Prospect Info: 2019 Devils-Centric Mock Draft 2.0 (post-deadline)

StevenToddIves

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May 18, 2013
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There will be many more changes to the draft order and to the prospect rankings as the season winds down. I just wished to reiterate that these are not prospect rankings -- I'm also weighing in team needs/draft tendencies to the best of my abilities. Prospect rankings will come closer to the draft, both positional and overall.

1 Colorado: C Jack Hughes -- the best news out of Colorado since the pick of Nathan MacKinnon would be the worst news out of Ottawa in franchise history. The Matt Duchene deal will go down as perhaps the worst ever NHL trade if the Avalanche win the lottery with the Senators' pick and get this generational, superstar talent.

2 Detroit: W Kappo Kakko -- whomever picks #2, Kakko is the pick. He's a can't-miss franchise winger, and he's ready to make a big NHL impact right away.

3 Los Angeles: C Dylan Cozens -- years of Stanley Cup contention has left the Kings with an aging core and a prospect pipeline needing everything. Cozens is a scoring machine; he's big, fast, smart, skilled and has no weakness in his game whatsoever.

4 NEW JERSEY DEVILS: LD Bowen Byram -- it is truly rare when a draft-eligible defenseman has zero question marks in his game. Not only is Byram without weakness, every aspect of his game can be considered a strength. He's a brilliant skater, hits like a freight-train, defensively sound, offensively skilled, competitive as hell. We're talking a Norris Trophy type talent here.

5 Anaheim: C Kirby Dach -- the Ducks need centers, and love pivots with size. It cannot hurt that Dach's closest comparable is to longtime Anaheim star Ryan Getzlaf.

6 Vancouver: LW Peyton Krebs -- the Canucks sorely want a blue-chip D to add to their stable of young and extremely talented forwards, and thus must be considered a serious threat to trade up in the attempt to get Bowen Byram. In this scenario, they decide to draft Krebs, a veritable wolverine on skates with his off-the-charts compete level and with the high-end offensive skill-set to match.

7 Chicago: W Vasili Podkolzin -- though some draft pundits have Podkolzin ranked as high as #2 and most have him in the 3/4 range, I predict that his lack of initiative in coming to North America sinks him a bit in the top 10. The Blackhawks would be thrilled to find this Tkachuk-like, physical power F at #7.

8 NY Rangers: LD Philip Broberg -- under the current Rangers' regime, the European scouts certainly have the power. In the past two drafts, the Rangers passed on far more highly regarded North American players with early first rounders in order to draft Andersson and Kravtsov. I'm betting they do it again with Broberg, an incredibly talented and huge athlete who has been questioned for his decision making with and without the puck.

9 Edmonton: W Matthew Boldy -- it's not secret that the Oilers are desperate to find weapons on the wing for superstar centers McDavid and Draisaitl. Boldy is not only an offensive beast, he has one of the highest hockey IQs in the draft and plays with future-Selke-winner type defensive acumen.

10 Florida: C Alex Turcotte -- Devils fans are certainly familiar with Turcotte's closest comparable: Nico Hischier. Though injury concerns could drop him into the bottom end of the top 10, this lightning-fast two-way competitor is a star in the making.

11 Buffalo: C Trevor Zegras -- though much was written out of Buffalo about their need for a second-line center behind Eichel, Mittlestadt will soon be ready to take the mantle. Enter Zegras, an electrifying offensive player comparable to Barzal, who also has shone on the wing alongside Jack Hughes and Alex Turcotte for the US-NTDP.

12 Arizona: C Alex Newhook -- despite years of high-draft positions, the Coyotes still lack a franchise #1 center. Newhook's jersey-flapping speed and scintillating scoring upside can potentially change this.

13 Colorado: RW Cole Caufield -- in this scenario, Colorado gives generational future star Jack Hughes a huge gift by pairing him with his US-NTDP linemate Caufield, a lights-out shooter comparable to Alex DeBrincat.

