the second round is slower than the first....

Well now, it took a while but that was a great pick at #68. Love this pick. Devs got great value here. Salminen has one of the best shots in draft

Samu Salminen, pretty good pick. Big boy with a very good shot. FWIW Corey Pronman had him as a 1st round pick

Well now, it took a while but that was a great pick at #68. Love this pick. Devs got great value here. Salminen has best shot in draft
- redmonsters

I like the pick. I wanted Pastujov there but the Ducks got him two picks earlier.

Well now, it took a while but that was a great pick at #68. Love this pick. Devs got great value here. Salminen has best shot in draft
- redmonsters

Well that’s encouraging. I sound like an inpatient child that’s never satisfied, but I need Wednesday to get here. Gotta see where the big H lands and who else joins the party. Parting with Butcher in a trade would be perfect. He has some value and is low cap. He’s be nice depth for us but I’m ok with someone else as a #4 on the left side.

Well that’s encouraging. I sound like an inpatient child that’s never satisfied, but I need Wednesday to get here. Gotta see where the big H lands and who else joins the party. Parting with Butcher in a trade would be perfect. He has some value and is low cap. He’s be nice depth for us but I’m ok with someone else as a #4 on the left side.
- MartysBetter88

Hoping that Justin Robidas lasts to us.

I have no idea how legit it is, but the NY Post just posted an article on twitter saying that there is mutual interest between Dougie Hamilton and the Devils once free agency opens. They speculated the deal, if it gets done, could come in around 7 years at 9M AAV

I have no idea how legit it is, but the NY Post just posted an article on twitter saying that there is mutual interest between Dougie Hamilton and the Devils once free agency opens. They speculated the deal, if it gets done, could come in around 7 years at 9M AAV
- vlongo4419

I'd have to imagine the Devils do that in a heartbeat. Wouldn't be surpised if the AAV is more like 10.5 with the deals that have happened recently though.

It's hard to believe that any big name free agent signs with us just based on our track record and never signing big name free agents. I'm just weary of having a long mega-deal for any player, especially when you're looking around the league recently and how other teams are getting punished for it.

I'd have to imagine the Devils do that in a heartbeat. Wouldn't be surpised if the AAV is more like 10.5 with the deals that have happened recently though.
- smellmyfinger

Thats the thing though, the deals that happened should lower the cost to acquire him. Because most GMs in the NHL think higher of Jones than Hamilton. So given hes on the open market, he should get equal or less than Jones just based off of that. He will come in around the 8.5-9.5M range imo. And i do that all damn day if it ends up being the Devils

Report is coming from Larry Brookes btw so wouldn't take much stock in it.

It's hard to believe that any big name free agent signs with us just based on our track record and never signing big name free agents. I'm just weary of having a long mega-deal for any player, especially when you're looking around the league recently and how other teams are getting punished for it.
- Pomegrant

Hamilton is different from most NHL players. He is not looking for the big city and nightlife. Based on that I am thinking its at least a possibility he considers NJ.

Report is coming from Larry Brookes btw so wouldn't take much stock in it.
- Pomegrant

Good ol Brooksie. He only means anything to me because of his legendary exchanges with Torts lol.

Come on papa Fitz, give me a top pairing of Graves and Hamilton. Then we can roll out Smith and Sevo as the second pair.

Come on papa Fitz, give me a top pairing of Graves and Hamilton. Then we can roll out Smith and Sevo as the second pair.
- vlongo4419

Fingers, toes, eyes and coconuts crossed lol. That would be so ideal. I think Graves is ready for it, and this takes some heat off smith-Severson. It was a crime having them as the top pair last season. Shove Subban in the 3rd with Siegenthaler and we’re good enough.

Fingers, toes, eyes and coconuts crossed lol. That would be so ideal. I think Graves is ready for it, and this takes some heat off smith-Severson. It was a crime having them as the top pair last season. Shove Subban in the 3rd with Siegenthaler and we’re good enough.
- MartysBetter88

Absolutely agree. I'd be totally fine going to war that with defense honestly, so lets hope! Wednesday cant come soon enough lol

Absolutely agree. I'd be totally fine going to war that with defense honestly, so lets hope! Wednesday cant come soon enough lol
- vlongo4419

I mean it’s not incredible- Smith is in just his 2nd nhl season.. and we know D take longer to develop. Siegen is young too, and Subban skates in quicksand. But it’s a big improvement over last year- which was just terrible. I’d say it makes us average, which is good enough considering we’re not contending and still developing as a whole.

really, a goalie???

There is our yearly goalie lol, Jakub Malek. 6'4. Re-entry goalie, was passed over last year

There is our yearly goalie lol, Jakub Malek. 6'4. Re-entry goalie, was passed over last year
- vlongo4419

A redraft and the 10th ranked European goalie according to central scouting. Why do the Devs waste picks.

A redraft and the 10th ranked European goalie according to central scouting. Why do the Devs waste picks.
- redmonsters

Meh, everything is a dart throw at this point. I'm totally fine just taking a random goalie in the 3rd-5th round every draft. You're eventually going to hit

Meh, everything is a dart throw at this point. I'm totally fine just taking a random goalie in the 3rd-5th round every draft. You're eventually going to hit
- vlongo4419

agreed. goalie quality is especially volatile when it comes to the draft, and it's almost more important how the team develops them anyway. Plus the position takes way longer to have an NHL ready player than any other position with lots of goalies only being ready when they are 25+ in the first place.

So our third pick makes up for pick 29?

There is our yearly goalie lol, Jakub Malek. 6'4. Re-entry goalie, was passed over last year
- vlongo4419

Hughes was an easy pick.

We went from hoping to package our second 1st rounder with some prospects for Meier to drafting a 4th line RW energy type guy.

Salminen may be a good pick. Not a great skater and will probably move to LW if he ever hits the NHL, but we need guys who actually want to shoot the puck in the organization and he ticks that box.

A (frank)ing goalie no one else wanted?

Outside of being bad enough to have Hughes land in our laps this has not been an ideal draft.

Hopefully, we find another Bratt or Sharangovich late to salvage this.

Last year I liked the Holtz pick, thrilled with Mercer so late in the 1st and baffled by the Russian D.

Outside of Hughes, this draft has the potential to be remembered as the one where we traded Travis Zajac and Palmieri for a 4th line plug no one else would've touched before late in round 2, lol.

So our third pick makes up for pick 29?
- dmarsden2988

It was a good pick there and probably would've been a good pick mid 2nd, but lets not push it, lol.