After having just over one week to prepare for this years entry draft, New Jersey Devils came out of their first draft feeling good about their prospects.
Not armed with as many picks as some of the other teams, the Devils played the cards in the hand they were dealt. They had five total selections in the Entry Draft. Round 3 and 5 had their picks moved by the previous regime, so the Devils just watched those rounds.
With the 8th pick of the first round, the Devils selected Nino Niederreiter. The 62 left winger from Switzerland ranked up 41 goals and 29 assist during the 2010-11 campaign with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League.
In round two, the Devils picked up the 64 Red Deer Rebels defenseman, Alex Petrovic. The Edmonton native piled up 7 goals and 50 assists from the blueline in 2010-2011. Petrovics 140 penalty minutes shows that he is not afraid to get into the middle of the action.
GM Scholl had this to say about his first-two BRHL picks, It was exciting to be in the war rooms, and to come away with these two young men, is nothing but awesome. While we fully expect them to have another year at the junior level, we expect them to be gathering pro ratings in the very near future.
After sitting out round three, the Devils return to the action in the fourth, sixth, and seventh round. The strategy for these picks was to obtain players who should earn their pro ratings this season.
Tyler Johnson was first to fit that description. With the 100th overall pick (4th round), the Spokane Chiefs center was selected. Johnsons 2010-2011 season stats were outstanding. He ranked up 53 goals, to lead the WHL, and chipped in with 62 assists for a total of 115 points. For his season, Johnson earned many WHL accolades such as Best Overage Player, Top Defensive Forward, Best Skater, and Top Faceoff Man. An American from Spokane, Washington, Johnson scared off other teams with his physical size (59 165lbs). But his talent supersedes his size issues.
After watching again in round five, Brendan Shinnimin was picked by the Devils with the 160th overall pick (round 6). Playing for Tri-City in 2010-2011, Shinnimin had 34 goals, and 62 assists for 96 points. His point total placed him fifth on the WHL leader board.The Winnipeg native is a center and stands 59.
In the seventh and final round of the draft, the Devils at number 190 selected Philip-Michael Devos. Devos split time in 2010-2011 with QMJHL teams, Victoriaville and Gatineau. Combined, Devos, a center, put in 47 goals and 67 assists for 114 points. These statistics were good for first place in the QMJHL for points, and second place for each goals and assists. Devos showed big-game mentality by scoring 29 points in Gatineaus 24 playoff games.
The last three guys we drafted, we feel will gather their pro rating this year. Each player will get a shot at the big club next year, but spending a year in Lowell (Mass.) would not be the worst thing for each of players development, said Scholl.
