The 2016 NHL Entry Draft was an interesting one for the New Jersey Devils to say the least. They got some NHL minutes from a good amount of players, and have even turned a few into solid NHL contributors. From their first pick at 12, to their final one at 192, let’s look back at the Devils’ 2016 draft class.
Michael McLeod
Position: Center
Pick: Round One, Pick 12
Current Contract: One-year, $1.4 million
Age: 25
Analysis:
Michael McLeod looked to be heading in the direction of bust following the 2019-20 season. It was one where he played just 12 games collecting a couple assists. However, an impressive showing during the following year’s training camp earned him a spot in the bottom-six where he did well as a defense-first center.
McLeod put up a career high 26 points last season, as well as six in 12 playoff games. He looks to be a decent fourth line center, elite faceoff man, and a terrific penalty killer for years to come.
Nathan Bastian
Position: Right Wing
Pick: Round Two, Pick 41
Current Contract: Two-years, $1.35 million per season
Age: 25
Analysis:
When Nathan Bastian, the linemate and good friend of McLeod, fell into the Devils lap at pick 41, it was the obvious selection. The two have remained great friends to this day and have built great chemistry on the team’s fourth line over the past few seasons.
While it was a season riddled with injuries, Bastian put up the highest points-per-game average of his career during the 2022-23. His impressive play in the bottom-six as well as his above average penalty killing abilities earned him a two year contract in the offseason. He is one of the NHL’s premier fourth liners.
Joey Anderson
Position: Right Wing
Pick: Round Three, Pick 73
Current Contract: One-year, $800,000
Age: 25
Analysis:
Following two great seasons at the University of Minnesota, Joey Anderson signed his first NHL contract. In his first full professional season, Anderson got some NHL time but struggled to find the score sheet. After two seasons in the organization Anderson was flipped to Toronto for Andreas Johnsson (later traded to San Jose in the Timo Meier deal) where he was unable to crack a talented Leafs’ forward group consistently.
Then, Anderson was traded yet again at the 2023 NHL trade deadline in a deal that saw defenseman Jake McCabe as the headliner headed to the Leafs. Anderson should get some time at the NHL level for the Blackhawks this season.
Brandon Gignac
Position: Right Wing
Pick: Round Three, Pick 80
Current Contract: AHL
Age: 25 (November 7th, 1997)
Analysis:
Brandon Gignac looked to be a playmaking winger coming out of the QMJHL, but struggled to score at the AHL level in the Devils’ organization. The center played one game at the NHL level in 2018-19 before being sent back down.
Gignac did not receive a qualifying offer in 2021 as he then went on to sign an AHL contract with the Laval Rockets where he has carved out a solid AHL career. He remains within the Montreal Canadians’ organization currently.
Mikhail Maltsev
Position: Left Wing
Pick: Round Four, Pick 102
Current Contract: One-year, $750,000
Age: 25
Analysis:
Mikhail Maltsev garnered some attention coming over to North America with his slick shootout moves in the AHL. His play combined with a Devils’ team in need for bottom-six forwards led to Maltsev getting consistent ice time with the team in 2021.
Following the season, Maltsev was traded to the Avalanche along with a second-round pick for Ryan Graves. The young winger received some time at the NHL level in Colorado but failed to record a point. This past offseason the Avalanche chose not to qualify Maltsev, leading him to sign a one-year deal with the Kings.
Evan Cormier
Position: Goaltender
Pick: Round Four, Pick 105
Current Contract: AHL
Age: 25
Analysis:
Evan Cormier was a mediocre goalie out of the OHL who was probably picked higher than he should have. During his tenure as Devils’ general manager, Ray Shero went on a goalie binge during the draft, selecting five goaltenders, one in each draft.
After being selected, Cormier was an average starter for another couple seasons with the Saginaw Spirit (OHL). Following his time in the OHL, he was bad in the AHL/ECHL and did not have his contract tendered as a restricted free agent in 2021.
The Canadian netminder then signed an AHL contract with the Winnipeg Jets’ minor league affiliate the Manitoba Moose, where he has played each of the past two seasons. Cormier is currently slated to begin with the Charlotte Checkers (Hurricanes’ organization) of the AHL.
Yegor Rykov
Position: Defense
Pick: Round Five, Pick 132
Current Contract: KHL
Age: 26
Analysis:
Rykov was an intriguing defensive prospect out of Russia selected in the fifth round. His numbers in both the KHL and MHL were definitely worth taking a flier on. Rykov was flipped to the New York Rangers along with a second-round pick for Michael Grabner in 2018. This trade was the first and only between the two franchises.
Rykov played part of one season in the AHL for Hartford before going back to Russia following the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been a fine defenseman in the KHL since.
Jesper Bratt
Position: Left Wing
Pick: Round Six, Pick 162
Current Contract: Eight-years, $7.875 million per season
Age: 25
Analysis:
Where to start with Jesper Bratt? Well, a good place to start is he is one of the biggest draft steals in recent history. Being a sixth-round selection, the winger out of Sweden was an underdog from the start. Following his draft year, Bratt put up good numbers in the top Swedish hockey league. Just a few months later, the star winger made the NHL as a 19-year-old and never looked back.
After sitting in the 30-point range for the first four years of his career, Bratt exploded for a career high 26 goals and 73 points in a contract year. After taking a one year “prove-it” deal, Bratt replicated those numbers scoring a new career-high 32 goals and matching the 73 points. All of that in his first fully healthy 82-game season. 
His performance earned him an eight-year deal this offseason in which Bratt will make close to $8 million The future is bright for Jesper as he’s a key piece in one of the best top-six groups in the entire NHL. 
Jeremy Davies
Position: Defense
Pick: Round Seven, Pick 192
Current Contract: One-year, $775,000
Age: 26
Analysis:
For a seventh-round pick, it hasn’t been a bad career for Jeremy Davies. The defenseman played three very good seasons at Northeastern University before signing his entry-level contract with the Devils. That summer, Davies was flipped in the deal that sent P.K. Subban to New Jersey. Following three seasons in Nashville, where he accumulated 22 NHL games, scoring three points, the Predators chose not to qualify the defenseman.
This choice allowed Davies to sign with the Buffalo Sabres where he appeared in one game for the NHL squad this past season. Davies re-signed in Buffalo on a one-year contract where he hopes to crack the NHL squad as a depth defenseman. Overall, not a bad career thus far for a seventh-round pick.
Final Thoughts
The Devils made nine selections in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Of those nine, seven have appeared in at least one NHL game. Of those nine, three are legit NHL-level players for New Jersey. Three others helped the team acquire legit NHL-level players.
To say the least, the 2016 draft class was a huge success for the Devils. Jesper Bratt being selected in the sixth-round, which carries a 15% success rate of becoming a NHL player, let alone, signified this class as a huge win. Add in all the other victories in the class, and this was a vital one in building the team New Jersey has today.