DRAFT: Q and A with Mike Morreale

Ahead of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, and with three first-round picks for the Devils, we caught up with NHL.com's Mike Morreale for his thoughts on the upcoming draft.

Q: Let's jump right into it, the Devils hold their first, first-round pick at the number seven spot, who do you see as a likely pick or a good fit at that point in the draft?

Mike Morreale:As far as the Devils getting the number seven pick in this draft, I mean, you know, I would think that the devils want some type of forward position. You know, I know that there are some really good defensemen in this draft. When I think with that first spot that the devils have which is number seven, they'll have an opportunity to get someone to rebuild at the wings. Obviously, they need someone to play with, with Nico and with Jack. And in that regard when I look at what this draft board could give, or could bring, the Devils you look at the two Swedish players right off the top of my head come to mind, Alexander Holtz of Djurgårdens in the Swedish Hockey League. A left-shot center, real good foundation and is about six foot, 192 pounds. He's a strong skater, can get a hard, accurate shot off from anywhere in the offensive zone. He led all 18 and under players in the Swedish Hockey League in points, tied for the league in goals.

Q: You mentioned two Swedish players, other than Holtz, who do you see as a fit?

MM: The other kid I really like is Lucas Raymond, who might fall to that spot. Lucas played for Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League. When I mentioned Lucas Raymond on Twitter, a few of the Devils fans went a little batty with me saying 'How could you? How could you have a player who's only scored you know, 10,11 points?', but fans have got to keep in mind this is the Swedish Hockey League. It's is the highest level of hockey in Sweden, and he's 18 years old and Frolunda was a stacked team. This was a good team, Frolunda was a team of course that Rasmus Dahlin played for a couple years ago, and Buffalo selected him number one overall, so they were loaded up front. But Lucas Raymond to me has the skill of Artemi Panarin, a player of that magnitude and I've seen it at certain levels and internationally what he's been able to do. He's got a great intensity, excellent vision. Raymond has that great wrist shot, a good nose for the net, and is a tremendous asset on the powerplay and the penalty kill. This kid is a shorthanded goal waiting to happen every time he's on the ice.

Q: How deep is the 2020 Draft class for the NHL, and how does that benefit a team like New Jersey who have multiple picks in the first round?

MM: A lot of these teams, including the Devils have had Zoom interviews with tons of these prospects already, Paul Castron has told me that they had already spoken to maybe 40 or 50 prospects. If you have multiple picks in the first round, as the Ottawa Senators do, and as the Devils have, I would really consider maybe going for a positional need.

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That being said, the Devils have the number seven pick. So, I would suspect if there's not a Jamie Drysdale there, that they go [with a] forward and more particularly a winger. If they do get another pick in the first round, and it falls between maybe 10 and 15, well, don't be surprised if maybe they look for a goaltender of the future because it's going to take a goaltender maybe two, three, four years to progress and learn and mature and grow and develop and when you have Yaroslav Askarov from Russia who might be sitting there at the Devils second pick, I think that would be a spectacular pick.

Now, believe me, I'm taking nothing away from Cory Schneider, nothing away from Mackenzie Blackwood. Blackwood in particular showed what he was capable of doing down the stretch for the Devils in the entire season. Cory came back strong, so we know that Devils have two goalies entering the 2021 season, but you need another goalie back there. And if you have a capability, Askarov is one of those where a lot of scouts say that this kid is a Carey Price. He's got the potential to be a Carey Price type player. And by that, I mean a franchise-type goaltender for years to come.

Q: Let's talk defense. Is there a defensive prospect that is a 'can't miss' number one defender that would make sense in the seventh spot?

MM: No doubt about it, Jamie Drysdale of Erie in the Ontario Hockey League. If he falls to number seven, I think it's a no brainer. Director of amateur scouting, Paul Castron will be chomping at the bit to tell Tom Fitzgerald 'Hey, we got to take this right-handed D-man from Erie'. He put up some spectacular numbers, 47 points in 49 games. The NHL comparisons I have gotten from Dan Marr, the Director of NHL Central Scouting, I asked him does Drysdale have the ability that a Quinn Hughes of Vancouver and Cale Makar of Colorado had in their draft-eligible seasons? Moore told me if I were to take a poll of our full-time scouts at Central during the meeting and ask them that exact question, they would say without question that Drysdale has the same type of ability of a Cale Makar and a Quinn Hughes.

He was just one of seven 17-year old D-men to play for Canada at the World Junior Championships since 1991. The fact that he made that team was pretty spectacular. The fact that he got that experience, no doubt that he's going to learn a lot and might be a part of that team in the 2021 tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer. He controls the game from the back end, has mobilities off the charts, and is an elite skater, smooth, agile and has elite instincts. So, Jamie Drysdale to me hands down, no question about it. I would bet my house on it. If he's there at seven, the Devils are going to make that pick.

Q: Alexis Lafreniere is the clear number one pick, but after Lafreniere what are the next tier of players?

MM: Lafreniere is number one, no doubt about it. But my mind has changed when I speak to scouts, when I talk to some of these prospects and what they have to tell me as far as playing center or wing, when it comes to defenseman, do they like to rush the puck, do they like to hang back? I would say from numbers two through about 11 there could perhaps be a flip of a coin to who might be going. I like Quinton Byfield at number two, that's who I had going in my most recent mock draft.

Quinton Byfield probably has the highest ceiling of any prospect in this pool. Good size and plays for Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey League and has done a phenomenal job there this year and last year. I would suspect Byfield would be another year in Sudbury would do tremendous good for Byfield.

Q: If Byfield is your number two, who is in your three spot?

MM: Tim Stützle is a player from Germany. He played wing in Germany with Mannheim in the top league in Germany, and then he played center at the World Junior Championship when he represented this country. So, he can play both positions.

Tim Stützle, if you're going to make it comparable, it would be a Matt Barzal type of kid, with his skill set, what he's able to bring to a line, to a team. A real happy go lucky type of kid too. We had them on our podcast at NHL.com for our NHL Draft Class and he's just a character kid and is a lot of fun. He's a lot of fun in the locker room, so, of course, that plays a significant role too.

Q: Who is your surprise name in the first round, a guy that's maybe in the 20's or a 30 range, that's low down on a lot of these mock drafts, but you would stamp your foot and say that guy's going to be something special?

MM: I'm a big fan of Connor Zary. He's a center from Kamloops, a left-handed shot. I think he's going in that 20 to 30 range right now as most draft boards go. He's about six-foot, 178 pounds from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I think an NHL comparison for Zary might be a Bo Horvat of Vancouver type of player. He really did exceptionally well in the Western Hockey League league this year, fifth among skaters in points, tied for third amongst skaters in power-play goals, tied for fourth in shorthanded goals and finished fifth overall in shots on goal. So, he's a real active player and what I liked about him too is he was remarkably consistent this season, he didn't go to straight games without a point. So, I like Connor Zary as an under the radar guy in the first round.