Prospect Info: Ives Devils Day One Draft Review

[Triumph]

The thing I don't get about the drafting for need crowd is that RHD is easily the biggest need and the Devils did not take any RHD at all. They could've taken one in Schneider at 18 and did not.

 

[tr83]

Foote almost feels like a part of this draft too, basically added two wingers with elite shots in less than a calendar year. When's the last time we even had one prospect with an elite shot.

Reid Boucher

 

[Mike27Devils]

Is this Arseny Gritsyuk #129 from 2019?

Yes haha.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I think if they were dead set on Braden Schneider they would have taken him at 18 personally

Over Mercer? You're high.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Over Mercer? You're high.

did you misinterpret what I am saying? Everyone is saying that they were definitely taking Schneider at 20 and he was the slam dunk pick

if they were that set on taking a DMan there, they would have taken Schneider at 18. Which to me means that they were not.

 

[Nubmer6]

did you misinterpret what I am saying? Everyone is saying that they were definitely taking Schneider at 20 and he was the slam dunk pick

if they were that set on taking a DMan there, they would have taken Schneider at 18. Which to me means that they were not.

Perhaps, but maybe Mercer falling was too much of a temptation for them, and they had to decide which of Schneider and Mercer they thought would make it to 20.

It's also possible that we just weren't into Schneider. I mean, one was enough

 

[StevenToddIves]

The thing I don't get about the drafting for need crowd is that RHD is easily the biggest need and the Devils did not take any RHD at all. They could've taken one in Schneider at 18 and did not.

I'm not getting into this too much right now, but if the Devils passed up on Mercer at #18 it would have been just a disastrous pick. I wouldn't doubt they were like me and had him all year in the #11-#13 range. The kid is just a heck of a hockey player.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Perhaps, but maybe Mercer falling was too much of a temptation for them, and they had to decide which of Schneider and Mercer they thought would make it to 20.

It's also possible that we just weren't into Schneider. I mean, one was enough

Though I remain convinced that the Devils would have taken Schneider at #20, there is no way to prove this in any direction so I don't think it's an opinion worth defending. It's something I'll mention to my hockey pals after they get a few shots in me, that's all.

 

[Nubmer6]

Though I remain convinced that the Devils would have taken Schneider at #20, there is no way to prove this in any direction so I don't think it's an opinion worth defending. It's something I'll mention to my hockey pals after they get a few shots in me, that's all.

Frankly, I think Schneider was exactly the kind of player we needed in the RHD pipeline. More of a depth 2-way 2nd pairing guy. I don't expect more out of a #20 pick unless it's an exceptional year for defenders (like 2012 was and next year purports to be).

 

[nugg]

How about you substitute Fitz for team when pursuing this angle. The more I think about it the more I think this was a Fitz pick. His quotes about the team discovering Shakir when watching Amirov strike me as true but make little sense at this point in time if they date back nine months or more. What does make sense to me is that Fitz started watching video with the extra time on his hands and he notices Shakir when watching Amirov. He asks Castron about him (there is no way Castron didn't already know who he was and hadn't already scouted him) and Castron says he's good without committing one way or the other. Fitz watches more video and maybe interviews him with an interpreter or speaks with Russian scouts who know the team or maybe the coach and Fitz then decides this kid is the real thing. Now Fitz thinks he's found a diamond in the rough. At this point the underlings will be reluctant to poop on the new boss's new toy. So, the KHL season starts and Shakir gets off to a good start. This is the sign for Fitz that he's not seeing things on video that aren't really there and Fitz believes that he's found his first round defender. The staff probably admits that between 20 and 84 that Shakir is almost certainly drafted and Fitz doesn't like the idea of moving a third and a fourth to get a high third when maybe Shakir is gone. The result, they pick him at 20. Fitz has convinced himself it's a good pick. The scouts and Castron are maybe muted in their criticism and the lack of second round picks spooks Fitz.

Speculation on my part? Sure, but it fits the quotes from Fitz and makes more sense to me than the entire staff discovered someone every person in the hockey community at least knew the name in the fall of 2019. I additionally suggest that as for Schneider being the pick that may be the case but Shakir is a lefty and Schneider a righty and NJ has boatloads of lefties at this point so if they goal was simply to draft for need I'd have expected them to draft a righty. Nothing about Schneider screams big upside from what I've read and drafting him there is kind of sort of just drafting a right handed defender because NJ is short on them. I'm just skeptical that NJ either panicked or had to go to a hastily thought out plan B. Frankly, if the NYR thought they were getting one over on NJ by trading up they sort of played themselves as I see it. Maybe Schneider is light years better, I don't know, but I assess what people say for a living and Fitz's comments scream recency bias to me which doesn't make sense given how many people scout for NJ but make sense if the recent discovery was by Fitz.

Castron was interviewed by Matt Loughlin a few days ago and made the comment that Fitzy has the final say, in who's picked. He is the GM after all.

 

[nugg]

@StevenToddIves
What would you say the upside for Mercer would look like, 30G-40A, 25G-45A, etc.?

 

[StevenToddIves]

@StevenToddIves
What would you say the upside for Mercer would look like, 30G-40A, 25G-45A, etc.?

Mercer is a true dual threat scorer. I think we'll see him with similar goals/assists totals. Best case scenario, 35-35-70, but most likely 30-30-60. He's a heck of a hockey player.

 

[The Wumpus]

There are two '22 eligible Slovaks named Rastislav Elias and Adam Sykora.

 

[TBF1972]

There are two '22 eligible Slovaks named Rastislav Elias and Adam Sykora.

if they are rhd we should pick them.