Prospect Info: Devils Prospects Re-Ranked

[Nubmer6]

Why don't you consider Mercer a center? Style of play or fit or projected spot in the Top6 of the Devils?

Yes, I'd love to know where Mercer would be ranked if he were at C instead of W.

 

[My3Sons]

That pool wasn't stacked though.

It's easy to say that in retrospect. At the time it's much more murky. Plenty of folks saw that earlier group as producing at least one or two regular NHLers. Sure, right now NJ has a plethora of LD prospects and some appear to be developing nicely, but none appear ready for regular NHL duty it seems beyond Smith. Hopefully in two years they all break out but right now it's hard to know.

 

[MartyOwns]

Yes, I'd love to know where Mercer would be ranked if he were at C instead of W.

pretty safe to say STI would have mercer at #1 regardless of position.

 

[Darkauron]

Mercer would be the #1 C and RW rankings wise. He is the best prospect for a reason.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

That pool wasn't stacked though.

Hindsight is 20/20. If the threads are there go back and look at what posters were saying at the time. There is a reason NHL DMen command so much in trades. D prospects have a tendency to not work out as planned. The Devils drafted a player that was touted as the "next Lidstrom or Hedman" - how did that work out?

 

[HabsFan24Stanleys]

I like them both a lot -- Okhotyuk and Vukojevic. I feel that Okhotyuk's combination of speed, power and defensive acuity will play better at the pro level, though I'd say Vukojevic is not too shabby in those areas and perhaps a bit better with the puck. I feel they are both bona fide NHLers.

Defencemen Stats for 2020-2021
View media item 9574

 

[StevenToddIves]

Why don't you consider Mercer a center? Style of play or fit or projected spot in the Top6 of the Devils?

Mercer could work as a 3C or 1RW in my estimation. But I think he is the perfect compliment to Jack Hughes on the RW for a litany of reasons.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Mercer would be the #1 C and RW rankings wise. He is the best prospect for a reason.

I feel it's very close between Mercer, Hughes and Holtz in the top 3, and by the end of the year the order can change. But Mercer's 2020-21 season was just ridiculously impressive, I just get more and more Mark Stone-like vibes from watching him play. Hughes certainly has the most upside of the three, but has the longest road to go -- I'd like to see him shore up his D game at the University of Michigan next year. Holtz is just a tremendously talented pure goal-scorer who also offers a good all-around game. I'm very happy with the Devils top 5 prospects, rounded out by Stillman and Mukhamadullin. So much talent there.

 

[My3Sons]

I feel it's very close between Mercer, Hughes and Holtz in the top 3, and by the end of the year the order can change. But Mercer's 2020-21 season was just ridiculously impressive, I just get more and more Mark Stone-like vibes from watching him play. Hughes certainly has the most upside of the three, but has the longest road to go -- I'd like to see him shore up his D game at the University of Michigan next year. Holtz is just a tremendously talented pure goal-scorer who also offers a good all-around game. I'm very happy with the Devils top 5 prospects, rounded out by Stillman and Mukhamadullin. So much talent there.

I'll guess that 26 prospects with at least some NHL upside is about as good as it gets. Considering NJ pushed a number of prospects up to NJ last season and still has this depth is pretty impressive. Hopefully it continues to pan out.....

 

[Guttersniped]

Seney and Jacobs are UFA too. They could be re-signed. Quenneville signed in Europe.

Haha, thanks. Either way, I don't feel those three guys really affect the rankings too greatly. They're all fringe prospects at best.

You could take them out tho. Just to keep it update (and not bug me even though it’s a tiny meaningless detail). Up to you.

 

[StevenToddIves]

You could take them out tho. Just to keep it update (and not bug me even though it’s a tiny meaningless detail). Up to you.

You are the maestro of detail.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

It's easy to say that in retrospect. At the time it's much more murky. Plenty of folks saw that earlier group as producing at least one or two regular NHLers. Sure, right now NJ has a plethora of LD prospects and some appear to be developing nicely, but none appear ready for regular NHL duty it seems beyond Smith. Hopefully in two years they all break out but right now it's hard to know.

Admittedly a small sample size, but based on his play at the end of the year and assuming he is developing over the off-season Kevin Bahl should be NHL-ready by midseason if that is not already the case.

 

[TheDuke93]

We have a complete logjam at LD. Even with Luke playing RD at the NHL level (which I'm not so sure about).

