2024 NHL Draft: Who Will The Devils Select With The 10th Overall Pick? (Ft. Mike Morreale)

2024 NHL Draft: Who Will The Devils Select With The 10th Overall Pick? (Ft. Mike Morreale)

Mike moral of nhl.com joined me on today’s episode as we talk about potential prospects that the Devils could select with their 10th overall pick there’s a lot to break down in today’s episode of Locked on Devils buckle up everybody you’re locked on Devils your daily podcast on the New Jersey Devils part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day hi this is Bryce Salvador and you’re locked on Devils trade Matthews scores oh Steven stepped up nailed brur got the pock what a shot the Devils win the all righty now what is up New Jersey welcome back to the locked on Devils podcast here on lockon network I’m your host College hockey play byplay announcer Del rer for Puck of pitchforks and also part-time credential M member Trey Matthews when this episode goes live the NHL draft will take place in a few hours live from the spear in Los Vegas the New Jersey Devils hold their highly touted 10th overall pick and helping me preview the event is a guy who’s been covering the NHL for many years he’s very plugged in with the NHL stars of tomorrow I see him around the presedential center quite frequently it’s Mike moral of nhl.com Mike how you doing what’s going on Trey glad to join the show glad to have glad to be on with you and uh and talk uh hockey in particular the NHL draft because it’s uh it’s always something I enjoy every season so thank you no problem thank you for making the time to come on and speak to my audience about the NHL stars of tomorrow but before we talk about some prospects that the Devils might select with the 10th overall just give me your thoughts on the draft combine like where how did this all lead up to now which players stood out for you in terms of maybe their physicality at the combine or their media availability do you mind sharing your thoughts on the matter combine’s always a great event Trey um there were 100 players uh that were invited to the combine 62 forwards 35d there were three goalies there um obviously um you know players have to do their one-on-one interviews uh with the with the uh uh GMS and scouts at at Key Bank Center in Buffalo and then the medical medical exams took place the middle of the week uh there were 11 Fitness tests uh that were done at Harbor Center uh on Saturday um so they ran through the gauntlet with that and it it was always uh it’s always great to see the the prospects go through the the testing phase just to kind of push and see where they’re at the testing is so highly publicized Trey that you know that what they go through on that final day of testing sometimes um is is watched and it’s talked about so often but the thing that really I think you know Scouts GMS take away from the combine is the interviewing process um you know guys that didn’t get uh to scout these players very much they’re finding out how they are as people how they would fit into the culture of the team um and how they’ll compete the way they wanna you know the way they want to and will they fit into to what the team is trying to build there so that’s really going to determine where they’re going to be selected and and who’s going to pick who especially after you get through that top half of the first round so that development and that understanding uh of who that person is you know how they’ll fit to the team that you’re you’re trying to build that’s always vital so I think down the road these players will understand that it’s almost like a job interview those combine interviews and and it’s something that probably uh you know probably will change their lives so um that’s what’s always interesting to me the the the the interviewing phase as far as players that really stood out um obviously you know Macklin celebrini uh finished 20th overall in in the bench press uh um you know the V2 Max uh bike test he he finished 24th which was great out of the 100 prospects uh at a 12 uh 12 minutes and 35 second span there which was fantastic uh and that uh that V2 test measures endurance for the player he was 20th in body fat percentage of 7.6 64% something I can only dream of Trey so yeah forget it uh and and he went uh and he went 97.8 inches in the in the standing broad jump which was great and he did 10 pull-ups which was outstanding one short of his goal he he mentioned to us that he wanted to do 11 but uh he reached 10 some other players that were very quickly that really did very well in the testing phase defenseman Eric Emy I think as a as a sleeper in this draft could go late first early second but I think as a defenseman someone’s going to get a gem here uh he’s with the USA hockey national team development program outstanding season um he uh he finished first in four events uh so that was great to see um uh there were also a few others uh jet lenko I know uh of GTH uh finished really well uh Barry for Cole Bodin uh top the V2 Max test duration at 13 minutes 45 seconds which was outstanding uh University of Denver defenseman z boam uh did a a combine High 16 pullups which was great and uh forward Dean lero uh of St Lawrence’s uh College uh St Andrew’s College excuse me that Prep School in Canada there uh great wingspan he’s committed to be uh BC uh next season so those were a few players that really did well on the testing portion of the combine before we continue our discussion with Mike moral of l.com