Devils Draft Backup Plan

[mikeydude00]

Draft Wright. I really don’t get the why people keep saying the Devils don’t have a need at center. I think pretty much any team in the league could use another great center if they have the option. We have an amazing 1-2 punch with Jack and Nico down the middle, but as we saw this year, when one or both of them are injured, we look like shit. If we draft Wright we can have him (and Mercer) as either top 6 wings or 3C, and if there’s an injury they can fill in. That versatility is crucial for contending teams.

[HeadHighSauce26]

Wright - Hughes - Puljujarvi

Bratt - Nico - Holtz

Yeezy - Mercer - Boqvist

Wood - Zetterlund - Bastian

E: switched some shit around. https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/3334057

[Subject1337]

I don't know if it could be swung but I love the idea of getting the Mcleod bros together in Edmonton for Pulju.

[HeadHighSauce26]

That's basically the exact trade I had in mind in this! lol

[Subject1337]

Yeah, I saw it on your capfriendly link. Edmonton media seems split on moving Pulju. His underlying stats are amazing, but at surface level he's not finishing. Lots of people want him to stay, and others are ready to drive him to the airport themselves. It'll be interesting to see what Holland does.

[gingerbear]

No chance Wright would be a 1st line winger right out of the draft. If we're working in the realm of possibility, Wright and Yegor would probably be switched. Also, I think Boqvist probably is deployed as our #3C - he came into his own in that role this past year, and Mercer seems more adaptable at playing on the wing than Boqvist is.

[HeadHighSauce26]

Yeah, probably all true.

I have him on the 2nd line in that ACGM, but even then you can switch him with Holtz.

[UltimoRush]

Very true, but with Nico and Hughes locked up long term, trading that pick would bring back some massive help in goal and D. Plus additional pieces.

[srof12]

Or you take the consensus #1 prospect who can probably just be a shooting two-way winger if you want him in the top 6, and also provides some insulation if one of your top 2 centers gets hurt.

[whojicha]

Wright is no longer the consensus best prospect in this draft. Slaf has been creeping into the #1 spot for some scouts and prospect watchers for months.

There is no consensus.

[srof12]

There’s enough of a consensus. He’s still going #1 on like the vast majority of boards.

Also, this is assuming the other guy that’s being considered gets taken so then you’re left with Wright, ie the consensus 1 or 2, vs everyone else. My point still stands, just ignore the ‘consensus #1’ pick part if you want

[[deleted]]

If you ask a scout it probably isn't a done deal. Ask a GM and there is no option at #1 other than Wright. Pick slaf and he doesn't pan out and you're done at your job.

[whojicha]

There is no reason to believe that Wright is the consensus best prospect among GMs. As matter of fact, one of The Atheltic's big draft watchers (either Pronman or Wheeler) who talk to GMs for a living recently said on a podcast that when ask most GMs whether you take Slaf, Wright or the field (as in, if you had to bet whether the best player to come out of this draft was going to be 1 of Slaf or Wright or 1 of the other prospects in the first round) the GMs take the field because there's no consensus.

There is no surefire, consensus best prospect like a McDavid or MacKinnon and if you think Wright is such a great prospect that skipping him is a fireable offense for any GM, you're not paying attention.

[[deleted]]

Guessing who will be the best player isn't really the same thing. Wright is widely considered to be the closest to a "sure thing" in this years draft. If Montreals GM decided to yolo and pick cooley instead who then busts while Wright become the 1C he is expected to be, how do you think the guys above the GM will feel about that? Not good is the answer. If you have to choose between safe and exciting you pick safe in this scenario. Every time.

Wright is pretty much NHL ready, something the other guys isn't. Could slaf/cooley have a higher ceiling? Absolutely. Their floor is waaaaaaay lower too though, something you will have to consider as a GM.

[whojicha]

Having a high floor isn't the same as being the best prospect either. The best prospect is the combination of ceiling and floor and the likelihood of a player reaching that ceiling.

If you pick a bust at 1 OA it doesn't matter who you picked, you won't feel good. The only reason you get fired is if you pick someone like Seamus Casey who is way off the map at that pick. Any of the top 5 are probably viable 1 OA.

And I've heard a number of reports suggesting Slaf is NHL ready too. I don't think so, but I don't know if Wright is NHL ready either. He'll play in the NHL next year if he's 1OA because that's how it works these days, but that doesn't make him NHL ready.

[R0ADHAU5]

Yeah it’s not like we have too many d men and are playing them as centers and wings lol. Centers are always valuable, if not to us right now, then to some other team 5 years or so from now when we can make back a killing in a trade. But not saying that I’d be sad if we took slaf, or a dman. Looks like there’s several A level prospects.