New Jersey's 2 pick is looking more like a 1st overall pick by the minute; the Leafs should make a deal with the Devils
For a couple of weeks now, I have had this weird feeling that the Montreal Canadiens, who won the NHL Draft Lottery last month, might blow the pick and select someone other than Shane Wright at 1st overall. Now it appears as though some draft rankings have Logan Cooley slated to go 1st overall to the Habs.
Let's not forget. This is the same Habs team who passed on Brady Tkachuk and reached on Jesperi Kotkaniemi at 3rd overall in the 2018 draft, so it's not exactly uncharacteristic of the Habs' scouting staff to push for a player who may not necessarily be the projected pick. Granted, Kent Hughes is the GM these days and not Marc Bergevin, but with Cooley moving up the rankings and sitting as the contested #1, anything is possible.
If true, the Devils' draft pick just got a whole lot more valuable. Imagine having the #2 pick in the draft, but getting (very arguably) the #1 player with the pick. What's crazy about it is that the Devils have already stated that they're willing to move the pick for an impact player. Shane Wright is not only an impact player - he has a pretty good shot at being a top end franchise center. If the Devils do indeed plan to move that pick, and an impact player is what they want - someone to play alongside Jack Hughes - Leafs GM Kyle Dubas should pick up the phone and offer William Nylander for #2 overall and a roster player.
Now, I'd imagine that most people are of the mindset that Nylander is not enough to get the deal done and there are a lot of people who believe that Alex DeBrincat could be on the move for the 2nd overall pick. Well, Nylander is bigger, equally skilled, is the better playmaker without sacrificing much in the way of goalscoring, and is a playoff scoring machine. I can assure you that their perceived value among fans is not at all reflective of their actual comparative value to NHL GM's. The two areas where DeBrincat stands apart are his tenacity and the fact that he's a year and a half younger than Nylander. Other than that, they're not as far apart as some might have you believe.
If the Leafs could manage to pry Jesper Bratt and the 2nd pick in exchange for William Nylander and #25, it would be a Kyle Dubas masterclass. If the Leafs get the pick and Montreal takes Logan Cooley at #1, then the Leafs would have Shane Wright, a Burlington native, at #2. If the Habs did elect to go with Wright at #1, then the Leafs would still have their choice between a highly skilled Logan Cooley at center or Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky to bolster their left wing. Either way, it's a win/win. Sure, Bratt is no William Nylander, but he has shown himself to be a quality top-6 winger and he is still just 23 years old and will only improve with time and guidance.
