New Jersey Devils notes: Talking mock drafts and Jesper Bratt

My take on Corey Pronman's top two picks for the Devils and Bratt's contract negotiations.

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A few New Jersey Devils notes as we continue to inch our way towards the off-season, and all the fun that comes with it:

Mock SZN is upon us

The Devils were heavily linked to Juraj Slafkovsky the moment they won the right to move up and pick second in the draft. Fast forward six weeks and…the Devils are still heavily linked to Juraj Slafkovsky.

Long-time draft expert Corey Pronman penned a second mock draft for The Athletic, with he and a source within the NHL alternating selections for the opening two rounds.

Pronman was in charge of pick No. 2 and he once again had Slafkovsky in that slot.

2. New Jersey (Pick by Corey Pronman): Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, TPS-Liiga

New Jersey gets a huge winger with NHL speed and skill who can score and is arguably the best player in the draft. He will be a force next to Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier for the next decade.

I think The Athletic has this right. Despite all the noise about Shane Wright, he has a long history of promising production and he checks a lot of the boxes you want in a top pick.

He plays both sides of the ice well. He can be dangerous in-zone or off the rush. He threatens as a scorer or a passer. And he plays the sport’s most valuable position.

I get where some of the slander, if you will, comes from; Wright didn’t blow everyone’s doors off this season. But there’s still a ton to like and I think common sense wins out.

Slafkovsky and the Devils seem like a match made in heaven. Tom Fitzgerald is clamouring for a big, highly skilled winger to pair with his star centers moving forward; and an opportunity to get one fell on his lap when the Devils won the lottery. I don’t think he’s going to pass on it.

Moving along, Pronman had the Devils taking a defenseman at 37.

37. New Jersey (Pick by Pronman): Tristan Luneau, RHD, Gatineau-QMJHL

Luneau is a skilled puck-mover with decent size. New Jersey’s biggest organizational needs are more quality defensemen or a goaltender, so the hope is he can be the former.

I have not seen Luneau play so all I’m going to comment on is his numbers; and they are encouraging in several aspects.

Luneau netted eight goals at even-strength this season. From 2015-present day, only eight QMJHL blueliners bested that output in their draft years. Among them: NHLers in Thomas Chabot, Alexandre Carrier, and Jeremy Lauzon.

He wasn’t just productive at evens. Luneau also garnered strong results on the power play; particularly as the setup man. He recorded nine primary assists on the PP this season.

Using the same criteria as above, only 10 defenders topped Luneau over the last seven seasons. Sam Girard was the headliner among that group.

While Luneau’s team did fare better on the scoreboard without him on the ice, he posted a +9 goal differential at evens (57GF, 48GA); good for a 54.29 GF%.

His negative relative numbers (-5.20 GF%) likely say more about being a young guy on a good, veteran-heavy team than they do about his play.

While Luneau would be a perfectly fine pick, I’d be more intrigued by Adam Sykora or analytical darling David Goyette; two players Pronman had going later.

On Jesper Bratt negotiations