The NHL offseason is off to a fast start, which means we are quickly approaching the July 23rd NHL Entry Draft. In this year’s edition, the New Jersey Devils will own two first round selections, the more important being their fourth overall pick.
Several believe the Devils should go with a defenseman, which this class has plenty of in the top-five. Now, whether that would be the correct decision is another conversation. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at what forwards the Devils may select if the team were to go that route.
At the top of this draft, there are about six forwards that have the chance to go in the top 10. These being Matthew Beniers, William Eklund, Dylan Guenther, Kent Johnson, Fabian Lysell, and/or Mason McTavish. Of course, only a few of these names would actually be realistic at fourth overall. Of the six above, Beniers, Eklund, and Guenther are the only three that would both be realistic and viable options if New Jersey were to choose a forward at four.
Matthew Beniers
Beniers is an 18-year old center who most recently played with the University of Michigan. The six-foot-one, 185 pounder has a left-handed shot. He played in 24 games, tallying 10 goals and 14 assists in the highly-competitive NCAA conference. Prior to college hockey, Beniers played in the USA National Development Program.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Beniers is arguably the most complete player in this draft, which is what you want to see as a young center. His offensive game revolves around his passing skills and tremendous instincts. So, he should be regarded as more of a playmaker rather than goal scorer. His high motor and intensity when on the ice is what has most been claimed as his biggest strength. He is always engaged and constantly pressuring opponents when not in the offensive end. This is a main reason why he is so good defensively as well.
Beniers is an all-around player that has seen his draft stock continue to rise for that reason. So, he really does not have any galring weaknesses. If you wanted to nitpick, you can point toward his weight. He is sometimes prone to losing puck battles and being knocked off the puck in transition, given he is only 185 pounds at six-foot-one. But this is something that will improve as he gets older. Also, his production while playing juniors in the States was nothing too impressive. Overall, it was solid but nothing jaw-dropping.
Draft Outlook
At the end of the day, it seems likely either he or Owen Power will be the first name off the board come draft night. His game can be best described as a 200-foot, playmaker who will eat large minutes on both the power play and penalty kill. He is a player any team would love to welcome into their lineup.
William Eklund
Eklund is a Swedish left wing who played last season in the SHL alongside current Devils prospect Alexander Holtz. He is 18-years old and listed at five-foot-ten and 178 pounds. The left-handed shot skated in 40 games this past season totaling 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists). For context, his point-per game rate of 0.58 is higher than both Lucas Raymond (0.53) and teammate Alexander Holtz (0.45) this season. Impressviely enough, Eklund’s scoring output this year was the highest of any draft-eligible player since Elias Lindholm.
Strengths and Weaknesses
A lot of what Eklund does well in the offensive end is a result of his stellar positioning and the way he thinks the game through. He not only has a knack for setting up teammate’s high-danger chances, but also a plethora of his own. When Eklund gets his shots and chances they are usually of the high-danger variety. Overall, he is a stellar passer and has a pretty good shot as well.
As a skater, he has very solid edges as well as decent speed and very good agility. This helps him be a true force in the transition game and benefits him a ton in his own end as well. Defensively, he does need some work, but thanks to his puck pursuit skills and skating, has a solid tool kit to build on moving forward.
The issue with Eklund this past season was his play and production dramatically dropped in the year’s latter half. He was not able to get much going on the scoresheet and his overall impact on the ice suffered. Other parts of his game that he can work on is his defensive awareness. He sometimes gets caught puck chasing and skater watching. The last area that may need some improvement is his strength as he is only listed at five-foot-ten. But, with age this will improve.
Draft Outlook
It does seem somewhat likely Eklund will still be on the board at fourth overall. Especially given the amount of defenders ranked so high. His floor in this draft seems to be around five or six.
Overall, his offensive game can be described as balanced and he does have the tools (although a work in progress) for a solid defensive game. A great comparison for Eklund—courtesy of Will Scouch—is Jake Guentzel-espue: An undersized, balanced offensive player with decent defensive abilities.
Dylan Guenther
Guenther is the youngest of the three forwards on this list as he was born in 2003. Guenther is listed as six-foot-one and 185 pounds. He played his junior hockey in Canada, most recently spending time with Sherwood Park of the AJHL. While with them, he racked up five points in four games.
The reason he played in the AJHL is because his WHL season was cut short. He only got to play 12 games before the shutdown, but totaled an extremely impressive 24 points in the most defensively-sound Canadien junior hockey league. One could only imagine the type of season he would have had if the stoppage did not occur. Worth noting in his draft eligible minus-one season, he totaled 59 points in 58 games played in the WHL, and was even named WHL’s Eastern Conference rookie of the year that season.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Guenther has been described by some as having the best shot in the draft. Couple that with a special skill to almost always get his shots on net and you have a dangerous goal-scoring skill set. He is also a very good passer thanks to a high hockey-IQ and good vision.
Guenther is also a good skater, his acceleration helps him transition out of his own zone and overall can be described as a good puck carrier. He was also a great weapon on the power play for the Oil Kings (WHL) this past year.
Like the others on this list, there is not a whole lot to lose sleep over when it comes to Guenther’s game. A big complaint was his weight and strength, but he reportedly put on 20 or so good pounds the past year, helping curve that possible issue. Defensively, he did well in the WHL. However, in his time in the AJHL his defensive game seemed to fall off a tad. Issues with puck chasing and sometimes getting too caught up in his own end existed. At the end of the day, he has all the skills necessary, so that will not end up being an issue.
Draft Outlook
Several have Guenther ranked behind Beniers and Eklund, so it seems safe to assume he would be there when the Devils select at four. The seventh slot seems like the floor for him.
Overall, his offensive game is one that reflects a top line goal-scorer who is also just as dangerous passing the puck. His defensive game also graded out well for most of this past year, so unlike many point scorers this should not be an issue for him at the next level.
Who Makes The Most Sense For The New Jersey Devils?
As mentioned above, several believe New Jersey may go the defensive route so all the above may be for not. But, if New Jersey were to go forward any of the above three would be fantastic.
Beniers is all but the soundest all-around skater in this draft, and already has an extremely mature game. He would also be a very safe pick. In the Devils’ case, it would be a center trio of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Matthew Beniers for years to come. Sign me up.
Both William Eklund and Dylan Guenther are similar in that their offensive games are pretty balanced and both have the defensive toolkit to succeed at the next level. Albeit, still needing to iron some of the kinks out. It seems however, despite the public opinion, Guenther would be the better fit for New Jersey. He has the higher offensive ceiling of the two and is looked at as more of the goal-scorer. Something New Jersey desperately needs.
Top-Three Forward Rankings
Overall, I personally seem to be higher on Guenther than most. As the gap between him and Beniers does not seem all that large contrary to the popular belief. Nonetheless, any three of the above choices, if New Jersey chooses to go forward in the draft, would be teriffic.
- Matthew Beniers
- Dylan Guenther
- William Eklund
Note, do not fret Devils fans. We will have a piece that focuses on the top defensemen in this draft coming soon.