During tonight’s NHL Draft Lottery, it has officially been revealed that the New Jersey Devils will possess the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, taking place June 26th in Buffalo, New York. Of course, with the Devils’ struggle to score in 2025-26, they should be willing to deal the pick for the correct price.
But if a deal fails to come to fruition, there are some very good options that may be available at #12. Here are the most intriguing:
LW Ethan Belchetz (Windsor Spitfires, OHL, 6-foot-5 inches, 227 pounds)
There’s no guarantee that Ethan Belchetz (or any of these players, for that matter) will still be on the board. But 15 reputable mock drafts had him going at an average slot of 10.4 — as high as #5 and as low as #16.
Belchetz may not have the counting stats as some other projected high picks; he had 59 points (34 G, 25 A) in 57 games for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). It’s nothing to scoff at but not exactly marvelous…until you consider that he’s 6-foot-5 and could still potentially grow as he doesn’t turn 19 until March 30th.
Like Beckett Sennecke (6-foot-4) in 2024, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Belchetz shoot up draft boards as the night grows closer. It oftentimes takes players of that size a much longer time to grow into their body, and we saw Sennecke successfully do so with 60 points in his first NHL season.
“Belchetz is a unicorn in terms of his blend of physical stature and offensive skillset. He’s fierce in battles for the puck, especially along the boards or down low below the goal. He can easily bully his way to the danger areas, showing great strength and puck protection skills for quality scoring chances. He can produce and he’s a player that will make your life miserable when he comes barrelling on the attack and battling for the puck. Teams love that combination of size and skill and Belchetz brings that on a consistent basis.”
Belchetz missed Windsor’s final eight games, plus playoffs, with a broken clavicle. The Devils could benefit if that, plus his counting stats, cause him to slip as a result.
RD Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL, 6-foot-2 inches, 203 pounds)
Daxon Rudolph may very well be picked before the Devils have a chance. The mocks have him going at an average of #13, but given his production and recent chatter, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him land inside the top 10.
Rudolph, a defenseman, had an impressive 78 points (28 G, 50 A) in 68 games, along with a plus-32 rating. There doesn’t seem to be a true glaring knack, which is why the consensus seems to keep pushing him him up their mocks.
Daxon Rudolph is leading the WHL playoffs in scoring… and did this shorthanded tonight
— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) March 29, 2026
3 points so far in Game 2. 5 in ~2 games. Red hot. pic.twitter.com/ZwdYxsGpZX
His lone criticisms are nitpicky — he can be a little more physical given his size, yet remains an extremely effective shutdown defenseman nonetheless. He’s not as dynamic or shifty as, say, a Cale Makar but those point totals alone, in combination with his stellar defensive work, basically ensure a floor of a top-four defenseman.
“I think Daxon, amongst all the players in this upcoming draft, has been one of the most impressive players. [He has a] hard, competitive, edgy game, great leader, great competitor and, I’ll be honest, I didn’t give him enough credit for his skill level.”
He has furthered that stellar season with 23 points (and counting) in 15 playoff games. In a theoretical world where all four of these players are available when the Devils are on the clock, Rudolph should be the pick. Period.
RD Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants, WHL, 5-foot-11 inches, 176 pounds)
Many fans and analysts alike will see Ryan Lin’s 5-foot-11 height and run away. But watching any of Lin’s highlight reels — or better yet, a full game — will immediately extinguish size-related concerns.
Lin posted 57 points (14 G, 43 A) in 53 games from the back-end for a Vancouver Giants squad that finished last in the Western Conference — 152 fewer goals than the league’s leading squad. First off, there’s a clear offensive talent in his totals alone. In fact, in 2024–25, he had the highest point total (53) for a 16-year-old WHL defenseman since Scott Niedermayer.
Ryan Lin is going to get the “small D” knock. But he plays far from small
— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) October 14, 2025
The puck-moving and skating are essential NHL traits, but he’s also very smart and effective in the DZ
Wins battles, initiates contact, defends the rush. I liked what I saw here:pic.twitter.com/b6JLUiIjTd
Furthermore, he excels in nearly all defensive areas and regularly initiates contact with players of much larger stature. He’s stellar in transition which suits the Devils’ core well.
If you only looked at the numbers, you’d probably think Lin is a dynamic offensive defenceman whose size may hold him back. In reality, he’s arguably the most complete player of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Time and time again, stubborn NHL scouts have shied away from smaller players in fear of how their play will translate. Devils’ new general manager Sunny Mehta, who had Jesper Bratt (#162 overall) ranked as the third-best player in the 2016 NHL Draft, probably wouldn’t let that bother him too much.
In those same mocks, Lin is drafted at an average of #15 overall. But under the hood, he seems like a top-five talent if it weren’t for his size. He’s committed to Denver University (NCAA).
F Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit, OHL, 6-foot-0 inches, 181 pounds)
The first round will take place just one night before Nikita Klepov’s 18th birthday — all signs point to him getting a very nice early present. The question is: will the Devils be the ones to give him that present?
While a bit undersized, the offensive skillset — both shot and playmaking ablity — is certainly there for Klepov. His 97 points (37 G, 60 A) led the entire OHL, including all 73 older aready-drafted prospects who belong to NHL teams. His NHLe of 38.3, which projects his scoring to an NHL-equivalent level, has him third in the entire class, trailing only consensus top pick Gavin McKenna (39.8) and Markus Ruck (39.3).
Nothing is a gurantee; a player needs to put in the work for the results to translate, but players like Logan Stankoven, Leo Carlsson, Seth Jarvis, William Eklund and Dylan Guenther all had very similar NHLe rankings; that group averaged ~0.78 points per game in the NHL this season (~64-point pace).
The only real knock on Klepov, aside from his size, is his ability to stay engaged in the defensive zone. That was also the case for players like Jarvis and Trevor Zegras, who went ninth and 13th respectively, rather than top-five. They turned out just fine.
“There are times when he is not fully active and finds himself more of a bystander. But overall, he has a strong two-way game and is still impactful at both ends of the ice, even when his production may not be there (which does not happen often).”
The clear top-five offensive upside means even if he doesn’t become a star, he can still be a very useful player for the Devils. He’s committed to Michigan State (NCAA); scouts seem more divided on Klepov than others but many mocks have him between 16-18. If Mehta and the Devils personally value him the way NHLe does, and are wowed by his interview, it shouldn’t be considered a reach. Mehta and co. deserve that trust until proven otherwise.
Looking Ahead
The decision the Devils make with this pick — whether draft or trade, for better or worse, will play a key role in the future of the franchise. Again, Mehta and co. deserve fans’ full trust. The Devils will also have picks in rounds two (#44), four (#108), five (#140) and six (#172).
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