I had been inclined for Shero to seriously entertain trading up from 34 into the back-half of round 1 if a player like Seider was still available at around pick 25 on (I use Seider as an example but am as close to positive as can be there is no chance of that happening with his draft stock skyrocketing.). However, after reviewing your list Steven, it is clear to me that there will be a terrific player available at 34. Why give up a valuable asset that can be used in a deal to acquire a roster player like Zucker when it is guaranteed we can select a high upside prospect anyway? This looks to be one of the proverbial sweet spots of the draft and round 1 talent perennially trickles or outright falls into round 2.
My personal preference is Thomson or Korczak- not sure which of the teammates I prefer as their skill sets are quite different, yet equally enticing. I do think there’s a strong chance Korczak is available at 34 whereas I can envision Thomson being off the board. With a very real chance of both being there, I would not envy that decision but it’s a good one to have to make. I’m not opposed to a forward being selected with the pick if it is Rees, Brink or Leason for example. Even still, from an organization standpoint, I’d like to see us bolster on defensive prospect pool.
As always, Steven, thank you so much for all your hard work and thorough draft analysis. You are an incredible asset to our Devils community here and one of my favorite reads that keeps me coming back for more!!