I want to tell you guys about eBay Motors passion drive and patience the formula for winning championships is also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay Motors has everything you need to maintain your vehicle and leveled up the Peak Performance superchargers roof racks exhaust kits LED headlights and more whether you’re into speed power or style eBay Motors has got you covered with over 122 million parts for your number one ride or die you always find exactly what you’re looking for and with eBay guaranteed fit your part is guaranteed to fit your ride every time or your money back because with eBay Motors you’re burning rubber not cash with all the parts you need at the price you want it’s easy to make your car the MVP and bring home huge wins keep your r or die alive at ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusion Supply eBay guaranteed fit only available to us customers all right let’s get back to our discussion with Mike moral of nhl.com take it away once again awesome and now it’s led up to this where it’s going to be a televised event at the spear and according to the NHL this is the first time that a televised event will take place within the spear I’m excited to see the the layout the lights the camera and of course meet up with people like you because we’ve interacted in in the past at the presedential center I want to focus on uh one of your articles in which you did a mock draft of teams that could select so and so prospects and at number 10 you had the devil selecting Becket senica from the Asa generals a right winger what can you tell me about senica and his overall game and why did you have him going to the Devils at number 10 yeah well first off uh you know there were a couple players in that range tray that I think are very good um would be quality prospects like I considered Berkeley katton from Spokane in in the Western Hockey League uh Kon a real smart player uh very creative when he’s out there he spent actually spent uh two summers ago he spent time with the Hughes family uh Jim and Ellen uh was there when Luke was there and I think Quinn was there Jack wasn’t around at the time um but he learned all about you know the Devils at that time since Luke was there and and and uh obviously what it takes to be a professional uh living with that uh family for the week and week and a half that he did uh Cole Eiserman could be a player in this rise Eiserman from the USA hockey national team development program probably has the best shot of this draft um natural goal scorer for sure uh it could score in a lot of ways um I think the one thing that has been questioned about his game is that 200 foot effort can he give that type of of of you know good performance in his own end of the ice and that’s something that I think he really worked on in the second half uh of the Season at the at the program and and something that you know he may benefit from down the road cona helenus was another player that I thought of in this range um a player who played for urit in Lia finland’s top division uh highly talented Center deceptively quick um in what he does I like what he he brings to the table but I just thought Ben uh Becket Sena from ashaa in the Ontario League um I like his size at 62 177 obviously becket’s not a player or any of the players that I mentioned here are going to stick and play with the Devils next season they’ll probably go development Camp maybe they’ll get some time in training camp before they’re sent back to their minor league team but um I like senica centerman right-handed shot big body he reminds me a lot of Martin neis uh on the ice when he’s out there doing his thing uh kind of a late bloomer physically he’s really grown um uh nearly I think it was five inches uh in the last 18 months so his skating has actually improved uh in the last calendar year uh covers ground effort effortlessly when when he’s skating with the puck real long strides tough to box uh box in because of his quick hands real strong edges I just think he makes a nice fit for the devils and the type of player they want to see grow and develop in their system those big strong forwards obviously they want those big defenseman too right Trey we know that um but I think um I think with senica with the pick they have at 10 and that’s even if he’s there Trey because senica has been flying up the charts from what I’ve heard from from scouts um that are close to the situation with with Beck it and how he’s being perceived uh down the stretch here so he may go earlier but if he’s there I think he’s he would be a fantastic selection for the Devils at 10 yeah according to Elite prospects senica is an ankle breaking Winger who combines playmaking manipulation powerful net drives and thievery skills to control the game would you say that’s a fair assessment for senica and his overall game yeah absolutely um he’s a big he’s a big you know skater uh he’s from Toronto he was tied for fourth among all skaters and goals in the 24 Ontario Hockey League playoffs with 10 goals so that shows you right there too that you know when the going gets tough and you’re in clutch situations and you need guys to score and and provide for your team in big situations playing big minutes Beckett was able to do that for for asua this season he tied for most assists among ol rookies uh a season ago with 35 and he finished with 68 points in the regular season this year 27 goals in 63 games so when he when he’s not playing hockey I remember