Three fits for the New Jersey Devils in the second round

There should be no shortage of appealing options at pick 44. JP Gambatese highlighted a few.

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By JP Gambatese (@JP_Gambatese)

The New Jersey Devils own their first two draft picks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

While it’s well-documented who could and should be the preferred target with the 12th overall selection, there has been little to no talk about who might be an appealing target with the 44th overall pick.

With that in mind, let’s chat about a few potential targets and why they are strong fits:

First things first: if right-handed defenseman Tommy Bleyl is available, the Devils should be all-in on acquiring his services.

For starters, his production is immaculate, with 81 total points in 63 games in his rookie campaign in the QMJHL. That was tops in the league among defensemen, and he followed it up with a very strong playoffs in which he totaled 28 points in 21 games.

From a playstyle perspective, Bleyl checks all the boxes for what the Devils need more of in their lineup.

He’s a ludicrously good puck-mover, relying on his high-end mobility to blaze right past the opposition and his above-average passing chops to play the puck in between coverage in the name of getting it into the offensive zone.

Most of what Bleyl does is a product of his skating chops – he’s extremely fluid and fast, can hit his top-end in a matter of a few strides, and can walk the blue line with the best.

That mobility allows him to execute plays that other defenders simply couldn’t, and it allows him to be a strong defender against the rush to boot.

There are some moments of in-zone defensive coverage that have raised eyebrows, with Bleyl occasionally getting caught flat-footed, but that’s something that he’ll learn in time.

He is also on the smaller end, listed at exactly 6’ and 170 pounds, so he can sometimes get outmuscled on board battles.

However, as he continues to fill out and learn the defensive intricacies of the game, these will likely be completely unconcerning.

If the Devils want to prioritize a defense-first blueliner with the 44th overall pick, I’m completely sold on Maksim Sokolovskii being an appealing target.

The gigantic lefty defenseman – 6’8 and nearing on 240 pounds, to be specific – reminds me quite a bit of Anton Silayev in a lot of ways.

Size aside, Sokolovskii is extremely smooth, with strong four-way mobility and an ability to cover a ton of distance in just a few steps.

As you would expect from someone of his stature, he is also very physical. Sokolovskii will never turn down an opportunity to lay the body, frequenting open-ice hits to diversify his approach to defending against the rush in order to keep downhill attackers on their toes.

In board battles, his strength, size, and reach mean that, in most cases, he ends up with the puck on his stick.

With that, there’s perhaps no defender in the class with as projectable a defensive skillset as Sokolovskii.

He seems destined for a middle-pair, shutdown role in which he is able to munch a ton of minutes at even strength and on the penalty kill.

This emphasis on defensive play doesn’t mean that this comes at the expense of puck-moving ability, though.

Sokolovskii is very confident with the puck on his stick – perhaps too much so – and is a plus on finding breakout candidates and joining the rush himself.

He’s patient with the puck, has a strong first pass, and has the recovery ability to take risks that other defenders can’t execute.

If the Devils are looking for a forward with the 44th overall pick, the undersized but high-motored Victor Plante would be a great snag.

He has NHL pedigree in his blood, with both of his brothers, Max and Zam, already having been drafted and his father, Derek, having a long tenure of NHL play under his belt. Victor plays the game similarly to how his brothers do, with a heavy emphasis on work ethic.

The USNTDP product scored 21 goals and 48 total points in 57 games this past season, relying on his extremely high off-puck IQ to get into the right position for a shot when he isn’t working his tail off to retrieve the puck for his team. He might not be a burner, skating-wise, but he’s always in the right place at the right time.

This bleeds over into his defensive game, too, where he forces a ton of turnovers by virtue of always being in a spot to intercept a passing lane or block a shooting lane.

He looks the part of a should-be third-line energy winger who can play on the penalty kill and pot 15 goals a season in the NHL – a worthwhile investment with the 44th overall pick.

Assuming the Devils keep their second-round pick, there are palatable, projectable options for them to choose from.

It’s a relatively deep class, after all, with a bunch of players who could crack the NHL past just the first round.

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