Prospect Info: 2021 Devils-Centric Mock Draft 2.0 for May

[StevenToddIves]

Id say Ty has more of a knack for seeing offensive rotations and chances for deep pucks/shots on net, so perhaps a reactionary mindset and vision edit 2: more a systematic mindset

Whereas Clarke is more of a cerebral creator, making space for not only himself but usually someone else with His individual skill more than Ty, whos more of a strategic thinker IMO

Edit: this IMO makes Clarke a higher potential offensive player as its more based in his actual skillset and less in the ability of others

I also could be way off basis as this is due to my limited viewings of Clarke

Not to sound critical, but I think you should watch some more of Clarke. Just go on HockeyTV.com and watch a replay of either U-18 game vs. Sweden, and you'll get at least an idea.

Brandt Clarke is an extremely unique player. I'm not talking about his unusual skating stride, but rather he thinks the game from a seemingly alternate universe. He's an improviser, almost a jazz musician on skates because his improvisation is in tune with the context of the situation he is playing in.

He's a player who will purposely draw in two forecheckers simultaneously, then spin a 360 and lace a cross-ice pass on to a teammate's blade to start a rush in the other direction. In the offensive zone, he'll use his elite hands for a litany of fakes as if he wants to rush in the zone, when he's really just trying to open up a defender to commit so he can create a passing lane. I've seen him use the fake pass as often as most defensemen use a fake shot, trying to catch a defender reaching to skate in behind him and become a fourth forward in the offensive zone. Clarke loves to set up in Gretzky's office -- behind the opposing net -- more than any defender I think I've ever seen; he trusts his forwards to cover for him at the point and has confidence on how capable he is offensively.

Where Clarke has really shored up his game this year is on the defensive side. Though he can still be outmuscled and outfought -- he's not Owen Power back there -- his positional play and gap control have really improved in Slovakia. You criticized his transitional defense earlier, but maybe you just saw one bad play? I only ask because this is certainly a strength in his game. His strongest attribute is his hands, passing and calm -- when he picks the puck out of a board scrum, there is no defenseman in this class who is more adept at gaining a few milliseconds of space with a quick move, then firing an outlet pass. Clarke is an exceptional passer, and his anticipation and IQ play up the skill -- it's one thing to be creative, but another entirely to mix creativity with a chess player mentality of always thinking the game one step ahead of the opposition.

Now, I'm not here to tell you or anyone else that Brandt Clarke is the best defenseman in the 2021 class. Though I personally rank him the highest, if someone prefers Power or Hughes, it's really close enough at the top of the draft that these are all legitimate debates and, in reality, none of us will know who is right or wrong for another decade. But I will tell anyone that Brandt Clarke is an exceptional prospect with exceptional upside -- and the idea that his skating or his defense make him a risk to be a good NHL-er is just an extreme stretch of imagination to me.

What I can say about Clarke is what attracts me to him as a player. Quite simply, his combination of hands/passing/shooting/IQ match any Norris winner for the past dozen years in their draft eligible seasons. He's never going to be an elite skater or physical player, but those are four crucial tools for a defenseman where Clarke is either elite or borderline elite. How many star NHL defensemen have an arsenal like that to work with? Skating is a very crucial tool as well, but again Clarke is a good skater -- more proficient in that respect than very recent Norris winners like Mark Giordano and Brent Burns. Is Clarke ever going to be as good as Giordano defensively or in terms of playing mistake-free hockey for seemingly months at a time? No. Will he ever be able to play a physical, power game and blast 100+ mph shots like Burns? Again, no.

But my point is that every great player player to their own strengths. Because neither Giordano nor Burns will ever be able to stickhandle or thread "how did he know that guy was even there?" passes like Clarke.

The real reason you -- or anyone -- should watch Brandt Clarke is because you love hockey and he's really, really fun to watch. He's one of those "what will he come up with next?" players. He's an improvisational artist and he's a truly bright young prospect for whichever team drafts him.

