StevenToddIves
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The Convoluted Recent History of the 83rd Overall Pick — A Devils’ Fan Primer
Okay, all the Devils fans can’t shut up about the three first-round picks in next week’s draft. But what about New Jersey’s first pick after the first round? I started feeling badly about how under-appreciated our poor, lonely, undervalued 83rd overall pick must feel, so I did a deep dive into last decade’s historical record for this pick. Hope you guys enjoy!
2010: Buffalo selects D Matt MacKenzie, Calgary WHL
The Skinny: MacKenzie was considered a good pick at the time, an offensive-minded defenseman with good size. He never made the NHL and could not even stick in the AHL, he’s now skating in the German minor leagues.
This Is How You Blew It: There were some solid NHL players taken in the ensuing 20 picks, notably Joakim Nordstrom and Joonas Donskoi.
Interesting Fact: The Devils stepped up to the podium with the very next pick at #84 and took goaltender Scott Wedgewood, which was a far superior selection. Laugh all you want, but Scottie won himself a Stanley Cup ring last night.
2011: Anaheim selects D Andy Welinski, Green Bay USHL
The Skinny: Anaheim loves big defensemen so they took a big defenseman, regardless of his troubles with the puck. Welinski went on to score a grand total of one career goal in the NHL, which still makes him better than the 2010 #83 pick.
This Is How You Blew It: Thirteen picks later, the Senators used the #96 pick to draft JP Pageau. Eight picks after that? Calgary drafted a very skilled winger hailing from the great state of New Jersey -- whom critics said was too small to make in the NHL. You might have heard of him, maybe the name Johnny Gaudreau rings a bell.
Interesting Fact: If those silly Ducks scouts had the foresight to trade up 8 spots to #75, they could have drafted future American Hero and totally awesome guy Blake Coleman.
2012: Pittsburgh selects G Matt Murray, Soo Greyhounds OHL
This Is How You Blew It: Um, you didn’t blow it, actually. You took a goaltender who you won two Stanley Cups with.
Interesting Fact: The 2012 third round will strangely go down as one of the best third rounds in NHL history, especially considering the 2012 first round will go down as one of the worst in NHL history. Consider this: the five picks made between #83-#87 have an argument as a superior group than the top five overall picks. From #1-#5? Yakupov, Murray, Galchenyuk, Reinhart (not Sam, but the Reinhart who could not skate), Reilly. From #83-#87? Murray, Steven Hodges, Grzelcyk, Parayko, Freddy Andersen. Personally, I’ll take two NHL starting goaltenders, a stud defenseman, a third-pairing defenseman an a bust over a stud defenseman, a third-pairing defenseman, an underperforming forward and two busts. Also taken in the 2012 third round? Literally, a terrific group: Korpisalo, Pelech, Vesey, Lindell, Stephenson, Gostisbehere, Sundqvist. Maybe the deepest third round of the century, in a draft year with the shallowest first round of the century. Go figure.
2013: Edmonton selects C Bogdan Yakimov, Nizhnekamsk MHL
The Skinny: The Oilers took a huge, hulking center who needed to improve his skating. Unfortunately, he never did. He played a total of one game in the NHL, and is now plying his trade on the fourth line of St. Petersburg of the KHL.
This Is How You Blew It: We all have to scratch our collective heads that the Oilers scouts somehow missed out on a Massachusetts high schooler named Miles Wood, whom the Devils grabbed 17 picks later at #100 overall.
Interesting Facts: In “further footnotes of Devils history”, nine picks earlier at #74 the Chicago Blackhawks took US-NTDP forward John Hayden, who would go on to become future Devils team-wrecker John Hynes’ favorite favorite favoritest player in the whole wide world!
2014: Chicago selects F Matteson Iacopelli, Muskegon USHL
The Skinny: Iacopelli made many 2014 “draft sleeper” lists, as he had a good amount of skill and scored 41 goals in his draft-eligible season. Unfortunately, he never progressed and is now plying his trade on the second line for the Kalamazoo Wings of ECHL.
This Is How You Blew It: A great many teams were still reticent to draft overagers in the early 2010s, which led to a guy named Viktor Arvidsson falling thirty slots below this, where Nashville took him at #112 overall.
