Just like that, the 2024 NHL Entry Draft is almost upon us. As of now, pending any trades, the New Jersey Devils are slated to make their first pick of the draft at 10th overall. That said draft, which is being held in Las Vegas, is set to begin at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN, Friday, June 28.
With New Jersey’s last two first-round selections being defenseman, and three-of-the-last-five overall, one would venture a guess that it is likely a forward is taken off the board first by the Devils. Especially if you do a deeper dive into how the defensive core projects out in the future; both Simon Nemec and Luke Hughes just beginning their respective careers, and Dougie Hamilton and John Marino locked up for seasons to come. With that being known, a forward does make a lot more sense.
What are the most likely options the Devils can entertain when it comes to the position at 10th overall?
Berkly Catton
The 18-year-old Berkley Catton played in the WHL last season for the Spokane Chiefs. Catton more than doubled his point output from his 2022-23 season exploding for 116 points and 54 goals in only 68 games. This point figure was fourth in the league this past season, trailing only three previous NHL draftees.
What is there not to like about the likely top-10 pick? He is a great skater, has a great shot, he owns terrific playmaking abilities, and has terrific work ethic on the defensive end making him a legit center prospect. He does just about everything very well and that showed up in an explosive scoring season in 2023-24 despite playing for a team that barely made the WHL playoffs.
The only real potential compliant with Catton is his size. He is only listed at five-foot-10 and 175 pounds, however, at only 18 years old should continue to grow and get stronger. Not to mention, size is certainly not everything, as will be the case here. One potential said deterrent due to his size is a potential move to the wing, which would benefit a team like New Jersey who has their top-two center spots locked down for years to come.
Given all this, of everyone on this list, Catton is probably the one that has a legit shot of not being around at 10th overall for the Devils. However, if he is, the team should race up to the podium to make the selection.
Tij Iginla
Yes, this is the 17-year-old son of NHL legend Jarome Iginla. Despite not sharing similar play styles, thus far anyways, Tij Iginla has emerged as one of the top forward prospects in the draft.
During his draft-eligible season, in a league (WHL) that profiles as the best defensively among any of the junior leagues in Canada, the left-shooting forward’s production sky rocketed, much like that of his draft-eligible peer Catton. He posted 84 points and 47 goals in only 64 games. The 47 goals ranked seventh in the league, this was second among other draft-eligible forwards (Catton with 54).
Before the explosion in 2023-24, Iginla, granted only 16 years old, posted 18 points in 48 WHL games the year prior. In addition to his big WHL season, Iginla posted 12 points in seven games for Canada at the under-18 World Junior Champions tournament.
As mentioned, Tij does not profile the way his dad played. Instead, he profiles more as a top-six sniper or playmaking forward known for his strong shot and silky hands. He is already 191 pounds and six-foot, so there is still room for him to get more physical and develop more defensively, however, make no mistake about it, Tij, unlike his father, certainly profiles more as a dynamic offensive player. One thing they will likely have in common, like his father, Tij should be a very solid NHL-level player for a long time.
Konsta Helenius
The 18-year-old Finnish forward can play either the center or wing position. He is listed at 5-foot-11 and 189 pounds while already having parts of two seasons of professional experience in the Liiga (top professional league in Finland) under his belt.
After 11 points in 33 games as a 17-year-old, Helenius posted an impressive 36 points in 51 games this past season. As the below further exemplifies, the young Helenius has gotten terrific on-ice impact results in one of the best professional leagues in the world before he has even turned 19.
The right-handed shot profiles more as a two-way forward who can get it done at both ends of the ice. He is said to rely on a terrific awareness to both create offensively as well as be strong defensively. He is a solid, quick skater who does everything decently well. Despite not having the largest frame, Helenius does a great job with what he’s got and does have a physical edge to his game, using his body quite well. A very strong, well-rounded player that is poised to come off the board within the top-15 selections.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård
The 18-year-old Norwegian-born winger projects as a two-way forward at the next level. After posting well above point-per-game paces in junior leagues across Norway at a very young age, Brandsegg-Nygård has spent the last two seasons in the Swedish junior system. In 2022-23, he posted 38 points in 35 under-20 games as a 16/17-year-old. This season, he posted 12 points in seven under-20 games and 18 points in the second-tier professional league.
Brandsegg-Nygård is applauded for his complete game. His defensive game throughout his junior career has been extremely advanced for his age. Offensively, he has a solid shot and his high hockey-IQ, which helps his defensive game be so strong, enables him to create both on his own and for his teammates. Not to mention, he does have some size to him, six-foot-one and 207 pounds, which should help him further develop at both ends.
He is your prototypical high-floor player whose ceiling and lack of flashy play may limit his stock overall. Some are saying he is one of the more NHL-ready prospects in this draft, yet is not expected to go within the top-nine selections. Despite that, it is expected that Brandsegg-Nygård may be one of the safer picks in the first round.
Beckett Sennecke
One of the late, and quickly rising prospects in the draft is the six-foot-three winger from Toronto, Canada. Becket Sennecke had a strong 2023-24 with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, topping the season off with a terrific postseason where he posted 22 points across 16 games. The regular season saw Sennecke post 68 points in 63 games.
Sennecke is on his way to becoming a prototypical power forward at the NHL level. Interestingly enough, he really did not get his size until recently courtesy of a growth spurt. However, he profiles as a really solid offensive player that can do it both via goal scoring and as a playmaker for his teammates. The defensive end is a work in progress as he figures out how to play more physical by using his newer-found size. Both aspects coachable, which is good news.
Sennecke is one of those prospects who is said to have a pretty high ceiling given he is just beginning to learn how to really utilize his size while having other parts of his game pretty well developed. A late bloomer both physically and in terms of rising up the draft board, Sennecke is a very intriguing winger prospect that would check some boxes for the Devils. Albeit, given the growth still needed from his game and the just decent point production, 10th overall may be a bit too early for Sennecke and be more of a pick of what his potential says he may become. However, given the propensity for teams to draft players earlier due to their size or intrigue, it would not be the most surprising thing to see general manger Tom Fitzgerald call his name come draft night.
Cole Eiserman
The 17-year-old American, Cole Eiserman, was once considered a player poised to go in the top five of the draft. However, he has slowly slipped down consensus boards, finding himself projected to go outside the top eight.
Eiserman is lauded for his electric shot, one that is arguably the best in the draft. That was seen in his statistics throughout the American junior league system. In 2023-24, the winger totaled 83 goals across 81 games between the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and the USHL with the USNTDP Juniors team. He also scored nine goals in only seven games during the under-18 World Junior Championships. Eiserman has totaled more goals than assists in every season of his junior career starting in 2019-20; the first year his point totals were tracked.
Eiserman has decent size at six-foot, 197 pounds. However, his defensive game is a deep work in progress. His off-the-puck game is still ways away and that affects his defensive game mightily. Not to mention, offensively, despite being a terrific goal scorer, he is very reliant on others to create for him.
All this sounds very familiar, doesn’t it? Eiserman’s prospect profile is eerily similar to that of current Devils prospect, Alexander Holtz, who is struggling to make it with the big club after being drafted in 2020. Not to mention, at the time Holtz was drafted, he was seen as a more complete and much more developed player than Eiserman. Despite this, if developed correctly, Eiserman has 35-plus goal potential at the NHL. A player with an extremely intriguing goal-scoring ceiling.