 

[AusDev]

Not to sound critical, but I think you should watch some more of Clarke. Just go on HockeyTV.com and watch a replay of either U-18 game vs. Sweden, and you'll get at least an idea.

Brandt Clarke is an extremely unique player. I'm not talking about his unusual skating stride, but rather he thinks the game from a seemingly alternate universe. He's an improviser, almost a jazz musician on skates because his improvisation is in tune with the context of the situation he is playing in.

He's a player who will purposely draw in two forecheckers simultaneously, then spin a 360 and lace a cross-ice pass on to a teammate's blade to start a rush in the other direction. In the offensive zone, he'll use his elite hands for a litany of fakes as if he wants to rush in the zone, when he's really just trying to open up a defender to commit so he can create a passing lane. I've seen him use the fake pass as often as most defensemen use a fake shot, trying to catch a defender reaching to skate in behind him and become a fourth forward in the offensive zone. Clarke loves to set up in Gretzky's office -- behind the opposing net -- more than any defender I think I've ever seen; he trusts his forwards to cover for him at the point and has confidence on how capable he is offensively.

Where Clarke has really shored up his game this year is on the defensive side. Though he can still be outmuscled and outfought -- he's not Owen Power back there -- his positional play and gap control have really improved in Slovakia. You criticized his transitional defense earlier, but maybe you just saw one bad play? I only ask because this is certainly a strength in his game. His strongest attribute is his hands, passing and calm -- when he picks the puck out of a board scrum, there is no defenseman in this class who is more adept at gaining a few milliseconds of space with a quick move, then firing an outlet pass. Clarke is an exceptional passer, and his anticipation and IQ play up the skill -- it's one thing to be creative, but another entirely to mix creativity with a chess player mentality of always thinking the game one step ahead of the opposition.

Now, I'm not here to tell you or anyone else that Brandt Clarke is the best defenseman in the 2021 class. Though I personally rank him the highest, if someone prefers Power or Hughes, it's really close enough at the top of the draft that these are all legitimate debates and, in reality, none of us will know who is right or wrong for another decade. But I will tell anyone that Brandt Clarke is an exceptional prospect with exceptional upside -- and the idea that his skating or his defense make him a risk to be a good NHL-er is just an extreme stretch of imagination to me.

What I can say about Clarke is what attracts me to him as a player. Quite simply, his combination of hands/passing/shooting/IQ match any Norris winner for the past dozen years in their draft eligible seasons. He's never going to be an elite skater or physical player, but those are four crucial tools for a defenseman where Clarke is either elite or borderline elite. How many star NHL defensemen have an arsenal like that to work with? Skating is a very crucial tool as well, but again Clarke is a good skater -- more proficient in that respect than very recent Norris winners like Mark Giordano and Brent Burns. Is Clarke ever going to be as good as Giordano defensively or in terms of playing mistake-free hockey for seemingly months at a time? No. Will he ever be able to play a physical, power game and blast 100+ mph shots like Burns? Again, no.

But my point is that every great player player to their own strengths. Because neither Giordano nor Burns will ever be able to stickhandle or thread "how did he know that guy was even there?" passes like Clarke.

The real reason you -- or anyone -- should watch Brandt Clarke is because you love hockey and he's really, really fun to watch. He's one of those "what will he come up with next?" players. He's an improvisational artist and he's a truly bright young prospect for whichever team drafts him.

Yeah there's so much to like there. Not sure if this has been posted, but it's a set of clips from Clarke's u18's. It's basically a highlights video, so I guess you're looking mostly at his offensive upside with a video like this, although they do show him making some defensive plays and working the puck out of his own end with a lot of patience. Again, only highlights so take it for what it is.



You can see him working out his options every single time he has the puck, regardless of how much space he has at the time, and his puck handling certainly looks strong enough to keep up with his decision making. If anything he might have to start making slightly quicker decisions in tight defensive spots, but you could say that about most kids.

