PODCAST: Paul Castron Joins Speak of the Devils

New Jersey Devils Official Podcast
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Paul Castron, VP of Amateur Scouting | Speak of the Devils
With just a day remaining before the New Jersey Devils step up to the virtual podium to make their first selection in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, the Speak of the Devils Podcast caught up with Vice President of Amateur Scouting Paul Castron for an in-depth discussion about the unique process he and his scouting staff have had to go through, navigating meetings and interviews over video conference.
While video calls were scheduled for just an hour and a half at times, they would often last well beyond three hours. There is immense preparation that goes into each draft selection, no matter the round, and with three picks in the first round, Castron and his team have been busy with the back-and-forth.
"I can tell you for starters, that Fitzy challenges everybody in that room for their opinion," Castron told hosts Matt Loughlin and Amanda Stein, "He wants to see the guys pounding the table and showing passion for the player they want. He does have the final say, but we do battle it out pretty hard."

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Hearing different voices and opinions are important to Castron and Fitzgerald. Making sure everyone has a voice before the final choice is made.
"You don't want all your scouts to have the same opinion or like the same player. But in the end, we do present the arguments for which player and then we vote on it, and Fitzy, he has the final say."
This year has been unusual and a year of adapting for everyone. While video scouting is used on a regular basis, scouts have had to rely heavily on it this year, going over past games, rescouting players, with the loss of the junior seasons and big junior tournaments.
"We've always used video as a tool," Castron said, "but this this past, with the pandemic, we've used it a lot more. We learn from using the video too, because there's things that you might miss in a game, for whatever reason, and you go back to video, and you go, 'Wow, that guy really showed excellent vision on that play, I didn't see that play at the time it happened at the game,' and vice versa. The video tends to follow the puck. So, the live viewing counts for things like how a guy reads the play, or a guy made a back-pass that you couldn't see in the video, so it works both ways. We use it to our advantage as best we can."
What was also lost this year was the NHL Combine. The combine not only serves as a physical testing weekend, but it also is an opportunity for NHL clubs to meet face to face with players of interest. This year, it all went virtual.
"We had as long as we wanted with these kids," Castron said of the major difference, "One thing that was similar was that the kids at the start, were a little bit nervous. And we interviewed a lot of kids a second time, some a third time. And you could just see how comfortable they were because they were doing multiple Zoom calls with all the different teams as well. But you do get a longer period of time with them. And their personality really came out in the end."
No matter the changes this year to the preparation, you can rest assured on one thing: this group is just as prepared as ever to make all nine selections.
Who they'll take at any of those picks, naturally, Castron held his cards close to his chest.
"The draft list is still an ongoing process, nothing's in stone until we make that first announcement!"
In addition to the insight provided by Castron on this week's podcast, the podcast featured a special conversation about gender equality in sports with five trailblazers in hockey.
Community Podcast Host, Catherine Bogart, discussed what it's like to be a trailblazer in the industry, the path each guest had to their current position, and their hope for the future. Devils Director of Player and Team Development Dr. Aimee Kimball, Devils Director of Scouting Operations Kate Madigan, HBSE Chief of Staff Dana Seiden, Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada Reporter and Host Christine Simpson, and Erie Otters Scout Kiana Scott were featured in this conversation.
To watch Trailblazers,
click here
.