2020 Draft: Devils expect to improve with three picks in first round

The 2020 NHL Draft will be held virtually on Oct. 6-7. The first round will be Oct. 6 (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 are Oct. 7 (11:30 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects and other features. Today, a look at the New Jersey Devils, one of two NHL teams with three picks in the first round of the draft. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

The New Jersey Devils have three selections in the first round of what many believe to be a deep and talented 2020 NHL Draft.
"I'm excited about this draft, especially the first round," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "There's a lot of quality out there, a lot of good forwards with high skill and high hockey sense. I don't know if drafting is an art but it's figuring out which kids actually can hit their ceiling because they're all projected really high to be what we think they can be, so it's in helping them find that."
New Jersey has its own pick (No. 7) and two others in the first round. They acquired the Arizona Coyotes' pick (No. 18) in the Taylor Hall trade Dec. 16, and the Vancouver Canucks' selection (No. 20) from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Blake Coleman trade Feb. 16. The Lightning previously acquired the pick from the Canucks as part of the trade for forward J.T. Miller on June 22, 2019.
The Ottawa Senators also have three picks in the first round: No. 3 (from the San Jose Sharks), No. 5 (their own) and No. 28 (from the New York Islanders).
Fitzgerald, who was promoted when Ray Shero was fired Jan. 12, said he sees the chance to solidify New Jersey's foundation and deepen its pool of prospects while overseeing his first NHL Draft as a general manager.
"We're happy getting these three first-round picks," Fitzgerald said. "It'll be three pillars that will help carry this organization for a long time, to go along with the other pillars we all know we have in place right now."
Fitzgerald was assistant GM when the Devils selected two of those pillars, forward Nico Hischier with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and forward Jack Hughes with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Hischier, who is 21 years old, and Hughes, 19, head an impressive group of talented young players in the Devils organization, including forwards Jesper Boqvist, 21, Nolan Foote, 19, and Janne Kuokkanen, 22, and defensemen Ty Smith, 20, and Kevin Bahl, 20, who will push to earn roster spots next season. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, 23, will enter his second full season in the NHL.

Paul Castron, Devils director of amateur scouting, said he looks forward to stocking the pipeline with even more high-end talent on Oct. 6-7.
"It's probably forward-heavy in the top part of the draft," Castron said. "Some play in Europe, so you're projecting guys who, in some cases, got less than 10 points last year, and that's not an easy thing. I had to go back to video for some players when they played a bigger role. Watching video has been a handy tool for us."
The Canadian Hockey League, United States Hockey League, NCAA, and European playoffs were cancelled due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, limiting opportunities for NHL teams to see prospects play important games in person.
Castron said the Devils are set on choosing the best available players in the first round, regardless of position. They have nine picks in the draft; none in the second round.
"The way that the list goes that we create, you're probably going to get somebody at No. 18 that you have rated No. 13 or No. 14 because you know it's not going to go in order," Castron said. "We filled some organizational needs after the first round last year, drafting defensemen Nikita Okhotyuk (No. 61) and Daniil Misyul (No. 70). I think we were looking to sure up the back end a little bit in that case.
"But we're probably going with the most talented player in the first round in most scenarios."
Fitzgerald said he wouldn't be opposed to trading one of his three picks in the first round if it meant obtaining additional assets.
"I want to improve our team, and these picks will do that," he said. "Whether using them to continue to build up our prospect arsenal or moving a pick for a player who can fit into the Hughes or Hischier age bracket now and for the foreseeable future."
In addition to trading Hall, who can be an unrestricted free agent Oct. 9, to the Coyotes, the Devils made five trades in nine days prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 24.
Defensemen Andy Greene (New York Islanders) and Sami Vatanen (Carolina Hurricanes), forwards Coleman (Lightning) and Wayne Simmonds (Buffalo Sabres), and goalie Louis Domingue (Canucks) were traded by the Devils. In return, New Jersey got defenseman Frederik Claesson (155 NHL games), goalie Zane McIntyre (eight NHL games), four forward prospects, a defenseman prospect, two conditional first-round picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2020, and conditional third- and fifth-round picks in 2021.
Devils coach Lindy Ruff likely will have a young roster to work with next season. Ruff was hired July 9, replacing Alain Nasreddine, who took over as coach when John Hynes was fired Dec. 3.
"My philosophy in coaching young players] is constant communication," Ruff said. "I think a lot of times you can tell [young players**