The big thing is that he just looks suuuper comfortable with the puck on his stick, and I feel like that's what you want picking a dman so high like this. He handles the puck really well, has great vision, and generally makes good decisions with it. I don't know enough about all this to know if his skating will be an issue, but he seems to get around fine in all the clips I've seen, even if it isn't always pretty.

 

[Juxtaposer]

What I can say about Clarke is what attracts me to him as a player. Quite simply, his combination of hands/passing/shooting/IQ match any Norris winner for the past dozen years in their draft eligible seasons. He's never going to be an elite skater or physical player, but those are four crucial tools for a defenseman where Clarke is either elite or borderline elite. How many star NHL defensemen have an arsenal like that to work with? Skating is a very crucial tool as well, but again Clarke is a good skater -- more proficient in that respect than very recent Norris winners like Mark Giordano and Brent Burns. Is Clarke ever going to be as good as Giordano defensively or in terms of playing mistake-free hockey for seemingly months at a time? No. Will he ever be able to play a physical, power game and blast 100+ mph shots like Burns? Again, no.

But my point is that every great player player to their own strengths. Because neither Giordano nor Burns will ever be able to stickhandle or thread "how did he know that guy was even there?" passes like Clarke.

The real reason you -- or anyone -- should watch Brandt Clarke is because you love hockey and he's really, really fun to watch. He's one of those "what will he come up with next?" players. He's an improvisational artist and he's a truly bright young prospect for whichever team drafts him.

Love your posts, man, but have you ever watched Brent Burns play a hockey game? Burns is an absolutely elite skater, much better than Clarke, even when you don’t take the fact that he’s 6’5” into account, and he’s also an extremely good stick-handler. His shot is about picking his spot rather than pure velocity (his slap shot is actually non-existent, every shot is a wrister). His game is not about imposing himself physically nearly as much as you claim. Practically nothing you say about him here, all to make Clarke look good, is true at all. Seems weird to me.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Love your posts, man, but have you ever watched Brent Burns play a hockey game? Burns is an absolutely elite skater, much better than Clarke, even when you don’t take the fact that he’s 6’5” into account, and he’s also an extremely good stick-handler. His shot is about picking his spot rather than pure velocity (his slap shot is actually non-existent, every shot is a wrister). His game is not about imposing himself physically nearly as much as you claim. Practically nothing you say about him here, all to make Clarke look good, is true at all. Seems weird to me.

Brent Burns is not an absolute elite skater that’s much better than Clarke. He’s a good skater and really good skater for his size but he’s not among the best d skaters in the league at all.
I agree that he is good at shot placement and picking his spots but he gets good velocity too similar to Clarke. Maybe he doesn’t impose himself physically every shift but he definitely throws some big hits here and there. He’s also very good at using his body to protect the puck and I agree that he does have good hands.

 

[Oneiro]

@StevenToddIves Nailed exactly what I see in Clarke. He is a player who can beat you in a bunch of different ways, which is not how I'd characterize Power or Hughes. Maybe Hughes gets there but I don't see the same level of patience, which almost makes sense with the incredible skating advantage. In general, I would say all three Hughes brothers are not the waiting types and with good reason.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

@StevenToddIves Nailed exactly what I see in Clarke. He is a player who can beat you in a bunch of different ways, which is not how I'd characterize Power or Hughes. Maybe Hughes gets there but I don't see the same level of patience, which almost makes sense with the incredible skating advantage. In general, I would say all three Hughes brothers are not the waiting types and with good reason.

Exactly, his patience and the way he slows the game down is special. He plays a very slow game in a way and never seems rushed. He takes his time, holds onto the puck and looks for openings and plays to make.

I think this is part of why people question his skating. Because he usually doesn’t move that fast or fly around the ice like some really good skaters. He can really wheel if he wants to he just doesn’t do it very often. He rarely skates full speed with how he plays and that’s something I really like because he’s not going to expend as much energy and he’ll be able to log more minutes in a game.

