DRAFT: A Look Back at the 2019 Class

The Devils made 11 selections in 2019, including first overall. It was all about re-stocking the prospect cupboards and they certainly did that. Ahead of the 2020 NHL Draft, let's take a look back a year ago and see how the new prospects are faring in their first seasons within the Devils system. There's one player, in particular, who could be a late-round steal.
This is your look back at the 2019 NHL Draft as part of the Road to the Draft presented by Primepoint.

ROUND 1, PICK 1: Jack Hughes

The build-up to the 2019 NHL Draft was very fun for the Devils, who won the rights to pick first overall in the 2019 NHL Draft Lottery. In the subsequent months leading up to the first round, the chatter centered mostly around two prospects: Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. They were locks to go one and two. The rest is history, with the Devils taking Hughes first. He was always expected to make an immediate jump to the NHL, but it was a tale of caution as he did so. Players take time to adjust, some more than others. For Hughes, he was making the jump directly from the USNTDP to the big leagues with no college or AHL development time. Hughes finished his rookie year with seven goals and 21 points in 61 games, but to think he's even close to his ceiling would be a ridiculous assumption.

"I'm sure Jack is disappointed with how it went, just because he has such a high standard with the way he carries himself and what he expects from himself," ESPN Prospect and Draft Analyst Chris Peters told NewJerseyDevils.com recently. "But in the end, I think it went largely the way I felt it could given no one has ever made the National Team Development Program to the NHL. We knew that there were size concerns, and strength concerns. He's still not as physically developed as some of the other players would be. You look at Alexis Lafreniere this year. He has a year of development on where Jack was last year and is a much more physically gifted person just in terms of size and strength, because of that extra year he had to build that. But what we saw were glimpses of the brilliance from Jack Hughes and the ability to gain the zone, the ability to find teammates and make plays at speed. And he's only gonna get better with more confidence."
"Just give him some time and he's going to be fine. I mean, I have no concerns about Jack Hughes at all."
And that's been the sentiment all around when speaking with these hockey experts about Hughes. The end result will be worth the wait.

ROUND 2, PICK 61: Nikita Okhotyuk

Okhotyuk is coming off his third year with the Ottawa 67's and scored three goals and added 16 assists in 49 games. Unlike a few other big-name defensive prospects in the Devils system, Okhotyuk is not the flashy offensive defender like your Riley Walsh or Ty Smith. But he's quick, a staunch defender, and an aggressive competitor.
Earlier this summer, we heard from TSN Director of Scouting's Craig Button who said, "he makes your efforts as an opponent doubly hard because he competes so hard and takes pride in being a staunch defender."
He also said, "[he's] a player in the defensive zone who engages quickly and hard on opponents so they are not in positions to take advantage offensively."
Button believes he has second-pairing potential and could be a steady defensive presence.

ROUND 3, PICK 70: Daniil Misyul

An excellent skater and effective crease clearer according to McKeen's Hockey and Future Considerations, Misyul was ranked as NHL Central Scouting's 8th best European Skater.
He's a big man at 6-foot-3 and most recently skated in his first full KHL season, scoring two goals and adding an assist in 35 games for Lokomotiv.

ROUND 3, PICK 80: Graeme Clarke

Could be one of the fan favorites from this draft class if he continues to develop. While his season was cut short due to a shoulder injury, he still flashes a lot of promise as a nice complementary scoring piece of the future.
Button compares him to Tyler Toffoli, while Corey Pronman of The Athletic recently put him in the "Legit NHL Player" tier of his prospect analysis.
The Ottawa 67's winger has great processing power, a great release, skill, and overall intelligence. He'll need to round out his game and continue to grow, but the tools are there.

ROUND 3, PICK 82: Michael Vukojevic

Probably best known to Devils fans for his wicked shootout goal in rookie camp last season, Vukojevic was the last of New Jersey's three third-round picks last season.

The Kitchener Rangers defender his a terrific skater and large body at 6-foot-3. He can be physically imposing on opponents and projects to playing more of a shutdown role.
He had 30 points in 63 games this past season.

ROUND 4, PICK 96: Tyce Thompson

The Devils have got to like the potential of this fourth-round pick. Thompson, a right-shot center, got drafted coming off a 25-point freshman season at Providence College.
His growth was noticeable this past season, with him scoring 19 goals (compared to eight the year before) and 44 total points.
We might be talking "steal" territory here. Pronman labels Thompson as a "Legit NHL Player" and his toolkit is solid. He's got decent size, good skill, has creativity to his offense, and competes at a high level.

ROUND 4, PICK 118: Case McCarthy

The Devils went Built in the USA with this pick, taking defenseman Case McCarthy 118th overall.
Good skater, good size, good passer, punishing hitter. He had two goals and 10 assists in 32 games as a freshman at Boston University.

ROUND 5, PICK 127: Cole Brady

If you have 11 picks, you legally have to take a flyer on a goalie. Pretty sure that's the law.
And picking a big goalie is always good. At 6-foot-5, Brady has great size.
He had a .903 save percentage last year for the Fargo Force of the USHL and will make the jump to college next season for Arizona State. Goalies take a longer time to develop, so we'll have to check back on this one in a few years.

ROUND 5, PICK 129: Arseny Gritsyuk

Speedy Russian winger. He had a great season in Russian junior last year with 28 goals and 35 assists in 59 games.
We will find out a lot more about his projections after he plays against men in the KHL.

ROUND 6, PICK 158: Patrick Moynihan

By now, Devils fans have seen the video clip from the combine where Jack Hughes indicates the Devils should look into drafting Moynihan. The two are very good friends and Hughes thinks highly of him as a player.
But, rest assured, Hughes did not make this pick. The Devils really like Moynihan, and for good reason. He is the type of player who is likely to grind and find a way to reach the NHL and contribute. He knows his role and he attacks it.
In speaking with ESPN's Peters recently, it's clear that he has fans outside the organization as well.
"A guy that I think is really unheralded that I think is going to be worth watching for a few years is Patrick Moynihan," said Peters, unsolicited. "He plays at Providence college and that's been a place where they've really developed solid pro players."
Peters says the type of players Providence sends out into the pro hockey world are the kind of guys who can really fill out the bottom of your lineup and make an impact. Everything about Moynihan screams late-round steal, maybe not meaning he's an All-Star but certainly a guy who could stick around in the NHL and really help the team someday. He has a good shot and is a solid two-way player. You need those players.
He had 13 goals for Providence as a freshman last season.

ROUND 7, PICK 189: Nicola Pasic

In the later rounds, teams are looking to find at least one skill in a player they believe can be honed and developed and give them a shot to make it to the pros someday.
For Pasic, a Swedish forward, it's all about using his skills as a weapon. He's touted as having a good shot, good hands, good vision. A creative playmaker is always worth a shot this late in the draft. He'll join Linkoping in the SHL this coming season.