The only way we don't have a log jam is if Sevo walks and both Luke and Ty play RD lol.

 

[Guttersniped]

You are the maestro of detail.

Or anal-retentive fuss button. (But your’s sounds cooler.)

 

[MachoDiablo]

I felt a little better about Boqvist later in this past season; he seemed to have a reverse-Zacha shift where they each seemed to perform a good deal better once they shifted positions, with Zacha moving from center to the wing and Boqvist doing the opposite. I know there's disappointment in the likelihood that Jesper may not fulfill his offensive potential, but there's an opening at 3C right now and I won't feel terrible if this season serves as his audition for that spot.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I know it's entirely too early and unfair to do a 2020 redraft - but where would Mercer and Holtz go now that we're ~1 year out?

I know Holtz has fallen and Mercer has risen over the past year. But I keep asking myself, if they were both available would I would take Mercer over Holtz at #7? And I don't think I would. I think I would still take Holtz based on upside. So it's hard for me to rank Mercer over Holtz when I don't think I would re-draft him first.

 

[TheDuke93]

I know it's entirely too early and unfair to do a 2020 redraft - but where would Mercer and Holtz go now that we're ~1 year out?

I know Holtz has fallen and Mercer has risen over the past year. But I keep asking myself, if they were both available would I would take Mercer over Holtz at #7? And I don't think I would. I think I would still take Holtz based on upside. So it's hard for me to rank Mercer over Holtz when I don't think I would re-draft him first.

This for me and I like many here, love Mercer.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I know it's entirely too early and unfair to do a 2020 redraft - but where would Mercer and Holtz go now that we're ~1 year out?

I know Holtz has fallen and Mercer has risen over the past year. But I keep asking myself, if they were both available would I would take Mercer over Holtz at #7? And I don't think I would. I think I would still take Holtz based on upside. So it's hard for me to rank Mercer over Holtz when I don't think I would re-draft him first.

I've done this a couple of times on a couple of threads, but sure, why not?

1 Lafreniere
2 Byfield
3 Stutzle
4 Drysdale
5 Sanderson
6 Lundell
7 Jarvis
8 Holloway
9 Raymond
10 Mercer
11 Perfetti
12 Holtz
13 Faber
14 Schneider
15 Askarov

 

[TheDuke93]

I've done this a couple of times on a couple of threads, but sure, why not?

1 Lafreniere
2 Byfield
3 Stutzle
4 Drysdale
5 Sanderson
6 Lundell
7 Jarvis
8 Holloway
9 Raymond
10 Mercer
11 Perfetti
12 Holtz
13 Faber
14 Schneider
15 Askarov

I by no means am shitting on Laf but I will be very surprised if Byfield or Drysdale don't end up better then Laf

 

[StevenToddIves]

I by no means am shitting on Laf but I will be very surprised if Byfield or Drysdale don't end up better then Laf

I said several times prior to the 2020 draft that -- if all the players hit their ultimate ceiling -- Byfield would be the best player in the draft. But Lafreniere is not far behind, and his floor was the highest in the entire 2020 draft. I'm a huge Drysdale fan, but it's way to early to leap-frog him over potential franchise talents like Lafreniere and Stutzle.

 

[TheDuke93]

I said several times prior to the 2020 draft that -- if all the players hit their ultimate ceiling -- Byfield would be the best player in the draft. But Lafreniere is not far behind, and his floor was the highest in the entire 2020 draft. I'm a huge Drysdale fan, but it's way to early to leap-frog him over potential franchise talents like Lafreniere and Stutzle.

I agree and I am not saying I would have taken them over Laf but I really could see Drysdale winning a Norris one day.

 

[Smitty426]

Seney and Jacobs are UFA too. They could be re-signed. Quenneville signed in Europe.

So now Luke can get Brett's 43?

 

[JimEIV]

That pool wasn't stacked though.

It really was though.

2009 Gelinas in 2nd Urbom in the 3rd
2010 Merrill in the 2nd
2011 Larsson in the 1st
2012 Severson in the 2nd
2013 Santini in the 2nd

2013-14 Merrill made his debut and it was very promising. Larsson was in year 3. Gelinas, Urbom, Severson and Santini were still strong viable prospects and 2014 Josh Jacobs added in the 2nd round

Those were the most promising prospects there were still guys like Helgeson, McPherson, Scarlett, Burlon, Hrabarenka who were maybe's in 2013.

