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INTERVIEW with Devils prospect guru Jared Ramsden of Hockeysfutre.com |
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Jared, thank you for taking time with me again to give us an update on some of the Devils up and comers.
Since we last spoke there was a revision/update to the Devils prospects, Can you give some comments on the guys who moved up/down from the top 20?
Aside from the top two prospects (Nicklas Bergfors and Matt Corrente), there was a lot of movement throughout the list. There were a handful of guys that moved up a significant numbers of spots, and a couple of prospects that took a pretty good tumble down the list.
Nick Palmieri, whom the Devils selected in the 3rd round of the draft last year, made the biggest jump of anybody, moving up ten spots in the rankings all the way up to 4th on the list. Despite playing on one of the OHL's worst team's with the Erie Otters, Palmieri was able to score at nearly a point per game, and was one of the top scorers on the team with 28 goals.
Other prospects who moved up substantially include hard hitting defenseman Kirill Tulupov (moved up four spots to 6th on the list), defenseman T.J. Miller (moved up six spots to 9th on the list), defenseman Tyler Eckford (moved up five spots to 12th on the list) and left winger Mike Hoefell (moved up five spots to 15th on the list).
On the flip side, two prospects took major tumbles down the list falling out of the top 5 and, just barely remaining in the top 20. Jeff Frazee, the supposed goalie of the future for the Devils, lost the starting job at the University of Minnesota after letting in a goal from the other end of the ice. He has the talent to be a good starting goaltender, but he must become mentally stronger. Tony Romano was expected to light things up upon his move from the NCAA to the OHL, with the London Knights, but he was never able to get on track and posted sub-par numbers across the board.
Who can we expect to see in training camp next year? And of those, who has the best chance in sticking with the club?
Its hard to say what changes will be made in the off-season, but obviously, when you don't win the Stanley Cup, things are bound to be different, and that could include giving a few of the youngsters in the organization a chance to make the team.
The top two forward prospects in the system, Nicklas Bergfors and Petr Vrana should be in the running for NHL jobs next season. Bergfors had actually made the team out of training camp this year, but a couple of shoulder injuries sidetracked him early on in the season and it took him half the season to find his form. He is the type of player that needs to play with skilled players on a scoring line, so a player currently on the roster might be need to be moved for this to happen.
Vrana had a breakout season in Lowell this past year, playing in all 80 games and leading the team in scoring with 61 points. At this point, it appears that he does not have much left to prove in the minors and his versatility and strong two way play should make it easy for him to adapt to whatever role the team may choose to give him.
On the blueline, there should be plenty of change, which means opportunity for a couple of prospects. Despite the fact that he has yet to play a game in the pros, I feel that Matt Corrente has an above average shot to open the season in New Jersey with the Devils. He's played very well in his only two NHL training camps and if he can put together another strong showing this fall, the Devils would be hard pressed to keep him out of the line up. Mark Fraser is another guy to keep an eye on. He isn't going to wow you with his play, but he is a steady, stay at home defenseman, comparable in a way to current Devil Colin White.
Who is the dark horse in the Devils prospect bunch, one that no one is talking about who could be a surprise?
One guy who doesn't get talked about often is right winger Nathan Perkovich. Not being selected until the 8th round in the 2004 draft, playing in the USHL for two years before moving on to college and playing in the NCAA with the Lake Superior State Lakers, not exactly a college hockey powerhouse are a few reasons that he might be looked over. However, all Perkovich has done his first two years for LSSU is score 32 goals in 78 games. He is still a little raw at this stage in his development, and at 6'5, 200 lbs, he still has some filling out to do. But you can't teach goal scoring and thus far at this stage in his development, he has shown the ability to put the puck in the net.
I know you will be attending the Entry Draft in Ottawa, what will be David Conte and the Devils strategy and direction for this draft?
Well, with the Devils, they often take the safe route by drafting the "best available" player. Finishing high up in the standings leaves the Devils picking near the bottom of each round, which makes the "best available" player route often the best way to go. It's not inconceivable to see them go that way again this year. In terms of what direction the Devils might go, they could use an upgrade in depth at forward and in goal, and the could a talent upgrade at all major positions in the system.
