewinding Mercer's plays all the time to try and retrace his thinking and anticipation. So high level for a teenager.

 

[JimEIV]

Sure, but do you consider Blackwood the 36th or the 42nd pick? That’s a rhetorical question, I’m assuming 42nd.

We traded up for Josefson in 2009, the 20th was Calgary’s 1st and we gave them our 1st (23rd Tim Erixson) and our 3rd (84th Nicolas Deslauriers) to get it. You would refer to him as the 20th pick though because that’s that way that makes the most sense. (It makes the only sense really.)

It’s one spot, you don’t have to try to make the McLeod pick look worse than it is by calling it the “11th pick”.

Do you really not see the difference in all of those scenarios?

We trade up for Parise, Zajac and Josefeson...because they might have been gone otherwise. Going 11 to 12 was completely inconsequential in every way imaginable...We used the 11th pick to get Mcleod. Yes it was that bad. When you consider 5 of the next 6 picks were defensemen, which actually did make sense because D was the best players available, He probably would have been available at #15 or 16.

And I often refer to the 2003 pick as the 30th overall that got Parise... that's what we started with...that reflects our record from the year...A Stanley cup champion. The 11th pick reflected our record as well that is what we started with.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Sure, but do you consider Blackwood the 36th or the 42nd pick? That’s a rhetorical question, I’m assuming 42nd.

We traded up for Josefson in 2009, the 20th was Calgary’s 1st and we gave them our 1st (23rd Tim Erixson) and our 3rd (84th Nicolas Deslauriers) to get it. You would refer to him as the 20th pick though because that’s that way that makes the most sense. (It makes the only sense really.)

It’s one spot, you don’t have to try to make the McLeod pick look worse than it is by calling it the “11th pick”.

it’s not about McLeod, it’s about the draft pick. The Devils began with an opportunity to find a star player at 11th overall, and they went from there. Mercer was an opportunity to find a star player at 18th overall, and the results might be better than any of the other high picks.

 

[Goptor]

The Devils traded Logan Brown for McLeod. Seems like a good move.

 

[Guttersniped]

Do you really not see the difference in all of those scenarios?

We trade up for Parise, Zajac and Josefeson...because they might have been gone otherwise. Going 11 to 12 was completely inconsequential in every way imaginable...We used the 11th pick to get Mcleod. Yes it was that bad. When you consider 5 of the next 6 picks were defensemen, which actually did make sense because D was the best players available, He probably would have been available at #15 or 16.

And I often refer to the 2003 pick as the 30th overall that got Parise... that's what we started with...that reflects our record from the year...A Stanley cup champion. The 11th pick reflected our record as well that is what we started with.

If you want to call McLeod the 2016 #11 pick, Josefson the 2009 #23 pick, Corrente the 2006 #25 pick, Zajac the 2004 #22 pick, Parise the 2003 #22 or #30 pick, Gomez 1998 #39 pick, and Brodeur the 1990 #11 pick, I obviously can’t stop you.

It’s weird though and misinformation, anyone unfamiliar with the pick trades is just getting bad information, and pick trades are just like any other trade. We gained or spent other assets to move up or down, those count too. Drafting is about asset management, not “record keeping”, so, no it doesn’t have to “reflect our record that year”… unless you’ve started calling Adam Larsson something other than the 4th pick overall in a scrupulous attempt for picks to reflect our season record? Or you could just say the actual draft spots where players were literally drafted, which is a lot simpler (and always correct).

But, again, if you love this sort of thing, have at it I guess.

it’s not about McLeod, it’s about the draft pick. The Devils began with an opportunity to find a star player at 11th overall, and they went from there. Mercer was an opportunity to find a star player at 18th overall, and the results might be better than any of the other high picks.

We missed out on Logan Brown, it was one spot and you can see who was selected by Ottawa. Every other player other than Brown was available, you don’t have to say “11th” to point out all the players we missed out on. And getting a 3rd for one spot is a very good deal if we had no interest in Brown. No matter how much you dislike the McLeod trade, trading down had no real effect on our ability to draft a better player. Logan Brown is walking injury report who’s played 55 fewer NHL games than McLeod and got dumped by Ottawa for one season of Zach Sanford.

For me this is was a throwaway comment about correctly labeling draft picks. (Some people don’t feel the need to do so apparently for various reasons and that’s that. )

 

[Eggtimer]

Get ready for the influx of Newfoundland posters once Mercer makes the opening night roster- I've said it for a few years now but this kid is going to be great.

Have you guys ever talked to a born and raised Newfoundlander ?
I literally cannot understand what they are saying most of the time.
It’s worse than a super thick English accent . It’s like watching a Guy Ritchie movie when they get talking fast . The slang they use too is crazy.