14 Minnesota: C Ryan Suzuki -- some of Wild GM Paul Fenton's decision-making has been puzzling, but years working under David Poile must have taught him that you cannot win without strength at center. Suzuki is fast, incredibly skilled and will put in points at any level.

15 Philadelphia: RW Rafael Lavoie -- the Flyers love big wingers who can score, and Lavoie is considered by many to be the best prospect out of the QMJHL.

16 Dallas: RD Victor Soderstrom -- in my opinion, Soderstrom is the top Swede available in the 2019 draft class -- he's fast, smart and a tremendous puck-distributor from the blueline. Dallas is building a talented blueline around Heiskanen and Klingberg, but need some more young pieces to fill out the picture on the back end.

17 Buffalo: W Arthur Kaliyev -- though questions have been raised about his 200-foot game, there are few questions about the Staten Island native's pure scoring ability. His play with the puck in the offensive zone is dominating, his shot is absolutely sick. This pick would be a huge gift for Jack Eichel a year or two down the road.

18 Las Vegas: LD Cam York -- after trading their top defense prospect in Erik Brannstrom in order to acquire Mark Stone, Vegas takes an offensive D out of the US-NTDP with even more upside in order to immediately fill the void.

19 Ottawa: C Connor McMichael -- despite how poorly the Senators management has run the team as a whole in recent years, they have actually drafted pretty well. McMichael is a player who is very good in every aspect of the game, though he does not wow you with any one particular ability. A perfect 2C down the road.

20 Montreal: LD Matthew Robertson -- the primary need of the Habs prospect pool is on D, and Robertson is my #2 D in the class of 2019. He's big, strong, smart and competitive -- a future shut-down specialist who also skates very well and moves the puck with efficiency and expediency.

21 Pittsburgh: RD Moritz Seider -- Seider might be the most NHL-ready D in the class of 2019. Though he lacks the upside of a Byram or Harley or Soderstrom, he does everything well and thinks the game at a high level. He's big and mobile and a future middle-pairing, all-situations minute muncher on the blueline.

22 Carolina: G Spencer Knight -- okay, I know it's taboo to mock a goalie in the first round. But the Canes have suffered through some awful net minding over the past decade, and Knight is the best goaltending prospect since a fellow named Carey Price.

23 NY Rangers: LW Jakob Pelletier -- after blowing it with their first first-round pick the past two years (Andersson, Kravtsov), the Rangers made up for it with an incredible steal later in the first round (Chytil, Miller). I'm predicting this happens again with Pelletier, an unbelievably competitive scorer with the upside of a Brad Marchand type-player, minus the diving and whining and cheap shots.

24 Nashville: LD Thomas Harley -- no one drafts and develops D like David Poile in Nashville. Harley could wind up being a huge steal in much the same way as K'Andre Miller in 2018 -- he's huge and an outstanding skater with incredible offensive skill. He needs a lot of work in his own zone, but has sick upside if he can be coached into a complete, rounded game.

25 Washington: W Nils Hoglander -- the Caps have a few more years in the Stanley Cup window, and this feisty and supremely skilled Swedish winger would immediately become the top forward in their prospect pool.

26 NY Islanders: C John Beecher -- GM Lou Lamoriello has done an incredible job for the Isles, and no player in this draft is more his type of player than Beecher, a hulking Bobby Holik/Ryan Kesler hybrid who can play a physical, shut-down role while scoring big goals from the dirty areas of the ice.

27 Anaheim: LD Alex Vlasic -- no team covets size more than Anaheim, and the 6'6" Vlasic is more than just big; he's mobile and smart and extremely solid in all three zones.

28 Los Angeles: LW Pavel Dorofeyev -- with three picks in the top 35, the Kings really need a huge draft to replenish the shallowed-out prospect pool. Dorofeyev has terrific skill and top-6 potential.