talking to and when he’s not playing hockey he likes to he likes watching the NHL games and and formula won racing and his favorite team is the Toronto Maple Leafs his favorite player is William neander um and uh you know just just a a real good player has a good head on his shoulders um you know and as I said that Martin NIS comparison I think is pretty good A big heavy forward who can get the job done in the tough areas of the ice absolutely and that’s certainly an option for a Devils if he is available I had one of my colleagues on this show his name is Joseph stand his law he’s a draft scout for draft Pro Hockey and someone that he thinks the devil should select at 10 at 10th overall is Michael haage from the Chicago steel a center what can you tell me about ha and his overall game and do you see him being selected by the Devils at 10th overall I love ha I just think at 10 it might be a little early for him I think if the Devils were interested in Michael ha maybe a trade down would be uh beneficial to them they can gain another pick they can gain another Prospect or whatever it might be I think to me ha is kind of in the maybe 14- 19 excuse me range in this draft but love Michael ha what he was able to provide this year for Chicago in the United States Hockey League 75 points uh 33 goals this season outstanding 54 games played and he overcame a lot of adversity uh as well this year Trey uh a season ago prior to this season um he in he he had a um a shoulder injury and he missed almost three quarters of the Season uh and then last summer his father you know died tragically uh in a swimming accident so he had to overcome all this and then this season he had his best year and he dedicated his entire season to his dad um you know and when you when you talk to him about it obviously he gets choked up and he gets a little emotional about it but he says you know his dad’s like looking down on him and he knows that he’s making him proud and what he was at you know what he was able to do this year so a credit to to ha I would compare him a little bit to maybe a JT Miller uh from the Vancouver Canucks now obviously when JT entered the league uh drafted by the Rangers when he entered the league um he was a player that um took maybe two three years for him to finally found you know find his Groove and now we all know what he he’s like he was an NHL Allstar with the Canucks this year has done so many good things he finished fourth uh among USHL skaters and points this season with those 75 um you know he’s a high-end high-end talent in my eyes a real good skater gets the top speed in a hurry when he’s skating with the puck displays Elite hockey sense with the puck on his stick allows him to make those plays all over the ice real strong compete level Trey and he seems to be the go-to guy too for that Chicago team um has a good two-way game wants the puck when when things matter the most to either score a big goal or or kind of set up his teammate so I do like Michael ha I just think at 10 it might be a little early to get him I think he’s a player that if the Devils or or GM Tom Fitzgerald were really thinking about him maybe make a trade to maybe get another pick you drop down in maybe that you know 15 to 19 rage and you can you still might be able to get ha all right good to good to hear uh here’s someone else that I really do like and is TE Iginla who is son of Jerome Iginla elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020 and he is a longtime former Flames Captain but he might not be available for Devils to select at 10th overall what can you tell me about egin Law’s game and do you see any similarities between him and his father and I guess the big question is and I hate to beat a dead horse can he live up to his father expectations yeah that that’s been the Big Talk Trey is obviously you come you’re coming into this draft you have a a Hockey Hall of Fame father uh meant so much to the Calgary Flames and what they were able to do um obviously a captain there as you mentioned um and he was adored wherever he went Jerome McGinley you talk about a team guy that was Jerome thre in through and te is that way te is a team guy you know hey it’s real nice to when you know know when when you’re in the garage and you know you’re just playing ball hockey or shooting pucks or you’re taking passes from Jerome McGinley your dad and shooting pucks and then having him teach you how to shoot the puck and and what to do in situations when you don’t have the puck on your stick so uh te had the best of both worlds in that regard but when I look at T ginin watched him play this year I think of Gabriel landeskog strong on his Skates um you know he’s a real thick kid he’s he’s big he’s strong he has that prototype uh you know hockey like body um obviously he needs to grow and mature a little more and he will do he’ll do that with col in Colona in the Western Hockey League um you know he’s really taking a step this year too because obviously you know last year he he he started his uh career um with the Seattle thund uh thunder birds they they they chose him ninth overall in the 21 Banner draft and then he was acquired uh in a trade for a lot of prospects but once he got to Colona he started to really find his Groove what he needed to do um he you know made a lot of strides this past summer to get to where he needed to be and prove himself as a as a top end a high-end uh Talent this year uh he really got quicker this season in my eyes he