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The NHL Entry Draft is about a month away, and at this point rumors about potential 1st round targets for the New Jersey Devils have been beaten to death.
I'll get into that stuff more as the draft gets closer and the talk picks up, but I figured it'd be a good idea to look at some names flying under the radar who could be selected by New Jersey after the 1st round.
I had the pleasure of covering the Memorial Cup tournament in its entirety, and there I saw several draft eligible players who will be selected in the mid rounds, as well as some players in Mads Eller (brother of Lars) and Edgars Kulda (Memorial Cup MVP) who are sure to be selected as 2nd-year entries.
One guy who's game I loved is Val d'Or forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel. He's an excellent skater who reaches top speed in a hurry. Aube-Kubel's top speed allowed him to blow by defenders, and it forced them to back off in the neutral zone, allowing him easy zone entries with possession of the puck. He's a very talented player who's willing to take some risks to make plays, and it regularly paid off for him. He turned it over at times, but he always back checked hard, and the reward almost always outweighed the risk.
I'm not going to do a full profile on him now, but he's a 200-foot player with high-end skating ability, good puck skills and he seems to be flying under the radar. I don't have a good enough pulse on the QMJHL to have a good idea of where he'll be selected, but based off some rankings I have a hard time believing he won't be selected higher. I've seen 4th round regularly, but I think a 3rd round or even 2nd round selection is more realistic.
Mads Eller is another guy who I really liked watching and talking to. He's a 200-foot player with high-end speed who can play in all situations. He doesn't put up a ton of points, but he hits like he's 6'5" 230lbs, and he never gives up on a play. He's relentless on the forecheck, cycles well, and he creates a lot more offense than you'd suspect based off his point totals. His coaching staff talked glowingly about him all tournament, and Eller told me several teams have expressed interest and contacted his agent about him. He'll probably be a mid-to-late round selection, and I think he'd be an absolute steal. To me he's one of those guys you just know will turn into an NHL player.
Edgars Kulda is the last guy I'll touch on now - though there were several other players I liked throughout the tournament. He won Memorial Cup MVP, and for good reason. He generated offense on a shift-to-shift basis and was almost unstoppable at times. He's a quick skater who's willing to battle in the corners, and he makes smart decisions with the puck. Kulda rarely turns it over, and when he did he was always back to make a play in the defensive zone. Since he's a re-entry it's tough to project where he'll be selected, but after a 30-goal, 60-point regular season and a Memorial Cup MVP, it probably won't be too late.
I was very impressed with all three of these players, and if the Devils could land even one of them around where they're projected to go, I think they'd be well off. It'll be interesting to see where the chips fall at the end of June.
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Devils posts
Mike Santorelli could be a fit in New Jersey
Gelinas 2.0?
Radim Vrbata makes sense for the Devils
Devils sign Ben Johnson to three-year entry-level deal
On Brendan Lemieux and the Devils
Backup options for Schneider
It's time for Brodeur and the Devils to part ways
Buying out Anton Volchenkov makes sense
Why the Devils may shop Michael Ryder
What will Cory Schneider's next contract look like?
Jackets posts
Blue Jackets were smart to retain Todd Richards
Contract talks with Columbus, Johansen yet to begin
R.J. Umberger requests trade out of Columbus
Jackets sign top prospect Alexander Wennberg
Five years for Ryan Johansen?
Why Tim Erixon may be traded again
Should Columbus buyout R.J. Umberger?
How should Columbus handle Ryan Johansen's next contract?
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