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On draft targets for the Devils and buying low on Spooner

April 28, 2017, 11:12 AM ET [35 Comments]
Todd Cordell
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The NHL Draft Lottery is just a day away. As it stands, the New Jersey Devils are scheduled to pick 5th overall.

While there is a chance teams below them win a top-3 pick and force the Devils to move down, there is a better chance they stay where they are at or move up.

For the sake of argument, let's just assume the percentages go the way they're supposed to and the Devils end up picking 5th.

My wishlist as of now, and this could change, is as follows:

1. D - Miro Heiskanen (4th in Bob McKenzie's top-15)

Heiskanen isn't a flashy defender who will get fans out of their seats but he is a real solid player. Heiskanen is a good skater, which is pivotal in today's NHL, sees the ice well, can move the puck and more than hold his own in the defensive zone.

He checks out numbers-wise, too.



Heiskanen is a) really, really good and; b) would address a huge need. Right now, he'd be my top target.

2. C/RW - Gabe Vilardi (3rd in McKenzie's top-15)

Vilardi has been my No. 1 ranked OHL player for the entire season. He doesn't possess explosive speed but his skating is fine and I don't see it holding him back at the next level. He has good hands in tight and is an absolute beast down low and around the net. He is very effective protecting the puck and particularly good creating plays from below the dots.

Vilardi finished 2nd among draft-eligible CHLers -- ahead of both Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick -- in 5v5 points per 60 so his numbers suggest he's worthy of his ranking. I really like this kid.

3. RW - Owen Tippett (6th in McKenzie's top-15)

Many want the Devils to draft Tippett because of his familiarity with Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian. I don't really care about that and it doesn't factor into my ranking or why I want him.

Simply put, Tippett is a goal scoring machine. He scored 1.91 5v5 goals per 60 minutes, which led all draft eligible players in the CHL. He has an elite shot and is a volume shooter. Generally, that translates to the NHL. I don't like player comparisons but Tippett's game reminds me of Phil Kessel. For a team as offensively starved as the Devils, Tippett would be an attractive choice.

I'll go a lot more in-depth on these guys, and other players, in the coming months as the draft approaches. Knowing exactly where the Devils will be picking would help, too.

**

Defense is the biggest area of concern for GM Ray Shero but I anticipate he'll also be looking to bring in some forwards to help address the team's scoring woes.

One guy who could help in that area is Ryan Spooner, who seems to have fallen out of favor in Boston.

Bruins beat writer Joe Haggerty had this to say in a column where he predicted which players would be moving on this summer:

He’ll either be traded or possibly left unprotected on the expansion draft list, but there’s virtually no chance he comes back after underachieving under Julien and Cassidy this season.


Spooner may have had a down season, in part due to poor luck (his individual points percentage at 5v5 was unsustainably low), but his numbers over the last couple years still paint him in a positive light.

From 2015-17, Spooner averaged 1.66 points per 60 at 5v5. That was a higher number than the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Milan Lucic, James Neal, Kyle Palmieri, Tyler Johnson, Alex Wennberg and Jakub Voracek, among many others.

The 25-year-old Spooner could be a nice buy-low option for the offensively starved Devils.

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