Stan's Top 20 All-Time Devils' Draft Choices | STAN'S STORIES

The Devils triumvirate of Stanley Cup championships (1995, 2000, 2003) could not have been possible without astute scouting and insightful draft selection.

As you shall see, one name stands above them all - Martin Brodeur - and for good reason. He has been the best of the best, including three Stanley Cups and remarkably long-term, excellence.

However there have been many other contributors to the franchise's success and you'll find 20 of them on this list.

20. Petr Sykora

Draft Year, 1995; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 18

One of the first NHL teams to exploit the European talent market, the Devils hit the jackpot with this wiry, clever Czech. During the 1999-2000 season, New Jersey's most threatening line featured Sykora alongside fellow-Czech Patrick Elias as well as gifted center Jason Arnott. The "A" Line spearheaded the Devils to their second Stanley Cup although Petr was knocked out of the final Cup-winning game early in the match and was hospitalized while Arnott potted the winning goal.

19. Brendan Shanahan

Draft Year, 1987; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 2

The Devils had not made the playoffs when Lou Lamoriello took over stewardship of the team and inherited the drafting of Shanahan. Arriving in New Jersey with an Irish green jacket and the bravado to go with it, ‘Shanny’ was an instant fan favorite whose ability grew with time and experience. His scoring weaponry increased along with a willingness to battle for every inch of ice. In addition, Brendan boasted innate leadership qualities evident in the '88 playoff drive.

18. Sean Burke

Draft Year, 1985, Draft Position, Round 2, Pick 24

Through the first "hardship" seven years of the Devils' existence, goalkeeping was the club's Achilles’ heel. To everyone's surprise, the netminding-savior-to-be played goal for Team Canada in the 1988 Winter Games at Calgary. At its conclusion, Burke was summoned to New Jersey where the Devils were trailing in the playoff race behind the NY Rangers. "Sean did the job for us," said coach Jim Schoenfeld, "and then some." Burke not only got them into the playoffs but led NJ to the third playoff round. Burke proved to be one of the most unexpected "finds" of the early era.

17. Luke Hughes

Draft Year, 2021; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick, 4

When Luke still was a teenager, "The Kid" among the trio of Hughes brothers was obtaining continental raves. "We knew all along that Luke was the most talented among us," said Quinn. "It was only a matter of time until he was able to blossom as an astonishing big-leaguer." Granted, he required a bit of time to acclimatize his game to the NHL pace. Although he was flawed at first, Luke soon found his game - particularly defensively - and is on his way toward being "The Best Bro!"

16. Jack Hughes

Draft Year, 2019; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 1

Hockey's contemporary royal family - Jack, Luke and Quinn Hughes - has been mind-boggling in its total success. The "middle" Hughes, Jack, excels at center with an offensive skill set second to none. At draft time in 2019 many scouts urged general manager Ray Shero to pick the creative Finn, Kappo Kakko, eventually selected by the Rangers. However, the Devils made the right move. Dazzling with his footwork, stickwork and smarts, Hughes now has reached elite status among NHL forwards.

15. Jesper Bratt

Draft Year, 2016; Draft Position, Round 6, Pick, 162

Dating back decades, every Entry Draft has had "sleeper picks" far down the line. Sometimes teams are lucky and on other occasions just plain wise. In Bratt's case it was a combination of both; and nobody's complaining except enemy goalkeepers. Selected in the sixth round of the 2016 event, Jesper at first startled onlookers who figured his early success was a fluke. But time has proven him a star, ranking Jesper among la creme de la creme of forwards who make their linemates better.

14. Adam Henrique

Draft Year, 2008; Draft Position, Round 3, Pick 82

As far as The Maven is concerned, the Devils franchise is bulging with heroes, offensively, defensively and in goal. But I reserve a special place in my heart for someone who does something spectacular before my eyes. Thus, I had the good fortune to be at ice level during the decisive overtime in 2012, when the effervescent Henrique beat goalie Henrik Lundqvist to oust the hated Blueshirts while thrusting New Jersey to one of the most gallant series wins in club annals.