29 Boston: C/W Brett Leason -- Boston has an aging core, but they're still a cup contender. The overaged Season was passed over in the draft twice, but his much-improved skating could land him on an NHL roster as early as next season.

30 Calgary: C Phil Tomasino -- one cannot discuss the wild-cards of the 2019 draft without mentioning this explosive and lightning-fast center from Niagara of the OHL. Much like with Ty Dellandrea in 2018, Tomasino could be in the second round of many mock drafts, but it would not be surprising to see a team fall in love with his first-line, high-scoring upside and take him just after the top 10.

31 NY Rangers: C Ilya Nikolayev -- if, as many predict, the Tampa Bay Lightning win the 2019 Stanley Cup, the Rangers will find themselves with three first-rounders for the second consecutive draft. Nikolayev is highly skilled and has top 6 upside.

Early Second Round

32 Ottawa: LW Samuel Poulin --
this big, power F is the type of player the Ottawa scouting team always covets.

33 Detroit: LD Marshall Warren -- if Detroit gets a lottery pick F as we have occurring in this scenario, you can bet on them to concentrate on D for the rest of the draft. Warren is a terrific puck-mover with skating and smarts, but for some inexplicable reason a lot of draft pundits are sleeping on him.

34 Los Angeles: LD Artemi Knyazev -- the offensively-gifted blueliner has been shooting up draft boards as he consistently impresses in the QMJHL for Chicoutimi.

35 NEW JERSEY DEVILS: RD Lassi Thomson -- it might raise some eyebrows that I have the Devils taking defensemen with their first two picks in a draft not particularly celebrated for its blueline crop, but in my mind Thomson is the most underrated D in the class of 2019. Lassi is an outstanding skater, and not afraid to play the body at 6'0-185. He features plus skills as a shooter and passer, and is very good in his own zone for a player primarily considered an offensive defenseman. You may be hearing it here first, but I firmly believe that this young Finn has more top-pairing upside than several defensemen likely to be snatched up in the first round.

Other Players for Devils fans to watch in round 2:

G Mads Sogaard
D Drew Helleson
D Billy Constantinou
D Tobias Bjornfot
D Antti Tuomisto
D Vladislav Kolyochonok
D Mikko Kokkonen
RW Ryder Donovan
RW Bobby Brink
RW Sasha Mutala
LW Robert Mastrosimone
LW Michal Teply
LW Nicholas Robertson
C Yegor Spirodonov
C Shane Pinto
C Oleg Zaitsev
 
Last edited:

glenwo2

LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
Oct 18, 2008
51,942
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New Jersey(No Fanz!)
I prefer @Ripshot 43 's list :

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Billdo

Registered User
Oct 28, 2008
19,358
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Ocean County
Ran it 10 times... here are the results.

1. 6th OA, NYR 1OA
2.3rd OA, LA 1OA
3.6th OA, EDM 1OA
4.5th OA, VAN 1OA
5.5th OA, OTT 1OA
6.5th OA, ARI 1OA
7. 6th OA, CBJ 1OA
8. 4th OA, OTT 1OA
9. 5th OA, ANA 1OA
10. 5th OA, LA 1OA

Of all of these the 1st is an absolute nightmare because of this board.
 

Emperoreddy

Show Me What You Got!
Apr 13, 2010
129,839
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New Jersey, Exit 16E
Ran it 10 times... here are the results.

1. 6th OA, NYR 1OA
2.3rd OA, LA 1OA
3.6th OA, EDM 1OA
4.5th OA, VAN 1OA
5.5th OA, OTT 1OA
6.5th OA, ARI 1OA
7. 6th OA, CBJ 1OA
8. 4th OA, OTT 1OA
9. 5th OA, ANA 1OA
10. 5th OA, LA 1OA

Of all of these the 1st is an absolute nightmare because of this board.

Basically if we finish 4th we aren’t picking 4th
 
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Emperoreddy

Show Me What You Got!
Apr 13, 2010
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And more often than not we'd pick in a "worse" spot.

