Draft picks are always an important trade currency but this offseason they could carry more importance than usual which, as Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media suggests, could make things interesting for the Devils. GM Ray Shero hasn’t hesitated to move picks for players at the June Entry Draft but something similar could happen in advance of the Vegas expansion draft as teams like the Devils may look to take advantage of unprotected lists and flip a pick or two for a player at that time.
As things currently stand, New Jersey has 11 draft picks for the 2017 draft and aren’t the deepest of teams which could make them a team to watch for as the expansion draft approaches if they decide to try to make a move for someone that’s slated to be unprotected.
Elsewhere in the Metropolitan:
- The Islanders could get some good news on the injury front shortly as center Casey Cizikas is recovering quicker than anticipated from a broken hand, reports Newsday’s Arthur Staple. Cizikas suffered the injury on February 21st and was expected to miss at least a month but instead, he could be back in the lineup sometime next week. The 25 year old has 23 points (7-16-23) in 53 games with New York this year while logging a career high in ice time at 14:02 per game.
- Pittsburgh could potentially make an intriguing addition late in the season or in the playoffs, notes Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 2015 second round pick Daniel Sprong is lighting up the QMJHL with 50 points in 27 games, including 30 goals. He also has made some strides in the defensive end which was a big factor in him being returned to the junior level this year. If the Penguins are comfortable with his two-way game, he could be a late addition to deepen out their lineup. However, they won’t be able to bring him up until his junior team, the Charlottetown Islanders, is eliminated from their own postseason.
As good as Sheary and Guentzel are, Sprong has a much higher ceiling. His talent is sick.
Imagine Milan Hejduk with blazing speed.