The Devils got a nice scoring winger with a great analytical profile in the late second in Kevan.
After selecting Conrad Fondrk at 50th overall in the second round of the NHL Draft, the New Jersey Devils switched gears for a more skilled winger in Ben Kevan., a 6’1” and 179 pound winger from Fairfield, California. Kevan had a solid year for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL, but saw his goal scoring numbers dip. See his statistics from Elite Prospects below. I imagine that, had Kevan had a slightly better year, he would have gone earlier in the draft. A right-handed shot at right wing, Kevan shows a lot of skill on tape, and my early reaction to this one is much more positive.
Elite Prospects
But Kevan does not just have solid production. He also grades out pretty well in all three zones, though his play did dip a bit when factoring in his 13 games with the USNTDP. Below, in his card from Mitchell Brown and Lassi Alanen’s USHL tracking data, Kevan is marked in the top 20% in offense, defense, and transition play, while his weakest point is his physicality. Since this pick combines production with a strong analytical profile, there is not much of a reason to be down on this pick.
Mitchell Brown and Lassi Alanen
Below, you will see his highlight package from HSD Prospects. He is very gifted with the puck and visibly has great handles — especially for a right-handed player. But he is also someone who is willing to shoot from anywhere, and this can play out in two ways. In one, he may struggle to score goals in the future on the same kind of plays that USHL goalies failed to stop him. On the other, he is a gamer who is looking for an advantage with any kind of shot he can get, and he may just find those weak spots.
I am very hopeful about this pick. The Devils need right-handed players who are good at handling the puck, and Kevan fits the bill well. While I would have loved it if he were a center, this is a solid A-grade pick for the second round, in my opinion.
Now that you know what I think about the pick, please feel free to give your reaction to the pick in the comments. Please also vote in our flash poll (ends at 7:00 PM tomorrow), that will lead to a later post describing what you, the People Who Matter, thought of the pick. Thank you for reading.