13. Travis Zajac

Draft Year, 2004; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 20

Perseverance and grim determination were the hallmarks of this dedicated Devils’ game. Excellent at face-offs and penalty-killing, he played a patient game; inevitably coming up with yet another fine offensive or defensive play. A tireless center, Travis reached his peak as a big-leaguer when - as team captain - he was a force, spearheading his club through three rounds in the spring of 2012 and into the Cup Final against Los Angeles before bowing to the Kings.

12. Kirk Muller

Draft Year, 1984; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 2

The dynamic Muller was picked by New Jersey second in the '84 Draft. The hook here was that Pittsburgh picked first and the Penguins landed the iconic Mario Lemieux. Despite skating in Lemieux's NHL shadow, Muller's versatile game and innate leadership qualities led him to the Devils captaincy. Kirk was a part of the victorious core that enabled New Jersey to reach the playoffs - and third round - for the first time in 1988. While Lemieux lived up to his notices, so too did Muller, but in a more gritty and determined way.

11. Nico Hischier

Draft Year, 2017; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 1

When the 2017 Draft opened for business, it still was regarded as "chancy" to pluck a relatively unknown Swiss forward up high in the selection process. But from the get-go, this Alpine ace demonstrated it was THE best of all moves. His nonpareil grasp of the ice has a rare Gretzky touch to it which puts him in the elite status as a two-way performer. He's top of the line at face-offs, the power play and penalty killing. As an added bonus, Nico has become a marvelous captain.

10. Jay Pandolfo

Draft Year, 1993; Round 2, Pick 32

Lou Lamoriello favored New Englanders if they had the goods; and Jay had them. But the ironic aspect of Pando's career was that he was most admired in college ranks as an offensive threat. But once he became a Devil - and teamed with John Madden - Jay was revered more for his defensive attributes. The Pandolfo-Madden duet flourished for years as one of the NHL's best-ever penalty killers.

9. Pat Verbeek

Draft Year, 1982; Draft Position, Round 3, Pick 43

A key part of the club's first Draft class, Verbeek was overlooked as a future star until he began displaying the grit game that would epitomize the first Devils playoff team in the 1987-88 season. As New Jersey battled the Rangers down the homestretch for the final playoff berth, Verbeek emerged as the star of the last Devils-Rangers bout won by coach Jim Schoenfeld's skaters. Pat's dominant grit game eventually powered the underdog club to Game 7 of the third round before bowing in Boston.

8. Zach Parise

Draft Year, 2003; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick, 17

The son of NY Islanders’ 1975 playoff hero J.P. Parise, Zach was a chip off the old block as an offensive threat. Speed was one of his assets along with the hockey savvy that he learned from his father. What Zach brought to the offense was dependability as a two-way forward playing at even strength, on the power play and as a penalty killer. His value was epitomized when he captained the 2011-12 Devils team which stunned the hockey world by reaching the Stanley Cup Final vs. Los Angeles.

7. Bill Guerin

Draft Year, 1989; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 5

A native of Wilbraham, Massachusetts, Billy brought a special dynamic to Jacques Lemaire's 1994-95 underrated outfit. A strong skater with a mighty shot, Guerin previously excelled in the "Battle Of The Hudson" series against the Rangers, barely missing what would have been the series-clincher. A year later his dynamic style enabled New Jersey - despite having to start every one of its four series on the road - to eventually reach the Final. Not surprisingly, Guerin excelled in the four-game Cup sweep of Detroit.

6. Scott Gomez

Draft Year, 1998; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 27

The 1999-2000 season was anticipated as a "rebuild year" for New Jersey but this rookie center from Alaska changed all that. A seemingly awkward skater, Gomer dazzled with his stickwork, brainwork and, yes, his unique, unpredictable skating. As much as his on-ice work was superior, Scotty also brought vim, vigor and vitality to the dressing room. He was aces on the power play, even strength and killing penalties. A Cup-winner in 2000 and 2003, he blended well with Claude Lemieux.

5. John MacLean

Draft Year, 1983; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 6

The Maven likes to refer to Johnny Mac as "The Original Hero." Until the final night of the 1987-88 season, New Jersey never had made the playoffs. However, the frustrating drought ended when Mac beat Chicago goalie Darren Pang in overtime to lift his team into the postseason. "He was Mr. Clutch," said Devils historian Noam Kogen, "and a foundation piece of the franchise. Whenever the Devils needed a big goal in the early years, the chances were that Mac was there!"