 

[Eggtimer]

I know Clarke fills a huge need being a RHD but what type or style of D is most needed as well?
We are in no position to be too picky as we desperately need a big minute playing top pairing D but in an ideal world what type of D would be the perfect fit or biggest need first ? It’s changed recently with the whole “stay at home D vs. offence “ and is more just about puck moving . With Smith and Severson would we need more of a puck clearing PK stud or is that something you hope for in a 3/4 pairing guy?
I guess what I’m asking is if we don’t take into account what side D we need more do we need a Power type D or Clarke moreso?
Who wou,d be the best fit and address our meeds the most.
Thing is though that offensively gifted D like Clarke don’t grow on trees

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I know Clarke fills a huge need being a RHD but what type or style of D is most needed as well?
We are in no position to be too picky as we desperately need a big minute playing top pairing D but in an ideal world what type of D would be the perfect fit or biggest need first ? It’s changed recently with the whole “stay at home D vs. offence “ and is more just about puck moving . With Smith and Severson would we need more of a puck clearing PK stud or is that something you hope for in a 3/4 pairing guy?
I guess what I’m asking is if we don’t take into account what side D we need more do we need a Power type D or Clarke moreso?
Who wou,d be the best fit and address our meeds the most.
Thing is though that offensively gifted D like Clarke don’t grow on trees

It’s a good question but I don’t think it matters that much. If they both develop into #1 dman they should be able to do everything pretty well. Clarke may be more offensive but he should also be good defensively and a solid penalty killer and we also have some potentially very good penalty killers in our system already.
If Power turns out I expect him to be great defensively and on the pk but he should bring some offense too and be able to run a power play while Smith runs the other.

It has definitely changed. We don’t need and we’re not looking for a specifically shut down or offensive dman. We’re looking for someone who can do everything because that’s what you need to be a top dman and play a lot of minutes in the NHL now. They’re both very talented and are good puck movers and would be really good fits if they turn out.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Love your posts, man, but have you ever watched Brent Burns play a hockey game? Burns is an absolutely elite skater, much better than Clarke, even when you don’t take the fact that he’s 6’5” into account, and he’s also an extremely good stick-handler. His shot is about picking his spot rather than pure velocity (his slap shot is actually non-existent, every shot is a wrister). His game is not about imposing himself physically nearly as much as you claim. Practically nothing you say about him here, all to make Clarke look good, is true at all. Seems weird to me.

It's possible I'm underselling Burns here, fair enough. I apologize if you think I was somehow diminishing him -- he's a terrific player. And I agree he's a terrific stickhandler, and his shot accuracy is phenomenal, I don't think I said otherwise. I'm not sure I would call him an elite skater, though when you take his size in account he's certainly a good skater. I would give Clarke the edge because of his edges -- I really like Clarke's quick spins to avoid forecheckers in the defensive zone and defenders when on offense, his directional ability is almost unconscious, though his top speeds are limited.

I'll disagree about the physicality because I've seen Burns lay a lot of guys out, and I've watched him use his size to dominate along the boards and in the crease for a very, very long time. And I've also seen Burns with time to wind it up on the PP -- I love that guy's shot.

Ultimately, I apologize for giving the wrong impression, and you're probably right that I was not paying enough attention to the players (like Burns) I was using as comparison points, as I was more focused on illustrating Clarke's abilities.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I know Clarke fills a huge need being a RHD but what type or style of D is most needed as well?
We are in no position to be too picky as we desperately need a big minute playing top pairing D but in an ideal world what type of D would be the perfect fit or biggest need first ? It’s changed recently with the whole “stay at home D vs. offence “ and is more just about puck moving . With Smith and Severson would we need more of a puck clearing PK stud or is that something you hope for in a 3/4 pairing guy?
I guess what I’m asking is if we don’t take into account what side D we need more do we need a Power type D or Clarke moreso?
Who wou,d be the best fit and address our meeds the most.
Thing is though that offensively gifted D like Clarke don’t grow on trees

The Devils have one high-end offensive D in the system, as I think we can all envision Ty Smith putting together some 50+ point seasons. He's a left-shot.

