Daniel Amoia
The New Jersey Devils decided to forgo trading the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, selecting 18-year-old center Alexander Command.
Command, who comes in at 6-foot-1, 187-pounds, seemed to rise up draft rankings pretty quickly as the night neared. According to PuckPedia’s Keith Kavanaugh, DraftKings Sportsbook odds originally had Command to go 10th overall at 1-in-101 odds. In 15 reputable mocks, he was expected to go at an average slot of ~18.
But by the time the draft started, those sportsbook odds catapulted to less than 1-in-3, signaling he might not even make it to the Devils at 12.
This data pattern is extremely similar to Beckett Sennecke in 2024, who shot up draft boards that night after some thought he might be left out of the first round entirely. Now, he just had 60 points in his first NHL season.
Of course, this doesn’t guarantee any specific level of success for Command, but we do know that he’s an analytical darling. Take a look at his performance with the Swedish U20 team:
He profiles as a responsible two-way center. The ESPN broadcast compared him to Christian Dvorak.
From his current toolset, he seems like a higher floor, lower ceiling type of player. Odds are he won’t be more than a 2C or 3C for the Devils. But — and this is a big but — his motor, physicality, and responsible play could make him the exact player championship organizations go head over heels for.
Further Exploration of Command’s Game
Elite Prospects’ Director of European Scouting, Lassi Alanen, said Command is one of the “most physical, dogged, and high-motor prospects to come out of Europe in recent years.”
While it appears to the general public that the pick was a bit of a reach, the pulse through talking to some experts says otherwise. Though, in his first media availability, Command himself did admit he was surprised to go this early. Nonetheless, he’s extremely happy and excited to get to work.
As it goes for any team making a “reach”, there has been some public scrutiny. But GM Sunny Mehta played a role in the Florida Panthers’ successes and clearly has an idea of what it takes to build a champion. Unless his moves repeatedly prove otherwise, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Remember: he had Jesper Bratt ranked third in the 2016 draft. Bratt didn’t go until pick #162.
In terms of counting stats, Command had 44 points (17G, 27A) in 30 games in the Swedish U20 league. He also got a five-game cup of coffee playing pro against men in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
If the Devils are going to extend Nico Hischier, a 1-2-3 punch of Jack Hughes, Hischier and Command could become super formidable. It’s still too early to tell how soon Command will crack the NHL but having a responsible 3C on a rookie contract could do wonders for a future Devils’ contender.
During his availability, Command said he’s watched tons of NHL players but specifically, Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron’s games have always stood out to him. He has not yet talked to fellow Swede Jesper Bratt — but is very excited to get the opportunity to.
There’s plenty of time to see how this pick will pan out. It starts with another important season of development in Sweden.