can shoot the puck really well if Cole Eiserman is the best has the best shot in this draft uh Trey TJ gin is a real close second so um he’s more of a scorer that can kind of Crash the net beat you in a lot of ways smart real good work ethic anticipates very well and as far as um the pressure of being the son of a Hockey Hall of Famer I don’t think that that you know weighs on him too much I think in my mock drafts that he will be ta you know if he’s not taken five or six which is a good possibility because t has been shooting up the ranks you know I think Calgary could take him too and if Calgary does take him people have kind of question well you talk about pressure to go to the team that your dad was a star for but I think in some ways If he if Calgary did take him maybe they would give him the benefit of the doubt the fans I mean and and let him play out until he becomes a pro um and let him just grow mature and learn because they know what Jerome meant to that team so they would give te the benefit of the doubt and let him play out until he becomes that good Pro that they want maybe in two three years I see him as a wing to start out his NHL career and then maybe three four years um you could I I eventually and he gets bigger and stronger eventually he’ll become a center in this league but real good player try I he’s gonna go top 10 if he’s there at 10 uh it would be a fantastic pick for the Devils no doubt yeah and the thing about Iginla is that he was a multi-time Allstar with the Flames he won the Art Ross trophy at one point and we’ve seen son and father combos work really well in the NHL because Keith kachuk he had a successful NHL career and his son Matthew kachuk just clinched the Stanley Cup for the Florida Panthers for the first time in franchise history when we always talk about the Hugh Brothers Luke and Jack on the Devils family connections usually do go a long way and sometimes we see a great combo whether it’s like fatherson brother brother whatever the case might be I think e inlaw definitely has a lot of potential uh to play similar to his father can he live up to those expectations that’s kind of a tall order since his father once again was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame a few years ago but we’ll see what happens and someone else I want to talk about is Zayn parak and your colleague over at nhl.com Bill Douglas wrote an article about him he is a son of Indian and South Korean Heritage and I I found his story very inspirational but from a hockey playing standpoint what more can you say about parak and is there the possibility that the devil select him at 10th overall the right-handed defenseman from the sagonos spirit yeah you’re right Trey it’s a it’s a sensational story and if uh if your fans out there haven’t seen it yet go check out Bill Douglas’s story on Zan per it is inspirational and it was very well done his dad uh azim originally from India uh is a dentist um his his his mom Mona uh is an interior designer and her parents are from South Korea survivors uh of the Korean War so just a a Fab a great story um to see Zayn come in and now become the hockey star that he is he was named a 2324 CHL defenseman of the Year comparison here through the roof treay I mean uh the ceiling is so high for Zay parck uh the transitional Acumen that he presents as a prospect um when I went to NHL Central scouting’s final meetings I sat in I have the privilege to sit in there um and listen to what they say how do they uh rank the prospects and when the the head of central scouting Dan Mah asked all the full-timers for their NHL comparable of Zan perk all of the scouts the eight Scouts there were giv were throwing out names that were if they didn’t win the Nars uh if they didn’t win the Nars trophy already these were Nars Trophy candidates at some point down the road you know uh F you know Adam Fox and and Quinn Hughes uh Eric Carlson all these players were being were named as comparables for for Zay perck and uh the majority of the the scouts did say Eric Carlson so that just goes to show you the presence uh that that Zayn has on the back back end and um you know 33 goals were were the second most by an OHL draft eligible defenseman uh since 8990 so it’s been some time since we had that um uh he was he was a playoff performer commove the puck extremely well real creative Defender uh the term high-risk High reward um doesn’t really apply because he actually uh mitigates the risk well uh for a defender of his his ilk there’s been some talk about Zan perek being yes an offensive defenseman and being really um you know quick and agile and moving the puck getting it out of the Zone but how is he as a Defender and obviously in the NHL you gota you got to know how to defend so there have been some questions on that but I think what makes Zayn uh intriguing in that regard and obviously team the team that drafts him is going to work with him on this in that defensive acum he’s so smart he just knows how to get to certain points in defending uh to make sure that the you know the opposition or the four Checkers you know they they you know don’t have an easy Outlet uh to get offensive opportunities or chances uh in his in in the in the offensive zone when Zayn’s back there so but I like Zayn what he was able to provide this year he’s definitely going to be a top 15 selection um someone’s going to get themselves a true uh Warrior here uh in per it’s going to take a couple years I think before he reaches