 

[JimEIV]

Devils Prospect Rankings:

*NOTE: Legit NHL prospects in bold, fringe prospects not in bold*

Center:
The Devils addressed this in some part at the 2021 draft, taking two players who were primarily centers in amateur hockey in Samu Salminen and Zakhar Bardakov. However, both players I feel need to improve their skating to stay up the middle, otherwise both could wind up at LW. For the sake of argument, I am listing them among the centers in my rankings. This is still a position of need for the prospect pool in the future, though having Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier at 1/2 in the NHL certainly alleviates most concern.

1 Jaromir Pytlik
2 Jesper Boqvist
3 Samu Salminen
4 Zakhar Bardakov
5 Nate Schnarr
6 Benjamin Baumgartner
7 Artem Shlaine

Left Wing:
Lacking in quantity or true top 6 prospects aside from Nolan Foote. This is another position the Devils should address in future drafts.

1 Nolan Foote
2 Arseny Gritsyuk
3 Aarne Talvitie
4 AJ Greer
5 Nikola Pasic
6 Eetu Pakkila

Right Wing:
The strongest and deepest group of RW prospects in the entire NHL, just ridiculous strength here.

1 Dawson Mercer
2 Alexander Holtz
3 Chase Stillman
4 Graeme Clarke
5 Patrick Moynihan
6 Tyce Thompson
7 Fabian Zetterlund
8 Marian Studenic

Left Defense:
Also a ridiculous area of wealth for the Devils. Adding Luke Hughes' incredible offensive upside to a litany of strong, mobile defenders is just a huge boon for the future of the franchise.

1 Luke Hughes
2 Shakir Mukhamadullin
3 Nikita Okhotyuk
4 Kevin Bahl
5 Michael Vukojevic
6 Daniil Misyul
7 Yegor Zaitsev
8 Topias Vilen
9 Ethan Edwards
10 Matthew Hellickson

Right Defense:
As strong as the LD group is, the RD group is pretty thin. The 2021 draft did not help much, and it probably should have. The top option is McCarthy, who has physical, shut-down upside but lack of offense makes him more situational.

1 Case McCarthy
2 Reilly Walsh
3 Viktor Hurtig

Overall Top 15:
It might surprise some, but my #1 is not based on a slighting of any prospects, but rather how highly I regard Dawson Mercer. I will stick to my guns and say his upside is Mark Stone-like. Luke Hughes has the highest upside here -- with his blinding speed, high skill and 6'3 frame the sky is the limit -- but there are more questions to be answered with Hughes, so I'm calling the Devils #1 Mercer.

1 RW Dawson Mercer
2 LD Luke Hughes
3 RW Alexander Holtz
4 RW Chase Stillman
5 LD Shakir Mukhamadullin
6 LD Nikita Okhotyuk
7 LD Kevin Bahl
8 LW Nolan Foote
9 RW Graeme Clarke
10 RW Patrick Moynihan
11 LW Arseny Gritsyuk
12 RW Tyce Thompson
13 C Jaromir Pytlik
14 LD Michael Vukojevic
15 RD Case McCarthy

I am surprised you have Stillman as high as you do...I have spent the last few days trying to find everything I could on him...most of the stuff was from Sudbury which over a year ago but there was a lot U18 I found also...each clip I watched I like more and more.

On the threads here his skill seems to be vastly underrated. He looks like an excellent passer with very good vision willing to go to the net.

I read about him hitting everything but I saw a more strategically physicality to separate the man from the puck than a reckless hitter.

One thing I didn't particularly care for is he seems to be a pass first guy...I saw him look for teammates while in shooting position with open lanes. I hope he can get a little more selfish.

Any way glad to see you have him so high on your list.

 

[devilsblood]

It really was though.

2009 Gelinas in 2nd Urbom in the 3rd
2010 Merrill in the 2nd
2011 Larsson in the 1st
2012 Severson in the 2nd
2013 Santini in the 2nd

2013-14 Merrill made his debut and it was very promising. Larsson was in year 3. Gelinas, Urbom, Severson and Santini were still strong viable prospects and 2014 Josh Jacobs added in the 2nd round

Those were the most promising prospects there were still guys like Helgeson, McPherson, Scarlett, Burlon, Hrabarenka who were maybe's in 2013.

Larsson was not a prospect at that point though.

And that group while it had some solid prospects it had nowhere near the top end, nor the shear numbers, of the current group.