I just ran it three more times. Picked 1st, 2nd, 2nd. So it’s alright!!!

Man you almost wish we just kept Keith to be the tank commander. Big Mac and Cory are giving us too many points.

Though it isn’t their fault that Ottawa and LA are on a whole other level of suck even with our bare bones lineup.
 

StevenToddIves

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May 18, 2013
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Brooklyn, NY
Steven you think the Devils take Byram over Cozens at 3 if they end up there?

I think it's a coin flip. Both fit in perfectly with the Devils' organizational needs: Cozens is a C/RW with size, superstar talent and a shoot-first mentality, Byram a physical two-way D with incredible speed and the ability to drive possession. Both would have an argument for best available player anywhere from the 3rd pick on, both will presumedly be NHL-ready by the 2020-21 season.

Personally, and I've said this before, I take Byram anywhere from the third pick on down. But if the Devils picked third overall and took Cozens, I would be thrilled. Neither of these players have a single "red flag" between them, and both of their tools across the board rank extremely highly. I think either player would immediately become neck-and-neck with Nico for the second-most talented player in the entire Devils organization after Taylor Hall.

In a sense, the Devils picked a pretty good year to suck. If they pick 1/2, they get a generational-type player in Hughes or Kakko. If they pick 3/4, they get a franchise-type talent in Byram or Cozens. And if they pick 5-9 there are potential star-quality centers available in Zegras, Turcotte and Dach who can set up a fearsome 1a/1b up the middle with Nico for several seasons to come.
 

StevenToddIves

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May 18, 2013
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Brooklyn, NY
I just ran it three more times. Picked 1st, 2nd, 2nd. So it’s alright!!!

Man you almost wish we just kept Keith to be the tank commander. Big Mac and Cory are giving us too many points.

Though it isn’t their fault that Ottawa and LA are on a whole other level of suck even with our bare bones lineup.

Though it's fun to scoreboard watch and hope for a better shot at Hughes or Kakko, keep in mind that the Devils are a virtual lock for (at worst) a top 7 or 8 pick in a draft with a tremendous top 10. The Devils are going to come away from this draft with a future franchise cornerstone. And we haven't talked nearly enough about the Devils trio of second round picks and two third-rounders. It's going to be a terrific draft for New Jersey.
 

My3Sons

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Though it's fun to scoreboard watch and hope for a better shot at Hughes or Kakko, keep in mind that the Devils are a virtual lock for (at worst) a top 7 or 8 pick in a draft with a tremendous top 10. The Devils are going to come away from this draft with a future franchise cornerstone. And we haven't talked nearly enough about the Devils trio of second round picks and two third-rounders. It's going to be a terrific draft for New Jersey.

You had me at Turcotte’s closest comparable is Nico. Where do I sign?
 

StevenToddIves

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May 18, 2013
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You had me at Turcotte’s closest comparable is Nico. Where do I sign?

Having a 1/2 punch of Nico and Turcotte at C would be just dynamic. One of the really interesting questions we haven't dealt with on these threads is: what if the Devils are picking 6th or 7th, and Cozens and Byram are gone, and the choice is between Turcotte and Zegras?

Would you rather have a player like Turcotte who is very similar to Nico, or would you rather contrast him with Zegras,, comparable to Mat Barzal? It's an intriguing question.
 

MichaelJ

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May 20, 2013
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Though it's fun to scoreboard watch and hope for a better shot at Hughes or Kakko, keep in mind that the Devils are a virtual lock for (at worst) a top 7 or 8 pick in a draft with a tremendous top 10. The Devils are going to come away from this draft with a future franchise cornerstone. And we haven't talked nearly enough about the Devils trio of second round picks and two third-rounders. It's going to be a terrific draft for New Jersey.


If they keep the picks, I hope they can have the success Detroit seemed to last year. Zadina, Veleno, and McIssac was a pretty good haul given their draft position.
 

