When the New Jersey Devils were first awarded the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, some thought they might trade it for players who can help them right now. Instead, they used that pick and made seven total over the seven rounds. 

With that pick, number 12, New Jersey selected Alexander Command. This is a player who has a strong emphasis on playing both sides of the puck well. He won’t cheat for offense at the expense of being sound defensively, but he also has the abilities needed to score. 

Command has drawn comparisons to other two-way centers across the NHL, but his offensive ceiling may not be as high as some of the premier ones. Still, behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, he'd be perfect as the third-line center of the future. 

In the second round, New Jersey made a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. They acquired pick 119 to move back from 35 to 37, which is great asset management. The player they liked was going to be there at 37, so they landed an extra lottery ticket to move back. 

At 37, the Devils selected Matias Vanhanen. After a big run to the Memorial Cup Final with the Everett Silvertips, Vanhanen is ready to pursue a top-six role in the NHL. He has the offensive upside to have those kinds of expectations. 

A few selections later, with pick 44, New Jersey took Nikita Shcherbakov. This young defenseman is big and fast, always looking to make a good defensive play. He has a low ceiling offensively, but he was drafted to be a solid defensive prospect. 

The Devils didn't make a pick in the 3rd round, but they landed that fourth-round pick back in the aforementioned trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. There, they selected Lavr Gashilov.

Gashilov is scouted to be a top-level playmaker coming out of Russia. He is the first player in the history of the MHL to lead the league in assists during his draft year. If he can work through any issue in the rest of his game, that playmaking ability will come in handy once he goes pro. 

In the latter three rounds of the draft, where everyone taken has a low probability of making it to the NHL, the Devils took some chances on players that fit their model of analytics. 

They traded back with the Colorado Avalanche from 140 in the fifth round to 149, acquiring 222 in the process. With pick 149, they participated in the run of goalies, selecting Daniil Rusakovich. 

It's never a bad idea to take one goalie that you like every year. This position is always unknown early and won't be known until years of development take place. 

In the 6th round, 172nd overall, New Jersey took a chance on a bottom-six forward named Luke Wilfrey. He doesn't have high-end skills, but he has tools that may allow him to be a typical third or fourth-line player in the NHL. 

Last but not least, the Devils selected Quinn McKenzie with one of the last picks in the entire draft. He has more offensive upside than Wilfrey, but there is a lot of room to grow in every aspect of his game.

Penn State will be McKenzie's development path next season, which will give him a chance to support some very good players as they pursue a National Championship. 

Draft Grade: B-

The Devils get a B- for a few reasons. It is a good grade because they clearly stuck with Sunny Mehta's model, which has worked out well for teams he's worked for in the past. 

There were also instances in which he took players with lower floors when the Devils were in a position to take some chances. That lowers the initial grade a bit. 

This was also a weak draft, and they made seven picks. Part of that was asset management (trading back) in the later rounds, but this team would have benefited from adding more NHL talent during the draft rather than using the picks. 

There is going to be extra emphasis on Alexander Command, too. He was the first round pick and has the highest probability of contributing to the NHL roster someday. His playstyle fits what the New Jersey Devils are trying to do in all three zones, and it was a solid selection for Mehta's first as the Devils' GM.  

All in all, it was a good draft, but there were a few picks that left you wanting more out of the value. If the NHL roster stays healthy and performs to their potential in 2026-27, the grade for this draft can bump up because then it's about developing them properly instead of worrying about the present. 

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