Who will most likely be around at their 1st round pick, 21st overall and do you see any Devils-type prospects in the top 20 where we could see the Devils trading up as they did when they took Zach Parise?
This draft is much richer in talent than it was last year, especially on the blueline. That being said, expect a lot of the upper echelon defenseman to be gone by the time the Devils pick comes around. Guys like John Carlson, Tyler Cuma, Luca Sbisa and Colby Robak would likely be available come the Devils pick at the #21 spot. Up front, guys like Jordan Eberle, Tyler Ennis, Josh Bailey and Joe Colborne might be available to be selected.
And I absolutely believe that this would be the perfect year for the Devils to make a big splash and trade up into a higher slot in the first round. The Devils could desperately use another "star" quality prospect in the system and with there being a fair amount of depth in the draft, this is a prime year for the team to move up. One guy that I think the Devils should target is center Zach Boychuk of the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes. If they wish to get into territory to draft him, they would likely have to move into the mid-teens to make it happen.
Do you see Coach Brent Sutter having a big contribution in the draft, more than any recent NJ Devils coach?
Definitely. It wasn't easy for GM Lou Lamoriello to get him to leave a cushy job in Red Deer, Alberta. So I think it's safe to say, he will have some input. After one year on the job, he should have a pretty good idea of what the team will need to be better in the future.
With Marty Brodeur getting up there in age, and not appearing to have a bonafide successor, do you think Conte and the Devils will try to address that in the upcoming draft? Or do you think the heir apparent is already in the system?
Great question Roger. I think over the course of the next few drafts, the Devils will start selecting more goalies in order to get some depth in the system, which is severely lacking, and hopefully they will be able to find a talented goaltender or two that might be able to develop into a starter 3 or 4 years from now. I know it's hard for most Devil fans out there to admit it, but with Martin Brodeur turning 36 earlier in the month, the need for future goaltenders is more prevalent than ever.
Jeff Frazee, whom I discussed earlier, is a talented netminder, but he regressed somewhat this season and can no longer really be considered a sure thing as the heir apparent to Brodeur. The team did sign him not too long ago to an entry level contract, so he will be playing pro next season and the team has not yet given up on him. He just has a lot to prove after a very disappointing junior season at the University of Minnesota.
HockeysFuture.com ranks the NJ Devils #28 out of 30 teams in the ranking of prospects in the pipeline mainly because of lack in depth of quality forwards, an unfamiliar territory for David Conte and the Devils. Is that a fair assessment and do you see them climbing the ranks with the coming draft and the development of some of their prospects?
In terms of how prospects are ranked at Hockey's Future, it is a fairly accurate assessment because of the emphasis on star quality and long term upside. The Devils have prospects with upside, but aside from Bergfors, Corrente and to a lesser extent, Vrana and Palmieri, the Devils prospect base is mostly full of third/fourth line types and mid to bottom pairing defensemen. With a strong draft and a strong season from the current group of prospects, the team should slowly start to begin climbing up the rankings.
Any other final notes/questions/comments?
To go back to one of your previous questions, I really do think this is the year that we might see the Devils be proactive and make a move to get a star quality player. I'll be sure to keep my eyes on the Devils draft table when I attend the draft proceedings in Ottawa in June and look for any signs of a potential deal!
This is the busiest time of year at Hockey's Future, with the draft being the main focus of the site. Keep checking the main page for the Devils AHL review, 2003 Draft Retrospect, 2008 Draft Preview and after the draft, the subsequent Draft review. And remember, Hockey's Future is the #1 place to go for the best hockey prospect information on the web!
As always, Jared, thank you very much for your time with me and your dedication to Hockeysfuture.com. I know many HockeyBuzzers read the site regularly.
Jared and I will have a follow-up conversation and bring that to you right after the draft where we may have some new faces to discuss.
Truly yours,
The Devils Advocate
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
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