Nine Picks for Devils: 2017 NHL Draft Rounds 2 Through 7 Open Post

Yesterday, Ray Shero, Paul Castron, and the New Jersey Devils did not over-think their first overall selection. They did not move it. They did not go off the board. They looked at the main question for #1 in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft: Nico or Nolan. They chose Nico Hischier first overall. I was thrilled by the decision and many Devils fans around the world are pleased.

Today, the work continues. The New Jersey Devils currently have nine picks ready to go on this day.

The Time: 10 AM EST

The Broadcast: TV - NHL Network, SportsNet. Otherwise, go to NHL.com and follow their draft tracker.

The Devils’ Picks Today: They have nine remaning for today. Here they are, in order:

• Second Round - 36th Overall (5th in round)
• Third Round - 63rd Overall (1st in round)
• Third Round - 81st Overall (19th in round)
• Fourth Round - 98th Overall (5th in round)
• Fifth Round - 129th Overall (5th in round)
• Fifth Round - 143nd Overall (19th in round)
• Sixth Round - 160th Overall (5th in round)
• Sixth Round - 185th Overall (30th in round)
• Seventh Round - 191st Overall (5th in round)

The AAtJ Prospect Profiles: All of them are here.

The Hype: Luc Robitaille was a very late pick in the 1984 draft, selected 174th overall by Los Angeles. All he did was become a legend. There have been several late round selections that have turned out to be stars. So while the odds aren’t against it, it’s crucial that teams make these picks count. Maybe they become that tweener minor leaguer that can do spot duty well. Maybe they become that regular player that at least helps a need. Maybe they become a big deal like Luc Robitaille did for the Kings. As Robitaille says in this video, “There will be names you don’t know now, but someday, you will. Trust me, I know – I was one of them.”

So don’t sleep on today’s decisions.

Thanks to the NHL Network Media Relations for the heads up about the video (and the tweet, which is admittedly a little outdated).

The Cautionary Note: This day goes fast. Expect posts on Devils picks or moves that are bare bones at first with more information added later. So please revisit those posts later in the day to learn a little more about the players the Devils have chosen today.

The Rules: As always, keep your comments clean & respectful to others, relevant to the Devils and/or the NHL draft as a whole, and do not post illegal streams. We will be trying our best to get posts up for the picks made when they happen. Once that’s done and the draft is over, I will attempt to summarize the Devils’ actions. So please bear with us throughout the morning and early afternoon. Thank you for spending a part of your Saturday with us as the 2017 NHL Draft closes out.

(And after this: The next big part of the offseason: Free Agent Frenzy. But that’s next week.)