 

[Guttersniped]

Have you guys ever talked to a born and raised Newfoundlander ?
I literally cannot understand what they are saying most of the time.
It’s worse than a super thick English accent . It’s like watching a Guy Ritchie movie when they get talking fast . The slang they use too is crazy.

 

[DerekDevils30]

Anyone who’s not watched this show needs to.

 

[My3Sons]

Anyone who’s not watched this show needs to.

Are there subtitles for English speakers?

 

[Eggtimer]

That’s not even close to as bad as it really is. Take that and speed it up x3. They exaggerated the amount of slang talk in the video but slowed it down so you can actually hear wtf they are saying .
An excited drunk Newfie is literally impossible to understand.

 

[My3Sons]

That’s not even close to as bad as it really is. Take that and speed it up x3. They exaggerated the amount of slang talk in the video but slowed it down so you can actually hear wtf they are saying .
An excited drunk Newfie is literally impossible to understand.

Put one in a room with a similarly excited and inebriated Scot. Put one beer on the bar between them. Hilarity ensues.

 

[RSeen]

It is entirely possible Mercer ends up being a better player than Nico Hischier.

I would agree.

Unfortunately I think its entirely possible Nico ends of being a 2nd line C. Hope he can be a top line quality C, but he needs to take some steps forward.

 

[Guadana]

Oh, finally I heard an English this week! How awesome that sounds.
not that lazy Daisy half-lenguage for 3rd grade girls with social graduate degree.

I have to watch this.

 

[StevenToddIves]

@Guttersniped thank you, this is the greatest video I have ever seen. Can't stop laughing.

 

[HyperX]

I would agree.

Unfortunately I think its entirely possible Nico ends of being a 2nd line C. Hope he can be a top line quality C, but he needs to take some steps forward.

Nico's already a 1C practically - so I dont think you have to worry much about that!

we have two 1Cs in a few years in Hischier and Hughes; I doubt very much Mercer matches them.

Some are forgetting just how impressive Nico was pre and post draft (before covid)

 

[RSeen]

Nico's already a 1C practically - so I dont think you have to worry much about that!

we have two 1Cs in a few years in Hischier and Hughes; I doubt very much Mercer matches them.

Some are forgetting just how impressive Nico was pre and post draft (before covid)

I think he is closer to a 2C at this point. He hasn't shown enough offensively for me to say he is a 1C.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

i’m getting ahead of myself here but i really feel like Mercer has the potential to be one of the best two-way forwards in this league. Obviously he’s trying harder than the vets in preseason games, but he’s consistently been one of the best players on the ice in every game we’ve seen him since rookie camp. The sky’s the limit for him, I think.

 

[HyperX]

i’m getting ahead of myself here but i really feel like Mercer has the potential to be one of the best two-way forwards in this league. Obviously he’s trying harder than the vets in preseason games, but he’s consistently been one of the best players on the ice in every game we’ve seen him since rookie camp. The sky’s the limit for him, I think.

I think he can end up the third best forward behind Nico and Jack, and ahead of Holtz eventually (though if hes scoring as many as we hope maybe not)

I think people were getting ahead of themselves saying he may end up better than Nico - while its possible, Nico is very good and should remind everyone of that this year when he leads the team in points (dare I say it)

 

[Captain3rdLine]

 

[RyGuy]

Anyone who’s not watched this show needs to.

Ive tried half a dozen times, and I cant. Its just not funny to me. Which is weird, because I love Canadian comedy.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Congratulations to Dawson Mercer on making the New Jersey Devils out of training camp. We're about to see the debut of a tremendous player who has the potential to be a franchise cornerstone for many, many years.

Prior to the 2020 draft, I ranked Mercer far higher than the consensus because of my emphasis on hockey IQ and compete level, both of which are absolutely elite in Dawson. When the Devils drafted him at #18, we celebrated how lucky the team was to have had such a tremendous prospect fall to them. A few eyebrows may have been raised when I proclaimed I felt Mercer was the Devils #1 prospect and a top 10 prospect in the entire league. Now? I have full confidence that Dawson Mercer is on the verge of proving all the believers right.

Dawson Mercer is going to be a truly special player for a very long time.

 

[Guadana]

Congratulations to Dawson Mercer on making the New Jersey Devils out of training camp. We're about to see the debut of a tremendous player who has the potential to be a franchise cornerstone for many, many years.

Prior to the 2020 draft, I ranked Mercer far higher than the consensus because of my emphasis on hockey IQ and compete level, both of which are absolutely elite in Dawson. When the Devils drafted him at #18, we celebrated how lucky the team was to have had such a tremendous prospect fall to them. A few eyebrows may have been raised when I proclaimed I felt Mercer was the Devils #1 prospect and a top 10 prospect in the entire league. Now? I have full confidence that Dawson Mercer is on the verge of proving all the believers right.

Dawson Mercer is going to be a truly special player for a very long time.

You didnt rank him higher than Holtz. Shame on you.