Going into the draft this past Friday, the Devils had a very difficult decision to make. They were awarded the 1st overall pick in this year’s entry draft and were given the opportunity to select either Jack Hughes, or Kaapa Kakko. The draft class was deep this year, but these two were very clearly the top choices. Once the draft began in Vancouver, the Devils kicked things off by selecting Jack Hughes. Hughes is a stud. He has all the tools necessary to become a world-class center in the NHL. The Devils (and everyone else on the planet) knew this going into the weekend. The Devils and their front office, lead by GM Ray Shero, were not finished there. They also went out and acquired PK Subban, one of the NHL’s most beloved players and fashion icon, in a trade that has Nashville fans scratching their heads.

I have a theory that in order to win a Stanley Cup in today’s NHL, you need a world-class centerman, as well as depth at the position. The last 5 teams to win the Stanley Cup have had Crosby (twice), Kopitar, Backstrom, and Ryan O’Reilly, all of which are world-class centers. Like I mentioned earlier, Jack Hughes has the tools to become one. Who else do the Devils have at center? Glad you asked, because just two years ago they drafted another #1 overall centerman. Nico Hischier has been playing with the Devils since being drafted back in 2017 and has collected 99 points in 151 career GP. Although drafted 1st overall, he really isn’t shaping up to be a world-class center, but that’s okay for the Devils in light of their new star draft pick. Hischier is an ideal #2 center in the league on a great team. He would be #1 on many teams, but by putting him in a reduced role on the second line, you can create depth that most teams dream of. Now, he won’t be down on the second line until Jack Hughes matures a little in the league, but I don’t think that will take very long considering his talent-level.

I also believe that Jack Hughes was the better pick for the Devils than Kaapo Kakko would have been because of the fact that Hughes is a center. Kakko is an elite winger right now. But he’s a left-winger. Taylor Hall is an elite left-winger. Probably top 5 in the league right now. Hall has been tearing it up on a sub-par NJ team. Once he is afforded a center with the skillset of Jack Hughes, he will be much better off. Hall will also be a UFA next summer (20-2021). Adding a player like Hughes who can play with him (unlike Kakko), New Jersey has a better chance to get him to sign an extension during the season. If Hall and Hughes form a good friendship in the next several months, it will be much more likely that Hall will want to stick around in NJ rather than test free agency.

After grabbing Hughes at #1, Shero went on to make a trade for star defenseman, PK Subban. Subban has been a top D-guy in the league for about a decade now. He has had injury issues, but when he’s healthy, he is a spectacle. Easily one of the most fun players to watch in the league. Shero acquired him from Nashville for 2 second round picks, Steven Santini, and Jeremy Davies. For Nashville to move a guy like Subban without getting at least 1 first round pick in return is baffling. The only explanation is that Nashville needed to make some room in their cap in order to sign a big free agent this summer (most likely Matt Duchene). There were many teams attempting to bring Subban in this summer, even though he has a hefty contract at $9 million per year and he only amassed 31 points in 63 games last season (for 9M per year, he should be getting no less than 50 points per season, and even 50 points would be low). Chalking his poor 18-2019 season up to bad health, we can assume PK will be getting in good shape this summer when he’s finished hanging out with the Rock. Something tells me a fresh start for Subban on a growing roster will help his game big-time. The Devils will happily pay his full-contract price to have him play along side Hughes, Hischier, and Hall. This article was brought to you by the letter “H.”

The Devils missed the playoffs this past spring, which was disappointing for them considering the progress they made as a team in 2017. By adding Jack Hughes and PK Subban within a matter of hours of eachother, they have become a team of interest in the Metro Division. Are they going to be contenders in 2020? Its unlikely, but possible. At least now they have set themselves up for success and have a nice core group of young players and some solid veterans to build around. I’m sure Sam Majewski is a very happy person right about now!

Written By Andrew Silvers

Instagram/Twitter: @asilvers55

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