New Jersey Devils notes: On Jiricek, Mikheyev, signing bonus SZN, and more

I touched on a wide array of topics as we inch closer to the draft and free agency.

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A handful of New Jersey Devils notes as the heart of the off-season fast approaches:

David Jiricek?!?

With the NHL Entry Draft less than a week away, TheAthletic’s Corey Pronman released an updated mock.

He had Juraj Slafkovsky going 1st overall to the Montreal Canadiens. While I still believe Shane Wright will be the guy, the Canadiens selecting Slafkovsky up top wouldn’t be overly surprising.

The New Jersey Devils passing on Shane Wright would be; and that’s what Pronman predicted will happen.

2. New Jersey Devils: David Jiricek, RHD, Plzen (CZREP)

If the Habs take Wright, I think for the Devils it’s a simple scenario and they take Slafkovsky. If Slafkovsky goes No. 1, it opens up the possibilities. League sources seem somewhat skeptical they will take Wright, or at least they don’t view this as the likeliest scenario. The most common scenario proposed to me for New Jersey with Slafkovsky going first is the Devils taking one of the top two defensemen in Jiricek or Simon Nemec, or trading the pick. Jiricek is the more common name I’ve heard attached to the Devils between the two defensemen.

I agree the Canadiens taking Slafkovsky would open up possibilities; I don’t think drafting Jiricek is one of them.

As mentioned the other day, I believe the Devils would be more willing to move the 2nd overall pick if Slafkovsky is off the board.

That’s not to say they’d be dying to trade it by any means; but I expect they’ll have done their due diligence on what options could be available if Slafkovsky is gone and they want to make a move.

If Slaf goes 1st and the Devils do stand pat, I’m confident the pick will be Shane Wright. I don’t see them overthinking it and passing on the BPA; especially for someone who carries as much risk as Jiricek.

He has good offensive instincts, a heavy shot, and a big frame to handle people in the corners and in front of the net. I get the appeal; there is a nice ceiling.

In saying that, there are red flags. He doesn’t have a fluid stride and his lateral movement/backwards skating could be issues long-term. If that’s the case, he’s really going to struggle defending one-on-one and in transition.

That’s not what you want out of a No. 2 pick; especially when you play a fast, up-tempo style of hockey.

TLDR: If Montreal drafts Wright, I think the Devils happily take Slafkovsky. If Montreal drafts Slafkovsky, I could see the Devils moving the pick. It’s still more likely they’d ultimately keep it, though, and I see Wright as the guy if they do.

Proceed with caution