This year marked the NHL’s debut of its new "distributed draft" format. While draft picks were gathered in Los Angeles, the NHL teams stayed in their home cities and participated remotely. Fans quickly voiced their desire to return to a centralized draft by 2026, citing lack of personal interaction and technical difficulties as their main concerns with the new format.
Nonetheless, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared that the distributed draft might stay in place. He mentioned that although the voting on the draft’s future is ongoing, early indications suggest it will likely remain decentralized unless there are unexpected changes.
Fans reacted with frustration, feeling the league was ignoring their opinions. As discussions about the draft format continue, both fans and teams debate whether it should stay decentralized moving forward.
Several memorable moments and players have emerged from this intense draft process, especially involving the New Jersey Devils. Below are some of the most remarkable draft moments for the Devils that likely wouldn’t have happened—or would have been very different—if the draft had always been distributed.
Top NJ Devils Draft Moments
1. New York Rangers Fans Cheered for Jack Hughes in 2019
Rangers fans celebrated when the Devils picked Jack Hughes, believing Kaapo Kako was the better first choice and expected the Rangers to draft him. However, Kako was later traded to Seattle in 2024. The Devils reminded the Rangers of this moment when they played it on the Jumbotron at the Prudential Center during a game.
2. David Poile’s Final Trade
In 2023, the Devils traded their seventh pick to Nashville as a sentimental gesture. David Poile, the Nashville GM, was retiring after the draft. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, Poile’s former teammate and NHL captain from 1998 to 2002, wanted to partake in Poile’s last trade, honoring his record-breaking career. They reunited with their old coach Barry Trotz for the final deal and commemorated it with photos on the draft floor.
3. Bobby Carpenter Drafted Straight from High School
Though not drafted by the Devils, Bobby Carpenter’s unique story of being the first high school player drafted directly to the NHL in 1981 feels more vivid in a live, centralized draft setting. After graduating from St. John’s Prep High School in Massachusetts, Carpenter scored 32 goals and 67 points in his rookie season. He later played six years with the Devils and helped secure their first Stanley Cup in 1995.
Best NJ Devils Draft Picks of All Time
Besides emotional moments, the Devils made several transformative draft choices, including:
- John McLean (6th, 1983)
- Kirk Muller (2nd, 1984)
- Brendan Shanahan (2nd, 1987)
- Scott Niedermayer (3rd, 1991)
- Martin Brodeur (20th, 1990)
- Patrick Elias (51st, 1994)
- Scott Gomez (27th, 1998)
- Jesper Bratt (162nd, 2016)
- Nico Hischier (1st, 2017)
- Jack Hughes (1st, 2019)
(Photo credit: ©Eric Bolte-Immagn Image)
Fan Take: The debate over the NHL draft format highlights the tension between tradition and innovation in professional sports. For hockey fans, this outcome matters because the draft is a pivotal moment that shapes team futures and fan experiences—how it’s conducted can deeply impact the spirit and connection of the sport.
