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Ray Shero recently talked to beat writer Andrew Gross about having the 1st overall and Ilya Kovalchuk, among other things.
Shero, as per usual, didn't say anything too groundbreaking but there were some interesting quotes and tidbits I wanted to touch on.
We'll start with Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick.
“Nico has come a long way in 12 months coming over here,” Shero said of Hischier, who left Switzerland to play Canadian junior hockey and contrasting him with Patrick, who had an injury-plagued season in the Western Hockey League. “Then you’ve got Nolan, who’s almost the opposite. But we’ve seen this many, many times. He really knocked it out of the park the year before, then there were injuries and his team was certainly younger."
Hischier's game definitely took off this year.
As mentioned in a recent post, he was the only draft eligible player in the CHL to finish top-5 in both even-strength goals per 60 and even-strength assists per 60. He was truly fantastic for Halifax and the biggest reason they even qualified for the playoffs.
The quote on Patrick kind of gives off the vibe that the Devils may have him No. 1 on the board. I could be reading too much into this, or it could be something Shero wants people to think, but it almost feels like he went out of his way to defend Patrick.
Sure, injuries derailed his season but they were serious so when they happened he was taken out of the lineup immediately. It's not like they were lingering and hindered his ability to produce while he was playing.
Also, Patrick probably had a better supporting cast -- Brandon had more drafted players and their top players put up more points -- so you could make the same argument for Hischier. It's not like he played on a veteran team loaded with NHL-caliber prospects.
Shero, though, did not rule out wanting Kovalchuk to return to the Devils.
“If we can patchwork our team with guys like Kovalchuk who are really good, that’s OK,” Shero said. “He’s going to drive the bus on this. He’s going to decide where he wants to play. I’ll decide whether that makes sense for us.”
I've frequently been asked if there's any chance Kovalchuk plays for New Jersey next season. I think it's unlikely but the possibility is there.
Here is how it would have to play out, I think.
1) Ray Shero doesn't find a deal he deems adequate. I don't think Shero will get full value for Kovalchuk but he's not going to give him away for a prospect who may never pan out or a 2018 draft pick (the 2017 draft will have passed by the time Kovalchuk can be traded). If Shero isn't going to get someone who can help the NHL team, or a quality prospect close to being able to do so, he's not going to trade Kovalchuk.
2) The Devils add a legitimate top-4 defenseman, draft Hischier or Patrick, and maybe add another quality piece. Shero goes back to Kovalchuk, let's him know he hasn't found a suitable deal and that New Jersey is the only option -- at least for now. Perhaps Kovalchuk would be more inclined to sign having seen for himself the Devils actually added to the team and may be able to compete for a playoff spot, if not anything else.
3) Kovalchuk signs knowing that if the Devils aren't competitive, he'll be traded. If they are competitive, he'd probably be fine sticking around provided he's being paid well.
I still think Kovalchuk ends up being traded but in the event he signs with New Jersey, that's how I'd think it'd play out.
But Shero also said he is not actively shopping his core players, specifically mentioning goalie Cory Schneider. At the same time, Shero reminded that he wasn’t looking to trade defenseman Adam Larsson last summer before the Oilers offered Taylor Hall.
No surprise here. Schneider is an elite goaltender and they don't grow on trees. There's no reason to trade him. If someone knocks Shero's socks off obviously he'll have to do it, but it's not something he'll be pursuing.
If a 'core player' were to be traded this off-season, I think Adam Henrique is the most likely candidate.
Shero also said there was nothing new to report on forward Alexander Kerfoot, the Devils’ fifth-round pick in 2012 who remains unsigned and can become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15.
I've said this before and I'll say it again: the longer this drags out, the better chance there is he signs elsewhere.
He didn't sign with the Devils when there was a lot of incentive -- he could have gotten into some games at the end of the season and burned a year off his contract -- so I think he'll at least test the open market and see what's out there. At this point, it makes the most sense.
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