4. Patrik Elias

Draft Year, 1994; Draft Position, Round 2, Pick 51

In a sense, this noble Czech proved to be an offensive version of Scott Niedermayer. Patty's total game - offensively, defensively and creatively - was executed so flawlessly that the glorious result seemed to evolve more magically than meticulously. For many years Elias clearly was the Devils best forward, orchestrating "The A Line" - with Jason Arnott and Petr Sykora like a perfectly meshed gear. The Elias "blind" pass to Arnott for the 2000 Cup winner remains an all-time gem.

3. Ken Daneyko

Draft Year, 1982; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick, 18

"Mister Devil" arrived in New Jersey in the team's original 1982 Draft and went on to play some of the most rugged and efficient defense in any National Hockey League season at any time. Awkward at first, the Edmontonian honed his game to sharpness over two decades and three titles. When all was said and done, ‘Dano’ proved to be both the quintessential ice cop who also patrolled the New Jersey zone efficiently and with two active fists when an S.O.S. was needed.

2. Scott Niedermayer

Draft Year, 1991; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 3

This streamlined, versatile Hall of Famer played a superb stealth game. With little fuss for fanfare, he'd relieve a foe of the puck in his own zone and magically arrive at the enemy blue line for a shot or pass to an onrushing teammate. Niedermayer's end to end rush against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1995 Stanley Cup Final round at Joe Louis Arena was classic ‘Nieder.’ It resulted in a wide shot but he snared his own rebound and scored. Stealth at its best!

1. Martin Brodeur

Draft Year, 1990, Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 20

When general manager Lou Lamoriello forsook the more highly-rated Trevor Kidd for Brodeur - at the time, Marty was a virtually unknown French-Canadian - scouts shook their heads in disbelief. But they overlooked the fact that Brodeur came from strong stock; namely his dad, Denis Brodeur, who excelled as a pro and on the international scene. In a very short time, Marty became the face of the franchise, the balance wheel behind three Cups, a Hall of Famer, and the winningest goalie - with a Capital W!

Honorable Mentions

Colin White (Draft Year, 1996; Draft Position, Round 2, Pick 49.) A feature of the three New Jersey Cup-winners was the franchise's ability to craft not only a solid blue line corps but an intimidating one as well. Both Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko got the most attention but White fitted right in with the others. Built like a football halfback, White efficiently starred on both the 2000 and 2003 championship teams. "His value was in Colin's strength and willingness to fight if necessary but mostly to adhere to the club's defense-first policy," said Chico Resch.

Dawson Mercer (Draft Year, 2020; Draft Position, Round 1, Pick 18) The rejuvenation of the Devils' franchise over the past few years was rooted in general manager Tom Fitzgerald's ability to draft often and well. In his first draft in 2020, Fitz came up with Dawson Mercer, a relatively unknown who has proven to be a superior pick among other good ones. The general staff emphasizes two-way, 200-foot play from the forwards which is precisely what Mercer has brought to the ice. Most scouts agree that Dawson's best has yet to come!

Honorable Undrafted Signees

John Madden (Signed as an amateur free agent in the summer of 1997) Undrafted, this remarkably efficient defensive center was accidentally discovered at the University of Michigan when scouts originally were checking out another player. Johnny did basic pro training with the Albany River Rats and made the big club for the 1999-2000 season. His pairing with equally adept defensive forward Jay Pandolfo gave New Jersey a marvelous combination that helped win the 2000 Stanley Cup.

Brian Rafalski (Undrafted, he was signed as a free agent in 1999) A relatively short but muscular defender, Rafalski's special skills were hidden in Europe before New Jersey made this sensational discovery. Rafalski passed his audition in the Devils' 1999 training camp and was teamed with veteran Scott Stevens on defense. A perfectly matched pair, Rafalski and Stevens also were prime helpers during New Jersey's 2000 Cup drive.

Note: Special thanks to Devils historian Noam Kogen whose research helped make this feature possible; as well as to Solon Mihas for extra research.