Interesting Fact: Very popular on the Devils boards was a kid we passed on to take Connor F***ing Chatham at #71. But don’t worry, Tampa Bay took this kid — named Brayden Point — four slots ahead of Iacopelli, at #79 overall.
2015: Arizona selects RW Jens Looke, Brynas SHL
The Skinny: a favorite of draft-writers who think any teenager who makes the SHL in their draft-eligible season is a future NHL star, this pick was lauded by many as one of the best late draft steals of 2015. But Looke was too soft for the AHL, much less the NHL, and is now back in Sweden playing for Timra.
This Is How You Blew It: the 2015 third-round was the opposite of 2012 — one of the weakest in the entire century. The best player taken was by — of course Steve Yzerman — when at #72 overall Tampa Bay selected Oshawa Generals center Anthony Cirelli.
Interesting Fact: sixteen picks earlier, the Devils did slightly better than Arizona, taking Soo Greyhounds center Blake Speers, who is now not-very-ironically a member of the Arizona organization.
2016: Chicago selects Wouter Peeters, Salzberg AUS
The Skinny: despite never having played in the NHL, Mr. Peeters will go down in history as the only player ever drafted into the NHL with the name “Wouter”.
This Is How You Blew It: obviously, every team in the third round should have just traded down to the 6th round where they could have drafted future totally awesome hockey player Jesper Bratt.
Interesting Fact: speaking of draft busts with cool names, other players drafted in 2016 included Cliff Pu, William Bitten, Hudson Elyniuk, Hardy Haman Aktell, Alfons Malmstrom, Vladimir Bobylev, Axel Johnsson-Fjalby, Braydyn Chizen and the extremely appropriately named Oleg Sosonov.
2017: Detroit selects C Zach Gallant, Peterborough OHL
The Skinny: the Red Wings make an extremely popular pick of a kid related to a guy who used to play for them. The jury is still out on Gallant, still considered a legit NHL prospect, though not a blue-chipper.
This Is How You Blew It: The very next pick was Edmonton, who took defenseman Dmitri Samorukov, highly touted by a some dude named Steve Ives who writes prospect and draft stuff for the NJ Devils HFBoards threads. Samorukov has exceeded all expectations and is considered to have mid-pairing NHL potential, proving me to be super-smart unless you also factor in that I ranked Casey Mittelstadt higher than Elias Pettersson in the very same draft. Oops!
Interesting Fact: With the #139 pick, the Islanders drafted Sebastian Aho, but in retrospect we all probably suspect that then-Isles GM Garth Snow assumed he was drafting a completely different Sebastian Aho.
2018: Toronto selects C Riley Stotts, Calgary WHL
The Skinny: Stotts was a classic sleeper in that he was buried on the Swift Current roster, but after an early season trade to the Hitmen he averaged a point per game and looked like a very good pick in the third round.
This Is How You Blew It: the Leafs were #15 picks too late to take bluechip prospect Tyler Madden, the son of a Devils legend whom I really, really wanted the Devils to grab, but they traded their f***ing third-round pick. For f***ing Grabner. Ugh.
Interesting Fact: Riley Stotts has the unique distinction of being the only Toronto Maple Leafs prospect whom most Toronto Maple Leafs fans do not consider to be the best prospect in the entire universe.
2019: Carolina selects D Anttoni Honka, KeuPa FIN JR
The Skinny: one of the most polarizing prospects of 2019 — new age analytics types who think a defensemen’s job is to be a high-scoring fourth forward loved him, while “old school” types who think that a D actually needs to try once in awhile to prevent the other team from scoring hated him. The jury is still out.
This Is How You Blew It: Clearly, a far superior prospect was taken exactly one pick earlier, when the Devils took defenseman Michael Vukojevic.
Interesting Fact: Thirteen picks later, the Devils were highly criticized for taking Providence over-age forward Tyce Thompson, who proceeded to prove everyone (including myself) wrong by tearing up the NCAA this season.
2020: The Devils select ???
The Skinny: Though sometimes I dream that the Devils will take Saskatoon center Tristen Robins — somehow still available — at #83, sometimes I also dream that Fiona Apple wants to date me. Basically what I’m saying here is that I can’t trust my dreams.
This Is How You Blew It: Um, you just spent an hour writing about the #83 overall pick when you could have been out looking for a job.
