2019 NHL Draft: Devils Picked Tyce Thompson at 96th Overall in the Fourth Round

At 96th overall, the New Jersey Devils selected Providence College right wing Tyce Thompson. The 19 year old was passed over previously, so let’s take a look at why the Devils selected him in this year’s draft.

Who is Tyce Thompson?

According to his EliteProspects profile, Tyce Thompson is a 6’0, 165 lbs. center that shoots right handed. Other places list him as a right wing. He was born on July 12, 1999 and was passed over in the 2017 and 2018 drafts. He is from Oyster Bay, NY and is the brother of Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres. His father Brent Thompson appeared in 121 NHL regular season games and has coached at the ECHL, AHL, and NHL levels in various roles. Tyce is coming off of his freshman season at Providence College where he put up 8 goals and 17 assists in 42 games. Prior to that he played his prep hockey at the Salisbury School and spent a full season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL during 2017-18 where he had 32 points in 60 games. Let’s check out some of the things that others have to say about him.

What Others Say About Tyce Thompson

Steve Kournianos of The Draft Analyst had this to say about the pick:

Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News had this article with some interesting quotes about Tyce:

”He’s a little bit of a late developer,” Tage said recently of Tyce in Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena. “He’s starting to grow now. I’m really happy and proud to see how far he’s come, because he’s the hardest worker you’ll ever find. He’s been overlooked on most teams he’s been on and he’s finally gotten a shot at Providence. He’s playing great hockey.”

”I think he’s about as complete a freshman as I’ve seen as far as understanding all aspects of the game,” Leaman said Wednesday. “I mean, obviously it comes a lot from his father being an American League head coach. ... He’s had a very successful season. He’s been a big part. Whatever line we put him with, that line plays well.”

New England hockey expert Mark Divver had this tweet:

Back in 2017, Bill Placzek of Draft Site had this to say:

Always on flight disrupting the opposition’s flow, creating turnovers. May be a late bloomer in terms of both play and size.

My Initial Reaction of the Pick

I like reading about his work ethic and willingness to battle for loose pucks. I’m encouraged by him taking a step forward and becoming a solid collegiate player this past season for Providence. Overall, I’m not too encouraged by this pick due to his lack of upside. I probably would’ve preferred seeing the Devils go with a player that perhaps would’ve been a bit more risky, but with a potential higher reward. With that said I still need to do more research on Thompson and will update this post later.

Update: Now that I’ve had a bit of time to reflect on this pick and learn more about the player, I’ll have to say I’m ok with it. I wouldn’t say I like it but I can’t hate it and have trust in Shero to make the right call more often than not. Thompson seems like a great character guy that has the potential to be a late bloomer so perhaps we just need to have some patience with him. I’ve read in various guides that he’s a detailed oriented player and has a fine understanding of the game. He should feature more in his sophomore season at Providence so hopefully his offensive skills can reach another level we haven’t seen yet. It will be interesting to keep an eye on him as he develops over the next few seasons.

Your Take

As we update this post with more information later today, please have your say about person in the comments. Are you satisfied with this selection? What are your expectations for this prospect? Leave your comments below and thank you for reading!

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