The Devils went into the draft lottery slotted to pick 6th overall and, when all was said and done, that didn't change.
Even though the Devils didn't have a good chance at winning the lottery - 7.5% isn't much - it's still disappointing to miss out on a generational talent like Connor McDavid.
Nevertheless, this is a very good draft class, and the Devils have an opportunity to get an excellent player with the 6th overall pick.
I'll get into this much more as the draft gets closer - and my opinion may change as I get more viewings, etc. - but right now there are a few guys that stand out above the rest.
Those prospects: Mathew Barzal, Pavel Zacha and Travis Konecny.
Barzal is an elite skater with exceptional puck skills, vision, and a quick release. After a decent start to the season (1.045 points per game), he really took off with 1.54 points per game in the 2nd half, which ranked 4th in the CHL only behind McDavid, Mitch Marner and Dylan Strome.
Zacha's production wasn't as high as Barzal's, but his ability to put up big numbers was hindered for a few reasons. First and foremost, he didn't have a ton to work with in Sarnia. He also dealt with a couple suspensions, and left to play for Czech Republic during the World Juniors, so he never had the chance to play in a large string of games and get going.
Zacha is a big, strong player with extremely powerful strides, a cannon of a shot, and good puck skills as a whole.
Lastly, we have Travis Konecny. He's not a big player, but he doesn't shy away from physicality, is relentless after loose pucksm and is exceptional with it. He possesses very good puck skills, excellent skating ability, and a great shot. He's another guy who started off somewhat slow but really took off in the 2nd half with 1.4 points per game. I think the Devils could probably move down a couple slots to grab him, too, which may make him even more attractive.
I don't think you can go wrong with any of these guys, but at this point I'd take Barzal.
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Assuming Marner and Strome are gone - likely a safe bet - who do you want the Devils to take 6th overall?
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