Alex NJD

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In a perfect world we win 1st and Arizona and Colorado (with their own pick) win the other 2 lotto picks, pushing the Rags out of the top 10 and leaving Detroit as the only other East team aside from us
 

Nubmer6

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Jul 14, 2013
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I think it's a coin flip. Both fit in perfectly with the Devils' organizational needs: Cozens is a C/RW with size, superstar talent and a shoot-first mentality, Byram a physical two-way D with incredible speed and the ability to drive possession. Both would have an argument for best available player anywhere from the 3rd pick on, both will presumedly be NHL-ready by the 2020-21 season.

Personally, and I've said this before, I take Byram anywhere from the third pick on down. But if the Devils picked third overall and took Cozens, I would be thrilled. Neither of these players have a single "red flag" between them, and both of their tools across the board rank extremely highly. I think either player would immediately become neck-and-neck with Nico for the second-most talented player in the entire Devils organization after Taylor Hall.

In a sense, the Devils picked a pretty good year to suck. If they pick 1/2, they get a generational-type player in Hughes or Kakko. If they pick 3/4, they get a franchise-type talent in Byram or Cozens. And if they pick 5-9 there are potential star-quality centers available in Zegras, Turcotte and Dach who can set up a fearsome 1a/1b up the middle with Nico for several seasons to come.
All things being equal, I'd prefer Byram. Smith seems to be a top pairing defenseman, but not a #1, which Byram seems to potentially be.

Meanwhile, we already have a potential 1c in Nico. While it's nice to have a pair of 1st line centers, it's really more of a luxury. This draft seems deep enough that we have a good possibility to find a solid 2c in the early 2nd. Someone always falls through the cracks.

Again, this presumes all those forwards and Byram are pretty much equal.
 

Stephen Gionta

Boston College > Boston University
Jun 15, 2015
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All things being equal, I'd prefer Byram. Smith seems to be a top pairing defenseman, but not a #1, which Byram seems to potentially be.

Meanwhile, we already have a potential 1c in Nico. While it's nice to have a pair of 1st line centers, it's really more of a luxury. This draft seems deep enough that we have a good possibility to find a solid 2c in the early 2nd. Someone always falls through the cracks.

Again, this presumes all those forwards and Byram are pretty much equal.

Teams that win Stanley Cups have two 1Cs.

Crosby Malkin. Kuznetsov Backstrom. Kopitar Carter (kinda). Bergeron Krecji (at the time. the guy lead the playoffs in points).

However with that said, I prefer Byram at 3rd overall as well. :)
 

StevenToddIves

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May 18, 2013
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All things being equal, I'd prefer Byram. Smith seems to be a top pairing defenseman, but not a #1, which Byram seems to potentially be.

Meanwhile, we already have a potential 1c in Nico. While it's nice to have a pair of 1st line centers, it's really more of a luxury. This draft seems deep enough that we have a good possibility to find a solid 2c in the early 2nd. Someone always falls through the cracks.

Again, this presumes all those forwards and Byram are pretty much equal.

In my mind, Ty Smith indeed has the potential to be a #1 D. His defensive play is very good, and he really controls the play every time he hits the ice. His offensive acumen is just so heady, and he's a tremendous skater. I absolutely love watching the kid.

I believe that there are a few wild cards who could fall to the second round with top center or top-pairing D upside. Lassi Thomson is a RD I will write about more, I think the kid is just a tremendous talent. In my mind, he's going to be late riser up draft boards, his play for the defenseman factory in Kelowna this year has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Yegor Spirodonov is a center who is extremely impressive. He's huge, smart and skilled -- and though he's not the top-end skater the Devils seem to covet, I'd call his skating above average. He should be available into the late second round, where the Devils have two picks.

