List of New Jersey Devils Draft Picks

The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey who compete in the Eastern Conference, within the Metropolitan Division of the National Hockey League (NHL). Looking back, the franchise began in 1974 as the Kansas City Scouts and later moved to Denver and became Colorado Rockies in 1976. However, they finally settled in New Jersey in 1982 and became the New Jersey Devils. The team presently plays at the Prudential Center, having moved from the Meadowlands Sports Complex quite sometime ago. Moreover, they are owned by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (the same company that also owns the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA and the Utica Comets of the AHL).

Looking at their trophy cabinet, they have accumulated three Stanley Cups, five Conference Championships and nine Division Titles since moving to New Jersey. In addition to this, they have notable rivalries with the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

New Jersey Devils Draft Picks Year by Year

The New Jersey Devils have drafted various players, mainly Canadians and Americans throughout their history. Moreover, they have also won the draft lottery four times. However, they have had their fair share of both successful and less successful picks. They drafted their first pick in the form of Rocky Trottier in 1982, who unfortunately did not make a significant impact in the NHL and played only 38 games.

They drafted a gem of a player in Martin Brodeur in the first round of 1990, who won multiple awards with them throughout his stay. This included five William M. Jennings Trophies, four Vezina Trophies and three Stanley Cups. Another crucial pick was Ken Daneyko who was chosen in the first round of the 1982 draft. Notably, Daneyko played his entire career with the Devils and also contributed to the Devil's three Stanley Cup victories while earning the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2000. The list goes on with Patrik Elias who was picked by the Devils in the second round of the 1994 draft and later became one of the best forwards in franchise history. Elias also holds various records within the franchise. Some unsuccessful draft picks include Neil Brady who was picked third overall in 1986 draft and only played 29 games with the Devils while Jason Miller, chosen 18th overall in 1989, played only six NHL games. However, recent picks like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Simon Nemec have shown promise. Hughes, first overall in 2019, is seen as a future star while Hischier, the 2017 first-overall pick, is now the team captain, and Nemec, selected second overall in 2022, is a promising defenseman.

The following table looks at New Jersey Devils' draft picks over the years: