This draft is a crucial one for the New Jersey Devils. Over the last several years, the organization’s prospect pool has been depleted. Mostly thanks to many picks and young players being moved in an attempt to build a strong lineup. However, new general manager Sunny Mehta has a chance to replenish a now dry pool with one strong draft. The one question now is, which prospects should he look to take? Spoiler: it should be a forward.
We already examined the realistic options for the team to take at 12th overall. We also analyzed some sleeper options for the teams to potentially take with their first round selection. Now, we take a look at the five players the team should target at No. 12 and five others that may be an option later in the draft.
Note, the consensus ranking via the Sound of Hockey is below each analyzed player.
First Round Targets
Ethan Belchetz, LW (OHL)
Belchetz is a versatile winger, with the potential to be one of the next great power forwards in the NHL. He does almost everything well, shooting, playmaking, transition, all with the physicality you would expect from a 6-foot-5, 229-pound player. For the Devils, it would allow them to add another potential top-six piece with some snarl in the near future.
There are concerns with his pace of play, which may never be high-end, given his size. However, there is definitely enough of a combination of skill and physicality to make up for that at the NHL level.
Consensus Rankings: 12th
Tynan Lawrence, C (NCAA)
Tynan Lawrence is one of the most explosive skaters in the draft class, and a rock solid two-way center. He began this past season dominating the USHL, before making his way over to the NCAA as a 17-year-old. With Boston University this past season, he put up seven points in 18 games while driving great offensive results on a team that disappointed.
While Lawrence is an outstanding prospect in many areas, you wonder if the Devils would commit their top pick to a true center. Hopefully the top two spots in the lineup are locked up long term with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.
Consensus Rankings: 13th
Wyatt Cullen, LW (NTDP)
If you recognize the last name of Wyatt Cullen, it’s because he’s the son of 21-year NHL veteran Matt Cullen. Wyatt, however, has the chance to far succeed the offensive output his father accomplished in the NHL. Cullen has the upside to be one of the top scoring wingers in the NHL. With a nasty shot, great vision, and incredible hockey IQ, the question for one of the youngest players in the draft is going to be rounding out the edges. He’s got plenty of time to do that, committing to play the University of Michigan for next season.
If Sunny Mehta has confidence in the Devils player development, and Cullen is still on the board at 12, he could be a jolt in the arm to a depleted Devils prospect pool.
Consensus Rankings: 10th
Post-12th Overall Options
Liam Ruck, RW/Marcus Ruck, C (WHL)
Liam and Marcus Ruck are twin brothers who dominated the WHL together this past season. Marcus is the passer, and Liam is the shooter. With the Devils now having two selections in the first 12 picks of the second round, it’s not a pipe dream to snag both twins in this draft.
Consensus Rankings: 26th/37th
Egor Barabanov, F (OHL)
Barabanov went undrafted over the last two years, but that will change his third time around. After moving over to the OHL for his age-19 season, things finally clicked for the Russian forward. Barabanov scored 91 points in 68 games for Saginaw this year, which was good enough for fourth in the league. If he drops to the Devils in the mid-rounds Barabanov would be a smart bet.
Consensus Rankings: 79th
Harrison Boettiger, G (WHL)
Boettinger spent time in the US NTDP before coming over to the WHL for his draft year. That proved to be the right move, as the American netminder started 41 games with a .911 save percentage (SV%). That mark was second among all WHL goaltenders who played in at least 40 games, only behind Sharks 2025 first-round draft choice Joshua Ravensbergen. If Mehta wants to add one of his guys to the Devils goaltending prospect pool, Boettiger wouldn’t be a bad pick.
Consensus Rankings: 97th
Lincoln Kuehne, D (NCAA)
Kuehne is a defenseman with a nice combination of skating and physicality. Playing in the NCAA in his draft year was a test for him, and he passed with mixed results. Still, a second season with a more expanded role at Arizona State will do him well, and his strengths allow his upside to be a bottom-four defenseman in the NHL. If the Devils have a chance to snag a prospect like that with a late-round pick, it should be an easy selection.
Consensus Rankings: 146th
Morgan Anderberg, LW/C (SHL)
If Sunny Mehta and the Devils want a relatively safe late round bet, Anderberg should definitely be on their radar. Despite only scoring three points, the versatile forward played 39 games in Sweden’s top professional league as an 18-year-old which is an accomplishment in itself. Anderberg also matched his regular season points output in just 10 playoff games.
Consensus Rankings: 179th