Interesting Fact: This is pointless anyway because the Devils annually save their best pick for the 6th round.
Okay, all the Devils fans can’t shut up about the three first-round picks in next week’s draft. But what about New Jersey’s first pick after the first round? I started feeling badly about how under-appreciated our poor, lonely, undervalued 83rd overall pick must feel, so I did a deep dive into last decade’s historical record for this pick. Hope you guys enjoy!
2010: Buffalo selects D Matt MacKenzie, Calgary WHL
The Skinny: MacKenzie was considered a good pick at the time, an offensive-minded defenseman with good size. He never made the NHL and could not even stick in the AHL, he’s now skating in the German minor leagues.
This Is How You Blew It: There were some solid NHL players taken in the ensuing 20 picks, notably Joakim Nordstrom and Joonas Donskoi.
Interesting Fact: The Devils stepped up to the podium with the very next pick at #84 and took goaltender Scott Wedgewood, which was a far superior selection. Laugh all you want, but Scottie won himself a Stanley Cup ring last night.
2011: Anaheim selects D Andy Welinski, Green Bay USHL
The Skinny: Anaheim loves big defensemen so they took a big defenseman, regardless of his troubles with the puck. Welinski went on to score a grand total of one career goal in the NHL, which still makes him better than the 2010 #83 pick.
This Is How You Blew It: Thirteen picks later, the Senators used the #96 pick to draft JP Pageau. Eight picks after that? Calgary drafted a very skilled winger hailing from the great state of New Jersey -- whom critics said was too small to make in the NHL. You might have heard of him, maybe the name Johnny Gaudreau rings a bell.
Interesting Fact: If those silly Ducks scouts had the foresight to trade up 8 spots to #75, they could have drafted future American Hero and totally awesome guy Blake Coleman.
2012: Pittsburgh selects G Matt Murray, Soo Greyhounds OHL
This Is How You Blew It: Um, you didn’t blow it, actually. You took a goaltender who you won two Stanley Cups with.
Interesting Fact: The 2012 third round will strangely go down as one of the best third rounds in NHL history, especially considering the 2012 first round will go down as one of the worst in NHL history. Consider this: the five picks made between #83-#87 have an argument as a superior group than the top five overall picks. From #1-#5? Yakupov, Murray, Galchenyuk, Reinhart (not Sam, but the Reinhart who could not skate), Reilly. From #83-#87? Murray, Steven Hodges, Grzelcyk, Parayko, Freddy Andersen. Personally, I’ll take two NHL starting goaltenders, a stud defenseman, a third-pairing defenseman an a bust over a stud defenseman, a third-pairing defenseman, an underperforming forward and two busts. Also taken in the 2012 third round? Literally, a terrific group: Korpisalo, Pelech, Vesey, Lindell, Stephenson, Gostisbehere, Sundqvist. Maybe the deepest third round of the century, in a draft year with the shallowest first round of the century. Go figure.
2013: Edmonton selects C Bogdan Yakimov, Nizhnekamsk MHL
The Skinny: The Oilers took a huge, hulking center who needed to improve his skating. Unfortunately, he never did. He played a total of one game in the NHL, and is now plying his trade on the fourth line of St. Petersburg of the KHL.
This Is How You Blew It: We all have to scratch our collective heads that the Oilers scouts somehow missed out on a Massachusetts high schooler named Miles Wood, whom the Devils grabbed 17 picks later at #100 overall.
Interesting Facts: In “further footnotes of Devils history”, nine picks earlier at #74 the Chicago Blackhawks took US-NTDP forward John Hayden, who would go on to become future Devils team-wrecker John Hynes’ favorite favorite favoritest player in the whole wide world!
2014: Chicago selects F Matteson Iacopelli, Muskegon USHL
The Skinny: Iacopelli made many 2014 “draft sleeper” lists, as he had a good amount of skill and scored 41 goals in his draft-eligible season. Unfortunately, he never progressed and is now plying his trade on the second line for the Kalamazoo Wings of ECHL.
This Is How You Blew It: A great many teams were still reticent to draft overagers in the early 2010s, which led to a guy named Viktor Arvidsson falling thirty slots below this, where Nashville took him at #112 overall.
Interesting Fact: Very popular on the Devils boards was a kid we passed on to take Connor F***ing Chatham at #71. But don’t worry, Tampa Bay took this kid — named Brayden Point — four slots ahead of Iacopelli, at #79 overall.