the NHL but once he does uh you know hands down he’s going to be a he’s going to be a star in this league Trey before we wrap up our discussion with Mike let me tell you guys about FanDuel I’m in the mecca of sports gambling Las Vegas Nevada please remember to always gamble responsibly I love sports I love them so much I never want them to stop but as the playoffs wind down we get fewer games and the sports aren’t sportsing like I want them to but FanDuel lets me keep the sports going whenever I want all I have to do is open the app and dream up bets anytime I’m in the mood and this summer FanDuel is hooking up all customers with a boost or a bonus daily that’s right there’s something for everyone every day all summer long so head over to fanduel.com lockon and start making the most out of your summer FanDuel the official sports betting partner of Major League Baseball check out fanduel.com to look at all the betting odds okay it’s time to finish our discussion with Mike Morel of nhl.com take it away once again all right my final question for you and this is sort of a big one we talked about potential options that the Devils can select at 10th overall and at the beginning of the show I talked about how that 10th overall pick is highly touted because the devils are trying to get back to the playoffs and it’s clear that front office is trying to build together a playoff caliber roster in Europe opinion should the Devils hold on to that pick or should they trade it away for a impact player right away A lot can happen within the next few hours but I just want to hear your thoughts on the matter no I’m with you I’m with you Trey I I think I think the Devils should consider trading the pick and here’s why look it’s amazing too right when you think about it niik heser is is entering his eighth I believe it’s his eighth season and you have Jack Hughes now and it’s Fifth Season uh since being drafted it’s just amazing that these these we still call them kids they’re young as far as age is concerned but they’ve been in the league for such a long time um and they want to start winning now I mean you can’t just keep you know making playoffs missing playoffs making you know one off every every year and I think Tom Fitzgerald realizes that he’s got a big asset here in this number 10 and and maybe you can pick up a you know a solid defenseman whether it be some type of offensive type defenseman someone big strong a stay-at home guy uh maybe get a prospect and another pick for that number 10 um I think it would be worth to you know to to seek and and to to to see if that’s a possibility because obviously whoever the Devils take at 10 that player is not going to be available to them in May until maybe two three years but the Devils want to start winning now and if it means you know trading the 10 to get a player that’s you know a Bonafide star um in the league right now and doing some good things whether um you know it be from a you know from from the Florida Panthers who obviously have some ufas and and maybe maybe Tom fitrd is thinking you know unrestricted free agency on July one maybe there there’s there’s availability there so in that regard maybe they think they can keep the pick make the pick here and then and then you know pick up a UFA on July 1 but if you go to trade it I think you can get us know a guy that can fill the the defensive lineup right now and have an impact with this team because that’s what you want awesome Mike uh we talked about everything from trade scenarios to draft options where can my audience find you at I’m at uh on X or Twitter uh Mike Mike moral NHL uh we have a lot of uh podcasts that are up on nhl.com Trey uh the NHL draft class my myself and my colleague Adam kimmelman we have plenty of episodes they’re all Evergreen uh we have uh you know episodes that uh kind of preview all the regions the Ontario League the Western League the Quebec maritimes League we had uh Sam Constantino from sportset on in our most recent podcast uh previewing the NHL draft and some players those Russian born players look out for where they’re going to fall do you still have that Russian Factor that’s involved so you can check out the podcast there as well um and then you know we do our Devil’s coverage too right Trey so every so often um we know development Camp is coming up real soon so that’s always a fun event to to take in uh in July so uh I’ll probably see you there for that um and the fans can check out uh check out my work on nhl.com um and it’s you know it’s been a lot of fun Trey for sure awesome Mike so check out his work at nhl.com check out some of the podcasts that he and his colleagues are putting together Mike you always do incredible work the pleasure is always mine my friend thanks a lot Tre I appreciate it and like I do to close out every episode continue to stay safe have a wonderful day in New Jersey go Devils I’ll catch you guys next episode thanks for listening once again

The 2024 NHL Draft is set to take place tonight at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The New Jersey Devils will have the 10th overall pick and there’s a lot of anticipation surrounding it. Mike Morreale (NHL.com) joined me on today’s episode to share his thoughts on the draft and which players might be available for the Devils to select. The Devils can still trade that pick away if the opportunity presents itself.

Follow Mike on the “X” app: @mikemorrealeNHL

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