Two years ago, the Devils drafted or traded for a litany of defense/physicality oriented LD prospects in Bahl, Okhotyuk, Vukojevic and Misyul. The problem is, who do we pair them with?

The Devils only offensive RD prospect is Reilly Walsh, who is not even in Clarke's league when it comes to potential. While Walsh certainly has a chance to be an offensive producer and help in possession/transition for your bottom pairing, his upside is not in the dictate-the-pace-of-every-shift neighborhood of a Brandt Clarke.

So yes, Clarke is filling multiple needs, and if drafted by the Devils he would immediately become the team's top defense prospect, and it wouldn't be close.

 

[Eggtimer]

The Devils have one high-end offensive D in the system, as I think we can all envision Ty Smith putting together some 50+ point seasons. He's a left-shot.

Two years ago, the Devils drafted or traded for a litany of defense/physicality oriented LD prospects in Bahl, Okhotyuk, Vukojevic and Misyul. The problem is, who do we pair them with?

The Devils only offensive RD prospect is Reilly Walsh, who is not even in Clarke's league when it comes to potential. While Walsh certainly has a chance to be an offensive producer and help in possession/transition for your bottom pairing, his upside is not in the dictate-the-pace-of-every-shift neighborhood of a Brandt Clarke.

So yes, Clarke is filling multiple needs, and if drafted by the Devils he would immediately become the team's top defense prospect, and it wouldn't be close.

Thank you for your insight sir.
How far away from playing in the NHL is he in your opinion ?
I’d think his (Clarke’s) hockey IQ and ability to read plays would offset the importance of filling out and gaining strength ? He can avoid needing to take big hits and out muscling players by having good positioning / good stick / self awareness for lose battles where his route to the puck is not dependant on taking a hit or mucking around in the corners but rather using his smarts bs brute strength?
Im just thinking about if we have a choice between Power Hughes and Clarke , how much of an emphasis will Fitz be puttingt into picking the one of them that’s most NHL ready or will be the quickest to develop ? Hopefully none and they go with best fit/ player

 

[longislanddevil]

Yeah there's so much to like there. Not sure if this has been posted, but it's a set of clips from Clarke's u18's. It's basically a highlights video, so I guess you're looking mostly at his offensive upside with a video like this, although they do show him making some defensive plays and working the puck out of his own end with a lot of patience. Again, only highlights so take it for what it is.



You can see him working out his options every single time he has the puck, regardless of how much space he has at the time, and his puck handling certainly looks strong enough to keep up with his decision making. If anything he might have to start making slightly quicker decisions in tight defensive spots, but you could say that about most kids.

The big thing is that he just looks suuuper comfortable with the puck on his stick, and I feel like that's what you want picking a dman so high like this. He handles the puck really well, has great vision, and generally makes good decisions with it. I don't know enough about all this to know if his skating will be an issue, but he seems to get around fine in all the clips I've seen, even if it isn't always pretty.

I know it’s a highlight package but the kid looks like a magician with the puck on his stick. Very impressive!

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Yeah there's so much to like there. Not sure if this has been posted, but it's a set of clips from Clarke's u18's. It's basically a highlights video, so I guess you're looking mostly at his offensive upside with a video like this, although they do show him making some defensive plays and working the puck out of his own end with a lot of patience. Again, only highlights so take it for what it is.



You can see him working out his options every single time he has the puck, regardless of how much space he has at the time, and his puck handling certainly looks strong enough to keep up with his decision making. If anything he might have to start making slightly quicker decisions in tight defensive spots, but you could say that about most kids.