2015: Arizona selects RW Jens Looke, Brynas SHL
The Skinny: a favorite of draft-writers who think any teenager who makes the SHL in their draft-eligible season is a future NHL star, this pick was lauded by many as one of the best late draft steals of 2015. But Looke was too soft for the AHL, much less the NHL, and is now back in Sweden playing for Timra.
This Is How You Blew It: the 2015 third-round was the opposite of 2012 — one of the weakest in the entire century. The best player taken was by — of course Steve Yzerman — when at #72 overall Tampa Bay selected Oshawa Generals center Anthony Cirelli.
Interesting Fact: sixteen picks earlier, the Devils did slightly better than Arizona, taking Soo Greyhounds center Blake Speers, who is now not-very-ironically a member of the Arizona organization.
2016: Chicago selects Wouter Peeters, Salzberg AUS
The Skinny: despite never having played in the NHL, Mr. Peeters will go down in history as the only player ever drafted into the NHL with the name “Wouter”.
This Is How You Blew It: obviously, every team in the third round should have just traded down to the 6th round where they could have drafted future totally awesome hockey player Jesper Bratt.
Interesting Fact: speaking of draft busts with cool names, other players drafted in 2016 included Cliff Pu, William Bitten, Hudson Elyniuk, Hardy Haman Aktell, Alfons Malmstrom, Vladimir Bobylev, Axel Johnsson-Fjalby, Braydyn Chizen and the extremely appropriately named Oleg Sosonov.
2017: Detroit selects C Zach Gallant, Peterborough OHL
The Skinny: the Red Wings make an extremely popular pick of a kid related to a guy who used to play for them. The jury is still out on Gallant, still considered a legit NHL prospect, though not a blue-chipper.
This Is How You Blew It: The very next pick was Edmonton, who took defenseman Dmitri Samorukov, highly touted by a some dude named Steve Ives who writes prospect and draft stuff for the NJ Devils HFBoards threads. Samorukov has exceeded all expectations and is considered to have mid-pairing NHL potential, proving me to be super-smart unless you also factor in that I ranked Casey Mittelstadt higher than Elias Pettersson in the very same draft. Oops!
Interesting Fact: With the #139 pick, the Islanders drafted Sebastian Aho, but in retrospect we all probably suspect that then-Isles GM Garth Snow assumed he was drafting a completely different Sebastian Aho.
2018: Toronto selects C Riley Stotts, Calgary WHL
The Skinny: Stotts was a classic sleeper in that he was buried on the Swift Current roster, but after an early season trade to the Hitmen he averaged a point per game and looked like a very good pick in the third round.
This Is How You Blew It: the Leafs were #15 picks too late to take bluechip prospect Tyler Madden, the son of a Devils legend whom I really, really wanted the Devils to grab, but they traded their f***ing third-round pick. For f***ing Grabner. Ugh.
Interesting Fact: Riley Stotts has the unique distinction of being the only Toronto Maple Leafs prospect whom most Toronto Maple Leafs fans do not consider to be the best prospect in the entire universe.
2019: Carolina selects D Anttoni Honka, KeuPa FIN JR
The Skinny: one of the most polarizing prospects of 2019 — new age analytics types who think a defensemen’s job is to be a high-scoring fourth forward loved him, while “old school” types who think that a D actually needs to try once in awhile to prevent the other team from scoring hated him. The jury is still out.
This Is How You Blew It: Clearly, a far superior prospect was taken exactly one pick earlier, when the Devils took defenseman Michael Vukojevic.
Interesting Fact: Thirteen picks later, the Devils were highly criticized for taking Providence over-age forward Tyce Thompson, who proceeded to prove everyone (including myself) wrong by tearing up the NCAA this season.
2020: The Devils select ???
The Skinny: Though sometimes I dream that the Devils will take Saskatoon center Tristen Robins — somehow still available — at #83, sometimes I also dream that Fiona Apple wants to date me. Basically what I’m saying here is that I can’t trust my dreams.
This Is How You Blew It: Um, you just spent an hour writing about the #83 overall pick when you could have been out looking for a job.
Interesting Fact: This is pointless anyway because the Devils annually save their best pick for the 6th round.
