Prospect Info: The 2015 Draft Thread

[SeidoN]

We'll probably pick up enough loser points and maybe some more wins down the stretch where we'll probably end up drafting 6th or 7th and Hanifin will be off the board anyway.

wouldnt mind taking Barzal around there. before this season he was talked about as up there with McD and Eichel. his injury this year could drop him into our lap at 6-7

 

[NJDevs26]

We havent made a single trade of our surplus of Dman for 2 years now........ How can you have any confidence that we will ?

No thanks, Ill take the forward

Saying we shouldn't take a d-man cause of the assumption we won't make a trade anyway is a completely different argument than just not wanting to draft a d-man period. While I'm not crazy about using ANOTHER high pick on a d-man, if a trade gets made in the near future it won't matter as much (and I've said if they are going to use another 1st or 2nd rounder on a d-man then a trade needs to be made sooner rather than later). What kind of difference would there really be in using a high pick on a forward as opposed using it on a d-man and then trading one of our d-men in the system already for a forward?

remember when 3 teams passed on Larsson for RNH, Huberdeau and Landeskog?

how about when you DO take the defenseman (Johnson) and pass on the forwards (Staal, Toews, Kessel)

drafting isnt this exact science. BPA is all well and good but in real terms often doesnt end up meaning ****

Bingo...this is why I don't get wrapped up in hypothetical BPA unless there's a vast difference between the guy we draft and the next one on the board. If you're drafting a defenseman rated a 90 over a forward rated 89 I can't get wrapped up in blindly going BPA. Now if it's the difference between drafting an A defenseman and a B forward, that's another story.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

it's not that different. If you don't trade surplus dmen then you don't have forwards. Kind of like we do not right now.

 

[MadDevil]

We haven't traded a "surplus" defenseman because we didn't really know we had one until this year. Merrill and Gelinas are only two years into their NHL careers, and Severson and Helgeson are rookies. You don't trade those kids before you see them in the NHL. In fact I would argue we still shouldn't trade them for probably another year, until we have a somewhat larger body of work from all of them.

 

[devilsblood]

We haven't traded a "surplus" defenseman because we didn't really know we had one until this year. Merrill and Gelinas are only two years into their NHL careers, and Severson and Helgeson are rookies. You don't trade those kids before you see them in the NHL. In fact I would argue we still shouldn't trade them for probably another year, until we have a somewhat larger body of work from all of them.

This is the 3rd year of d-man surplus. in the short season it was more veteran log jam, year 2 we saw the beginning of the young d getting squeezed with Lars being stuck in Albany, and now this year we have a full youth surplus, which has been hidden a bit by the injuries, but from the start of the season where Lars was riding pine, the surplus was in effect.

 

[MadDevil]

This is the 3rd year of d-man surplus. in the short season it was more veteran log jam, year 2 we saw the beginning of the young d getting squeezed with Lars being stuck in Albany, and now this year we have a full youth surplus, which has been hidden a bit by the injuries, but from the start of the season where Lars was riding pine, the surplus was in effect.

We had a surplus of bodies, yes. But that still doesn't mean you trade a kid away before you have any idea of what he is. None of our vets outside of Greene are going to return anything significant.

 

[devilsblood]

We had a surplus of bodies, yes. But that still doesn't mean you trade a kid away before you have any idea of what he is. None of our vets outside of Greene are going to return anything significant.

But at some point we need to realize we have surplus of young d-men while being very thin at fwd. Thus I can not see the logic that says: Don't trade the d-men and draft Hanifin.

Are we not trying to build a team here?

 

[MichaelJ]

I would love to see us take a run at Austin Czarnik of the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks...47 points in 37 games last year, and so far 22 points in 20 games this year. Also sometimes plays on a line with Blake Coleman.

Seeing as this is a thread for the 2015 draft, if we were somehow to acquire the TBL 1st round pick (let's say mid-20's), who would we draft with it? Another forward? Svechnikov?

Since I'm expecting a C with the first pick, I'd like to add Korostelev at W...but I'd be okay with BPA. The additional first round pick Id really like to see NJD pick up is Mikko Rantanen but he'll probably go 11-15 or so and I can't see NJD getting a pick in that range.

 

[glenwo2]

Look....The only one that has the power to do anything is Lou.

If he decides to draft Hanifin(provided the Devils don't go on a Lemaire-like run circa 2011 again), so be it.