The big thing is that he just looks suuuper comfortable with the puck on his stick, and I feel like that's what you want picking a dman so high like this. He handles the puck really well, has great vision, and generally makes good decisions with it. I don't know enough about all this to know if his skating will be an issue, but he seems to get around fine in all the clips I've seen, even if it isn't always pretty.

lol gotta love it 0:49

 

[Lou is God]

lol gotta love it 0:49

0:34 for me, what a sweet little move.

 

[LeedsMonster]

Love your posts, and appreciate all the effort you put forth to keep us informed, but you are criminally underrating Olausson IMO. If he goes out side the top 20 I think he will end up the steal of the draft.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Honestly at this point I hope some team before us takes Clarke or Hughes so we don’t have to make the decision between the two.

 

[Lou is God]

Honestly at this point I hope some team before us takes Clarke or Hughes so we don’t have to make the decision between the two.

I hope one of them makes it to us, if we're higher than the 4th pick I fear they'll both be gone.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

World Championships start today. Canada playing at 1:15pm I believe if anyone wants to watch Power

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I hope one of them makes it to us, if we're higher than the 4th pick I fear they'll both be gone.

If we’re at 5 I think it’s highly unlikely they’re both gone and there’s a chance they’re both available.

 

[Eggtimer]

If we’re at 5 I think it’s highly unlikely they’re both gone and there’s a chance they’re both available.

I really hope so . I can see the 3 d and Beniers go 1-4 . Worst case scenario is that happening with us picking 5/6 and we somewhat “reach” and take Edvinsson

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I really hope so . I can see the 3 d and Beniers go 1-4 . Worst case scenario is that happening with us picking 5/6 and we somewhat “reach” and take Edvinsson

The thing is I think Edvinsson is the most likely D to go after Power. I’d prefer the other 3 but I think there’s a good chance he goes in the top 5 before our pick. If he doesn’t there is a possibility we take him even if say Clarke is available. I hope not but it’s very possible.

 

[AfroThunder396]

IMO the top-4 are clearly Power, Hughes, Beniers, and Clarke in debatable order. If we're still in the top-4 after the lottery I would be happy taking any of them, though obviously I would prefer one of the defenseman.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Obviously the orders gonna change but here’s my guess at how I see the top 10 going right now if this is the order. I think the Worlds could have an influence if say Beniers has a great tournament and Power has a so so one. The guys in brackets are the guys I think are second most likely for that team to take in this scenario.

BUF- Power(Beniers)
ANA- Edvinsson(Beniers)
SEA- Beniers(Hughes)
NJD- Hughes(Clarke)
CBJ- Eklund(Guenther)
DET- Guenther(Johnson)
SJS- Clarke(Johnson)
LAK- Johnson/Lysell (Wallstedt)
VAN- Johnson/Lysell
OTT- Mctavish(Wallstedt or Lucius)

The Anaheim decision was a hard one and could change if Beniers performs well at the worlds. In that case I think Edvinsson could be taken by the devils if Hughes is gone or by DET or any of the 3 teams after them if he gets there.

I think LA would be really interested in Clarke and would love if he fell to them or I could even see them trading up a couple spots to get him. (Could see Detroit or Columbus as partners for that)

I think DET, OTT, LAK and maybe even SJS are all candidates to take Wallstedt.

I would love for us to take Clarke and there’s a chance we would in this situation but I think it’s a bit more likely we would take Hughes and I’d be happy with that.
However, the lottery will likely push us back a spot or possibly even 2 and I think there’s a chance at 5 or 6 that it’s just Clarke left unless another team ahead really likes him or one of Hughes or Edvinsson drop. The biggest faller in this mock is probably Guenther. In terms of my personal rankings of the players Clarke fell a bit too.

I know a lot of you including STI don’t think Edvinsson should go this high but he is a very good prospect and I would bet money that he is pretty much a lock for the top 10 and has a good shot at going top 5. The devils are a candidate to take him. I hope they don’t because I think Hughes and Clarke are better fits.

 

[Nubmer6]

Interesting audio clip...



Not sure who that is, but she's really down on Hughes.