James Nichols
Despite speculating general manager Sunny Mehta could move the first round selection on Friday, the New Jersey Devils made their pick.
The Devils grabbed a player who checks a lot of boxes with the 12th overall pick, selecting Swedish center Alexander Command from Örebro HK.
Command turned heads this season after climbing the rankings in a hurry. He posted 17 goals and 27 assists in 30 games in Sweden’s top junior league, then added meaningful production in the playoffs and at the U18 World Championship, where Sweden took gold. At 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds, the left-shot center doesn’t blow anyone away with raw speed, but he plays with a nonstop motor and a physical edge that wears on opponents.
What separates him is the compete level. He wins board battles, disrupts plays through smart positioning, and gets involved in the dirty areas without taking bad penalties. Defensively he reads the game well, fills lanes, and looks comfortable against top competition. With the puck he shows poise, makes quick decisions, and can finish or set up teammates. The shot is developing nicely and he’s already shown he can produce in bunches when he gets chances.
For New Jersey, this pick adds a two-way center with real middle-six potential. The Devils have skill up front, but Command brings the kind of reliable, hard-to-play-against presence that helps in long playoff runs. He projects as the type who can kill penalties, take tough minutes, and grow into secondary scoring as his offensive instincts sharpen.
Development will probably keep him in Sweden for another year or two before a North American transition, but the foundation is there. At 12th overall the Devils got a player whose game translates well and whose work ethic should fit right in with the group they’re building.
Command immediately jumps to the top of the Devils’ prospect pool which lacks forward appeal. It may not be very long before he’s playing behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.
