The New Jersey Devils are looking for value on Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft.
On Friday, the Devils selected Alexander Command with the 12th pick in the first round out of Sweden. It’s a solid pick for the Devils who take a player that can slot behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier at some point, playing an Anton Lundell-type role in New Jersey.
Devils Draft Picks Day 2
The Devils have four picks on the second day of the draft. Such picks include:
Pick No.35 (second round) – *TRADED TO CHI*
Pick No. 37 (second round)
Pick No.44 (second round)
**Pick 119 (fourth round) – ACQUIRED FROM CHI**
Pick 140 (fifth round)
Pick 172 (sixth round)
Devils Trades
On the clock in the second round with pick No.35, Sunny Mehta traded the pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for picks No. 37 & 119 (fourth round).
Devils Picks
#37 – F Matias Vanhanen | Current Grade: A
Daniel Amoia — Once again, GM Sunny Mehta seemed to make what the general public considered to be a bit of a reach at #37, selecting F Matias Vanhanen. But if they were eyeing this player the whole time, they got some great value by trading back from #35 and adding another pick (#119) in the process.
In seven major draft mocks, he was projected to go an average of #64. Seeing his totals and underlying numbers, it’s hard to understand why aside from his slightly undersized 5-foot-11 frame and the fact that he went undrafted last year. But numbers are numbers; Vanhanen had an incredible 87 points (21 G, 66 A) in just 62 games for Everett (WHL).
TSN’s Craig Button did have him ranked at #28. That seems like a much better valuation. Vanhanen also added 24 points (12 G, 12 A) in 18 playoff games. The Sportsnet broadcast called him “the second-most prolific playmaker in the draft class”.
As you saw last night (Alexander Command) and with the next pick, a lot of his underlying metrics look super promising:
At the end of the day, if you look at any year’s draft, many players fail to reach their draft expectations. Mehta deserves benefit of the doubt unless proven otherwise. Vanhanen’s counting stats alone seem to make the gamble worth it — and Mehta clearly has a set plan in the sort of players he’s drafting.
In his media availability, Vanhanen said Jack Hughes is one of his idols. He’s been following Jack for “almost 10 years”.
#44 – D Nikita Shcherbakov | Current Grade: B+
Daniel Amoia – The 18-year-old Shcherbakov is very large, to say the least. At 6-foot-5, he carries a nice offensive touch as well. He especially excels in transition and possesses great skating and defensive instincts.
When looking through reputable mocks, it appears the Devils took Shcherbakov right around where many expected him to go. According to The Hockey Wriers’ Draft Expert Alessandro Seren Rosso, he “has a great reach, but he needs to build some mass and play a more physical game to become even more of a force, especially if he can elevate his physical game to match his skating.”
Tape2Tape Prospects grades the pick an A+. While I think that’s a little too bullish, the tools are certainly there for him to potentially become a top-four defenseman one day.
He’ll remain with Salavat Yulaev’s system in the Russian KHL next season — and if he cracks the KHL roster out of camp, he’ll get some crucial experience playing pro at a high level.
There is obviously still plenty of time for Shcherbakov to grow into his frame and develop. He might be further away than some of the other guys the Devils drafted, but this is another move that continues to stockpile their pool nicely.