I love the idea of the Devils packaging a couple of their second rounders to move up into the late first round to take a kid like Philip Tomasino, who combines top-end speed and skill and could develop into an NHL 1C. Every time I watch this kid I like him more, and he should be available in the 25-31 range.
 

longislanddevil

Registered User
Jun 16, 2011
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@StevenToddIves: Thank you for your insightful and informative write-ups on draft prospects. I always thoroughly enjoy reading your analysis and work!! You are also a class act and gentleman.

Is it fair to say that Hughes is in a tier by himself, followed by Kakko at 1A and then Cozens/Byram? By no means is that a knock on the Russian kid (I have trouble remembering his name...sorry!), Turcotte, Zegras, etc...feels like they’re maybe a tier lower? It seems like it would be huge if we could at least finish with a top 4 pick. Cozens/Byram appear closer to “sure things,” no? They both also check off huge organizational needs. I’ve read in a few places that the comparable for Turcotte is Nico. While I’m a huge Nico fan and love his game, I’d rather the Devils add foundational pieces with complimentary skill sets. For this reason, I’d much rather have Cozens over Turcotte. I’m torn on Cozens/Byram. If the Devils don’t fall 1 or 2 which is the dream scenario, it might not be so bad to finish 4 and have whichever one is there. If the Devils finish behind only the Senators, I have read they have a 73% chance of picking in the top 4...with a 13% chance at Hughes and then Kakko.

Thanks again for all of your contributions to this forum. I look forward to your thoughts!!

- Howie
 

Emperoreddy

Show Me What You Got!
Apr 13, 2010
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New Jersey, Exit 16E
In my mind, Ty Smith indeed has the potential to be a #1 D. His defensive play is very good, and he really controls the play every time he hits the ice. His offensive acumen is just so heady, and he's a tremendous skater. I absolutely love watching the kid.

I believe that there are a few wild cards who could fall to the second round with top center or top-pairing D upside. Lassi Thomson is a RD I will write about more, I think the kid is just a tremendous talent. In my mind, he's going to be late riser up draft boards, his play for the defenseman factory in Kelowna this year has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Yegor Spirodonov is a center who is extremely impressive. He's huge, smart and skilled -- and though he's not the top-end skater the Devils seem to covet, I'd call his skating above average. He should be available into the late second round, where the Devils have two picks.

I love the idea of the Devils packaging a couple of their second rounders to move up into the late first round to take a kid like Philip Tomasino, who combines top-end speed and skill and could develop into an NHL 1C. Every time I watch this kid I like him more, and he should be available in the 25-31 range.

I am in love with Ty Smith. Why I am also keen on the idea of Byram, and having this legitimate one-two punch on the blueline.

Like reimagining the Devils of old, but for today’s game.
 

Ripshot 43

Registered User
Jul 21, 2010
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Blame Ottawa for being insanely stupid. They just feel destined to win/lose the lotto

Not going to lie. My 1st try on the lotto spin had Colorado winning it all with their pick and the Ottawa pick dropping to 4. Imagine Colorado getting Hughes and Bryam in this draft....
 

ChicksDigTheTrap

No quick fixes, no cutting corners and no cheating
Sep 16, 2018
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Not going to lie. My 1st try on the lotto spin had Colorado winning it all with their pick and the Ottawa pick dropping to 4. Imagine Colorado getting Hughes and Bryam in this draft....
That is what happens when you have a GM that thinks long term. Just think we had posters here advocating the Devils do the same thing Ottawa did - trade our first round pick for Duchene.
 

Ripshot 43

Registered User
Jul 21, 2010
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10,405
That is what happens when you have a GM that thinks long term. Just think we had posters here advocating the Devils do the same thing Ottawa did - trade our first round pick for Duchene.

Quite proud to be one of the strongest opposers to that. Rebuild properly. Getting Nico jump started that rebuild a few years. Another big lotto win or at least staying top 5ish would help with another leap. Next year should bring some nice pics back as well if we still aren’t playoff contending with dumping of Vets like this season (Greene, Zajac and others).
 

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