These New Jersey Devils fans thought the team was picking top potential player Shane Wright with pick number 2. They were surprised to see the team pick defender Simon Nemec instead.
The start of the 2022 NHL draft was a wild start to say the least, and the New Jersey Devils played a part. As night approached, the demons carried the second option. Given that Shane Wright was the best of the entire class, hockey fans expected the Montreal Canadiens to pick him up with the #1 pick.
Instead, the Canadians took Slovak winger Juraj Slavkovsky into first place. This left New Jersey with a choice to make – do they score as needed or pick the best Wright player available? Given the team had several youth positions, the Devils passed Wright and picked Slovak defender Simon Nemec as the second overall pick, leaving fans dumbfounded.
If you want proof of said fan’s amazement, take a look at this video of the reactions at the Draft Devils party.
Devils fans were stunned after the team passed Shane Wright to recruit Simon Nemec for second
Screaming “NOOO” with the sound of the demons’ goalie horn in the background. Chef’s kiss.
Speaking of Wright, he’s gone down a bit more. The Arizona Coyotes chose US center Logan Cooley with the No. 3 pick. Wright’s slide was halted after that, as the Seattle Kraken picked him as the fourth pick.
Looking at the New Jersey roster, they already have star positions in Jack Hughes and Nico Hescher, so there was little need for the position, even though Wright is the best player available. This is why the team made the decision to pick Nemec who was one of the best potential defenders in the entire class.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defenseman played for Nitra MHC. Last season, he scored one goal and scored 25 assists in 39 matches he played, Per HockeyDB. He was also part of the Slovak Olympic hockey team that won the bronze medal, along with Slavkovsky.
Slafkovsky and Nemec made history, as they were the first and second best Slovak players selected in the NHL draft.
It will be discussed which New Jersey will take over Wright for the foreseeable future to see if the team made the right choice.
[ad_2]
