Confirmed Signing with Link: [NJD] Devils sign Dawson Mercer to ELC (3 years, $925k AAV)

[MMC]

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[Mick Jagr]

How long until he's NHL ready?

 

[HOPE]

How long until he's NHL ready?

Probably 2 more Junior season, including this shortenen one.

 

[Mick Jagr]

Probably 2 more Junior season, including this shortenen one.

Awesome. I hope New Jersey does the right thing and keeps him where he needs to be to develop correctly. No more Hughes situations.

 

[BHD]

Mercer wasn’t drafted 1st overall, and therefore won’t be inserted into the lineup by a management (or GM) looking to compete. Fitzgerald appears to be taking a more sensible approach to his team.

Mercer could be a respectable player if developed properly.

 

[BondraTime]

Probably 2 more Junior season, including this shortenen one.

He’s not going to be playing as a 20 year old in the Q, this will be his last season in Junior.

 

[Eggtimer]

Awesome. I hope New Jersey does the right thing and keeps him where he needs to be to develop correctly. No more Hughes situations.

I agree but in Hughes' situation , where would you have played him last year besides the NHL? I don't think he was able to play in the AHL.

 

[CMayton]

I agree but in Hughes' situation , where would you have played him last year besides the NHL? I don't think he was able to play in the AHL.

He was, because he wasn't drafted out of the CHL.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Awesome. I hope New Jersey does the right thing and keeps him where he needs to be to develop correctly. No more Hughes situations.

Who was the last 1st overall player to not make the NHL out of camp ? Hughes had the skillset to play in the NHL last year. John Hynes had him playing with guys like Wayne Simmonds and Miles Wood as his linemates on the 3rd line at times last year. Hughes had the skillset and advanced stats to back up how effective he was. It was his and his teammates terrible finishing ability that costed him points on the scoresheet. Anyways Mercer is a compeltley different player and I doubt he will be rushed. Not sure if he will be a center or right wing in the NHL but he should be a good player regardless. I will be happy if he turns out to be a 50-60 point player. Someone who can play all situations but is known for being able to be a key contributor to our offense.

 

[Forge]

I agree but in Hughes' situation , where would you have played him last year besides the NHL? I don't think he was able to play in the AHL.

He could have played in the AHL. Its CHL players have to be returned as part of the agreement unless they are on an NHL roster.

 

[Guttersniped]

Awesome. I hope New Jersey does the right thing and keeps him where he needs to be to develop correctly. No more Hughes situations.

1OA are a unique situation and it’s not like the Devils have rushed guys lately, Ty Smith got to marinate an extra year in juniors without any tryout NHL games because they felt he wasn’t ready.

It’s going pretty interesting to see how the 2021 1OA is handled. (Presumably (hopefully?) by a team other than the Devils, so I’m slightly veering off topic.)

 

[Billdo]

I agree but in Hughes' situation , where would you have played him last year besides the NHL? I don't think he was able to play in the AHL.

Hughes probably should've went to college or Juniors but no 1st overall really does that anymore. He showed flashes of why he was taken first overall but he still has a ton of development to go. College would've been where I would have had him go which is with the benefit of hindsight.

 

[Mick Jagr]

1OA are a unique situation and it’s not like the Devils have rushed guys lately, Ty Smith got to marinate an extra year in juniors without any tryout NHL games because they felt he wasn’t ready.

It’s going pretty interesting to see how the 2021 1OA is handled. (Presumably (hopefully?) by a team other than the Devils, so I’m slightly veering off topic.)

Regardless of whether or not he was 10A, one look at the kid and anybody with half a brain could see he wasn't physically ready for the NHL.

 

[Mick Jagr]

I agree but in Hughes' situation , where would you have played him last year besides the NHL? I don't think he was able to play in the AHL.

I'd have kept him in college or let him play overseas via the Auston Matthews route.

 

[Satan]

I'd have kept him in college or let him play overseas via the Auston Matthews route.

Matthews played in Switzerland in his draft year- not draft+1 year.

The comparison is apples to oranges.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Who was the last 1st overall player to not make the NHL out of camp ? Hughes had the skillset to play in the NHL last year. John Hynes had him playing with guys like Wayne Simmonds and Miles Wood as his linemates on the 3rd line at times last year. Hughes had the skillset and advanced stats to back up how effective he was. It was his and his teammates terrible finishing ability that costed him points on the scoresheet. Anyways Mercer is a compeltley different player and I doubt he will be rushed. Not sure if he will be a center or right wing in the NHL but he should be a good player regardless. I will be happy if he turns out to be a 50-60 point player. Someone who can play all situations but is known for being able to be a key contributor to our offense.

Chris Phillips I think

 

[Guttersniped]

Chris Phillips I think

No, it was Erik Johnson in 2006. My heart went out to St Louis who drafted a 1OA in the year in between the Crosby and Kane draft classes who ended up playing in college in his D+1 year.

Phillips was drafted in 1996 so he was followed by Thornton and Lacavalier but the two previous 1OA, Berard and Jovanovski, both went right back to juniors. There were some weak ass drafts around that time though.

 

[Eggtimer]

I know it is only preliminary games so far , but is it just me or is Mercer not playing many minutes for team Canada so far?
I was hoping he was going to be one of the main pieces for team Canada moving forward.
Who did the flames draft in the first round just after Mercer? Zary ? How is he looking vs Mercer? I know its not fair to compare the two this early but its hard not to when they were drafted so close together. Bothers me wondering if the Devils took the right kid or not lol .

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

No, it was Erik Johnson in 2006. My heart went out to St Louis who drafted a 1OA in the year in between the Crosby and Kane draft classes who ended up playing in college in his D+1 year.

Phillips was drafted in 1996 so he was followed by Thornton and Lacavalier but the two previous 1OA, Berard and Jovanovski, both went right back to juniors. There were some weak ass drafts around that time though.

who was the last 1OA forward to not play his D+1 year?

 

[Brodeur]

who was the last 1OA forward to not play his D+1 year?

Technically Ovechkin, but of course that was because of the lockout. Looks like you'd have to go all the way back to 1989 1st overall pick Mats Sundin who didn't make his NHL debut until 1990-91. The previous year, Mike Modano went back to the WHL after going #1 overall and it looks like he made his NHL debut in the playoffs.

Edit: Guttersniped got it with Lindros. I totally blanked that he opted to sit out.

 

[Guttersniped]

who was the last 1OA forward to not play his D+1 year?

Pretty sure it’s Eric Lindros (1991) but that’s because he was being a dick and refused to play for the Nordiques after they drafted him. He played in the juniors and got to play in the Olympics as well as get the trade he wanted as being a dick often pays off.

Off the top of my head I didn’t know who was the forward before that was but my curiosity was piqued. I didn’t have to look far because Mats Sundin (1989) was in SHL his D+1 year.

 

[mouser]

Mercer is a late birthday, so not surprising the team signed him now so his contract will be eligible to slide in 2021-22.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

With regards to Hughes, in retrospect he should have been in the OHL or on a college campus. That being said, the extended off-season hopefully provided the time and training to be more physically and tactically prepared to compete at the NHL level.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Mercer will finish the year in the QMJHL then play in the AHL for a year. I have been a little disappointed with his role so far at the WJC.

 

[HOPE]

Mercer will finish the year in the QMJHL then play in the AHL for a year. I have been a little disappointed with his role so far at the WJC.

With his role so far? What? They haven’t played a single tournament game yet.