I will hate it and call for his resignation(in my own knee-jerk reaction) but if he's the only option available(ie Strome/Marner are off the board), then he has to take him.

Now that said, I am PRAYING the Devils finish in the Top 4(not 5) so that we are assured that we actually get a stinking Forward for once.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Look....The only one that has the power to do anything is Lou.

If he decides to draft Hanifin(provided the Devils don't go on a Lemaire-like run circa 2011 again), so be it.

I will hate it and call for his resignation(in my own knee-jerk reaction) but if he's the only option available(ie Strome/Marner are off the board), then he has to take him.

Now that said, I am PRAYING the Devils finish in the Top 4(not 5) so that we are assured that we actually get a stinking Forward for once.

Doesn't look great to finish bottom 5. It will be hard to finish below Edmonton, Carolina, Buffalo, Phoenix, and Philly. Add teams like Colorado and Ottawa and things aren't looking good.

 

[Emperoreddy]

But at some point we need to realize we have surplus of young d-men while being very thin at fwd. Thus I can not see the logic that says: Don't trade the d-men and draft Hanifin.

Are we not trying to build a team here?

Yea but you also want high value because the current kids have the potential to be that good. Other teams don't trade quality back on just potential though.

Unless someone offers us something good, next year is the year to shop a kid. They will all have enough NHL experience to potentially help us haul in a big fish.

And we don't need to trade before the deadline or even at the draft if we decide on Hanafin.

We can always work out a trade later since Hanafin wouldn't be in the NHL right away.

 

[MadDevil]

But at some point we need to realize we have surplus of young d-men while being very thin at fwd. Thus I can not see the logic that says: Don't trade the d-men and draft Hanifin.

Are we not trying to build a team here?

I'm not saying we should draft Hanifin and not trade anybody. Obviously if we draft him we have even more depth on D and can move one of the other kids. I just think we need to be sure of what these kids are before moving them. People around here are so impatient and want things to happen now. Trying to fast forward the rebuild could do just as much damage long term as suffering through a few years of mediocre forwards.

I want a good young forward just as much as anybody else. But that doesn't mean we should avoid all defensemen in the draft. You take who you feel is the best player on the board. And if that player happens to be a defenseman, so be it. One thing our scouting staff has been good at is picking defensemen.

 

[R8Devs]

if the Devils climb out of the top 5 and finish with a pick around number 10 which I think they will, I wouldn't mind Mikko Rantanen or Pavel Zacha.

 

[Tretyak 20]

But at some point we need to realize we have surplus of young d-men while being very thin at fwd. Thus I can not see the logic that says: Don't trade the d-men and draft Hanifin.

Are we not trying to build a team here?

For Lou (and some Devils fans), defensemen are like Pokémon - gotta catch 'em all!

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

Except the Devils have drafted more forwards than defensemen. Don't let rants get in the way of facts!

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00007066.html

 

[MichaelJ]

if the Devils climb out of the top 5 and finish with a pick around number 10 which I think they will, I wouldn't mind Mikko Rantanen or Pavel Zacha.

I really like both and think they'd be solid pickups. If the team wins too much and we have to settle then it is what it is.

 

[Devils1029]

As our game starts to improve and guys get healthy again, I'd have to say that it does look like the tankers know what they're doing and we're stuck in still trying to win and look good.

That said, chances of a top 5 pick are looking slimmer, but I doubt we climb higher than 8th. At 8, we are probably looking at the possibility of at least one of these guys being available (Barzal, Zacha, Crouse) expecting that Kylington goes 6th behind McEichel, Marner, Hanafin, and Strome. I'm not interested in Crouse at all and I'd probably lean towards Barzal based off of talent. Zacha has the size but I think Barzal's ceiling might be higher.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Except the Devils have drafted more forwards than defensemen. Don't let rants get in the way of facts!

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00007066.html

well, forwards make up 2/3 of the team, so I would hope so....

 

[MichaelJ]

As our game starts to improve and guys get healthy again, I'd have to say that it does look like the tankers know what they're doing and we're stuck in still trying to win and look good.

That said, chances of a top 5 pick are looking slimmer, but I doubt we climb higher than 8th. At 8, we are probably looking at the possibility of at least one of these guys being available (Barzal, Zacha, Crouse) expecting that Kylington goes 6th behind McEichel, Marner, Hanafin, and Strome. I'm not interested in Crouse at all and I'd probably lean towards Barzal based off of talent. Zacha has the size but I think Barzal's ceiling might be higher.

