Alexander Command headlined the Devils’ 2026 draft class as the No. 12 overall pick, but he was far from the only name that stood out in a group that also drew attention from Mehta’s later-round selections.
One recap of the class pointed to Command as the centerpiece, while noting that Mehta added a few other intriguing prospects beyond the first round. Another assessment of the Devils’ haul focused on the kind of players Mehta targeted in his first draft as GM, saying he favored productive players with dynamic qualities and the ability to play with the puck on their stick.
That evaluation summed it up this way: “Mehta’s first draft as GM of a team was one in which cardio merchants were off the table, highly preferring productive players with dynamic qualities and the ability to play with the puck on their stick. I loved it.”
Elsewhere around the league, the Winnipeg Jets are at least taking calls on Connor Hellebuyck. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said Friday that the team is listening to trade offers, though he would not say whether the goalie has asked for a move.
There was also movement tied to Pavel Dorofeyev and Mason McTavish, with one report saying the Rangers bet on Dorofeyev and another noting McTavish heads to St. Louis.
The 2026 NHL draft itself wrapped up with 224 picks over two days, and the event produced its share of memorable scenes. ESPN’s draft review highlighted the Ruck twins being selected together by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the reaction of Jaxon Cover’s family when the Cayman Islands product was taken with the final pick in the first round. That same piece noted that draft grades are now being handed out based on what teams did with their selections, how they moved around the board and how much value they created or passed up where they picked.
In Other News...
Devils May Have Just Made Jack Hughes Biggest Problem Harder To Fix
The Devils went into the draft needing more than just another prospect, and Sunny Mehta made sure they at least kept one premium chip in the pocket. New Jersey held onto the 12th overall pick and used it on Swedish forward Alexander Command, a move that kept the front office in position to keep searching for a top-six answer around Jack Hughes rather than spending every major asset in one swing.
Even after the roster shuffle, the larger issue is still staring back at Mehta. New Jersey wants a legitimate scoring wing to ease the burden on Hughes, but the path to landing one keeps getting narrower, and the clubs remaining trade currency is not as clean or simple as it looked before the draft. If the Devils are going to chase a real difference-maker, they may have to decide whether to keep waiting for the right market or finally push harder on a deal that can change the look of the top of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Face A Massive Connor Hellebuyck Or Jacob Markstrom Decision
The Devils offseason has a familiar shape to it: Jack Hughes needs more help up front, and the goaltending situation has not settled the way the front office hoped when Jacob Markstrom arrived. New general manager Sunny Mehta inherits both problems at once, and the pressure to upgrade in goal could push New Jersey into a bigger swing than a usual summer shuffle.
One name hovering around that conversation is Connor Hellebuyck, a target whose availability could reshape the market if the Devils decide to press forward. The path there is not simple, though, because moving Markstroms contract may be part of the equation, and it is unclear how much extra value New Jersey would have to attach to make that kind of deal work. [Read more 🡒]