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The 2013 NHL Entry Draft is just a day away which means rumors and speculation league wide is really starting to ramp up.
Here is the latest surrounding the New Jersey Devils:
- It appears David Clarkson may have played his last game as a member of the Devils. The 29-year-old winger will test free agency unless he gets an offer from New Jersey that he can't refuse, according to Bob McKenzie.
I don't think Clarkson will get that type of offer from the Devils and to me, he's as good as gone.
McKenzie reported earlier that Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck could be had. I think Clutterbuck could be a good fit, assuming Clarkson does indeed leave.
- As Lou Lamoriello said on CBC radio yesterday, moving down, or perhaps even moving up, is still an option but at this point it looks like the Devils will stand pat and use the 9th overall pick.
Obviously nothing is in stone, but barring a player highly valued by the Devils slipping down to them at the 9 spot, it looks like there's a good chance the Devils will select Hunter Shinkaruk with their first pick.
Shinkaruk, 18, is coming off a very strong season with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL. He scored 37 times and added 49 assists for 86 points in 64 games.
Shinkaruk was the Captain of the Tigers and possesses very good leadership qualities. He's been compared to Zach Parise by many scouts and also compares himself to the former Devils Captain. Shinkaruk also wears No. 9 and has a very similar stature to Parise.
Yesterday during the media day for the top-8 ranked prospects Shinkaruk said he'd love to play for the Devils and the idea of helping replace Parise, someone he models his game after, intrigues him. He also said he feels he could step into the NHL next season.
Whether the Devils take Shinkaruk or not remains to be seen, but the Devils did meet with Shinkaruk three times, the most of any team picking in the top-15, and do seem quite interested in him.
I wrote an article a while back about the possibility of the Devils taking Shinkaruk. It looks like it's very real.
- As many of you know, Martin Brodeur's oldest son, Anthony, is eligible to be drafted tomorrow. If Brodeur is drafted, it will likely be in the 6th or 7th round. The Devils only have one pick after the 4th round (a 6th rounder) so I'm not sure the Devils will select Anthony, as good as the storyline would be.
I've said in the past if the Devils could maybe move down a few slots in the 4th round and add a 7th rounder in the trade, the possibility certainly increases.
One thing I would watch for tomorrow is for a rival team to select Brodeur, like the Devils did with Stefan Matteau last year. The New York Rangers have the 170th pick (late 6th round) and the Philadelphia Flyers have a pick in the 6th and 7th round, so they could very well take Brodeur.
Brodeur wasn't playing tough competition compared to some of the other draft eligible goaltenders, but his numbers were impressive and he obviously has a solid pedigree, so I think there's definitely a chance someone picks him tomorrow.
In the event Brodeur isn't selected, he would be draft eligible again next season. Brodeur will play with Gatineau in the QMJHL next year so some teams may want to wait and see how he does against stiffer competition before using a pick on him. Either way, if Brodeur's not drafted tomorrow it's certainly not the end of the road for the kid.
- A lot of people have asked what picks the Devils have, so here they are:
1st - 9th overall
2nd - 39th overall
4th - 100th overall
6th - 160th overall
I'll be running an all day draft blog tomorrow. It will start before the draft and I'll be updating it regularly until the draft is over with all of the Devils selections, potential trades, etc.
It should be a fun day so stick around and check back often. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (link above) as well.
**
Martin Brodeur wins NHL 14 cover vote.
Brendan Ross and myself rank the top-60 prospects and more in
TheHockeyGuys 2013 NHL Draft Guide.
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