Crouse has the look of a wasted pick.

 

[MichaelJ]

As our game starts to improve and guys get healthy again, I'd have to say that it does look like the tankers know what they're doing and we're stuck in still trying to win and look good.

That said, chances of a top 5 pick are looking slimmer, but I doubt we climb higher than 8th. At 8, we are probably looking at the possibility of at least one of these guys being available (Barzal, Zacha, Crouse) expecting that Kylington goes 6th behind McEichel, Marner, Hanafin, and Strome. I'm not interested in Crouse at all and I'd probably lean towards Barzal based off of talent. Zacha has the size but I think Barzal's ceiling might be higher.

I don't know enough about Barzal but I think Zacha is going to wind up on the wing.

 

[devilsblood]

Except the Devils have drafted more forwards than defensemen. Don't let rants get in the way of facts!

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00007066.html

well, forwards make up 2/3 of the team, so I would hope so....

Yeah's ZBC's is the obvious snark for snark retort, but looking at it closer we see what?

Since 2008, in the first 2 rounds, we have drafted 4 fwd's and 7 d-men. Think about that, 4 fwd's drafted in rounds 1 & 2 in the last 7 drafts.

Then you look at the 2009 & 2010 drafts and you see we drafted one fwd above round 5, that being JJ, and 5 d-men in that same subset.


If you take these facts, and combined that with ZBC's factual snark, you can see why the current state of the devils features a heavy load of good young d-men and a lack of good young fwd's. Our current situation is not some weird development. And the only way to turn that tide is to draft more fwd's especially in the early rounds.

 

[devilsblood]

We've talked of trading down if we are sitting at #3 and Hanifin is BPA. But what about trading up if we are sitting at #8 and we want someone like Strome?

 

[Tretyak 20]

Yeah's ZBC's is the obvious snark for snark retort, but looking at it closer we see what?

Since 2008, in the first 2 rounds, we have drafted 4 fwd's and 7 d-men. Think about that, 4 fwd's drafted in rounds 1 & 2 in the last 7 drafts.

Then you look at the 2009 & 2010 drafts and you see we drafted one fwd above round 5, that being JJ, and 5 d-men in that same subset.


If you take these facts, and combined that with ZBC's factual snark, you can see why the current state of the devils features a heavy load of good young d-men and a lack of good young fwd's. Our current situation is not some weird development. And the only way to turn that tide is to draft more fwd's especially in the early rounds.

Bingo! The first two or three rounds are the valuable picks. Everything behind that is a total crap shoot. Doesn't really matter if we draft a ton of forwards in the 4th through 7th rounds - those players very rarely develop into anything, much less 50+ point scorers.

 

[Brodeur]

But what about trading up if we are sitting at #8 and we want someone like Strome?

Probably will be dependent on who is in that #4/5 slot. Hypothetically, a team like Colorado probably doesn't want another center so they might be interested in moving down a few spots and still being in a position to get Werenski/Kylington.

But in most years, teams just don't seem that interested in moving down if they're picking that high. St. Louis made a big push in 2007 to try to get Jakub Voracek. They offered #9 and #24 to Edmonton for #6 but were turned down. Similarly in 2006, Washington declined #5 and #37 for #4 once they learned Boston intended to take Nicklas Backstrom.

In 2008, the Islanders trade down a couple times out of #5. In the first move, they got #7, #68, and a 2009 2nd. Then they dealt #7 for #9 and #40.

 

[devilsblood]

Probably will be dependent on who is in that #4/5 slot. Hypothetically, a team like Colorado probably doesn't want another center so they might be interested in moving down a few spots and still being in a position to get Werenski/Kylington.

But in most years, teams just don't seem that interested in moving down if they're picking that high. St. Louis made a big push in 2007 to try to get Jakub Voracek. They offered #9 and #24 to Edmonton for #6 but were turned down. Similarly in 2006, Washington declined #5 and #37 for #4 once they learned Boston intended to take Nicklas Backstrom.

In 2008, the Islanders trade down a couple times out of #5. In the first move, they got #7, #68, and a 2009 2nd. Then they dealt #7 for #9 and #40.

So a 2nd rnder to move up one spot at the team declined? I would not be interested in trading our 2nd rounder, so yeah, trading up might be out.