If you read my NHL Draft Lottery post on Wednesday, you can tell how excited I am! I still cannot believe that the New Jersey Devils won the first overall pick and that Jack Hughes (more likely than not) is going to be a NJ Devil! As we get closer to the Draft, I will be publishing some stats, facts and figures on Hughes.
For my latest interview, I spoke with Ryan Ross (@ryanross2417) and asked him a few questions…
Q: Who is your favorite player on the current roster? Why?
A: Ryan – “Taylor Hall because of what he means for this franchise. He does it all and has brought back hope for this team. Hall demands respect from his teammates and the fan base because his work ethic is top notch. He carried us to the postseason and became our first MVP in franchise history.”
Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray/USA Today SportsQ: In your opinion, who is one player that Ray Shero needs to get rid of this off-season?
A: Ryan – “Drew Stafford is probably gone but I think Stefan Noeson has to go. He won’t due to the contract, but with us getting the number 1 pick and hopefully adding some free agents there may be no roster room to play Noesen regularly. “
Q: Since there were a lot of AHL’ers who made their NHL debut this season, who was your favorite? Why?
A: Ryan – “I really liked Brett Seney, the points were small but he was constantly generating chances at the net. He did stuff that didn’t show on the stats sheet and he plays with good speed and vision. I look forward to seeing him build on his game next season.”
Photo Credit: Andrew Mills/NJ Advance MediaQ: Recently, the Devils announced the extension of GM Ray Shero. Do you think he deserved the extension?
A: Ryan – “Ray Shero 100% deserved his extension. He has drafted well for us and his master plan looks to be taking effect this summer. He is smart and quick in negotiating, which is not appreciated enough in my opinion. I trust him to build this team into a cup contender.”
Photo Credit: Andy Marlin/NHL/Getty ImagesQ: Do you think Taylor Hall will re-sign with the Devils?
A: Ryan – “After us winning the first pick and hopefully adding free agent talent, I do believe Hall re-signs. He has great relationships with the team, he likes the city and he likes being a regular when he is touring the city. Hall wants to win and deserves to and Shero knows this summer is the year to transform this team into a contender. I would love to add Jeff Skinner into the lineup for some scoring depth. “
Q: Now that it’s known what the Devils draft position is, who should Ray Shero pick?
A: Ryan – “Jack Hughes seems to be the favorite but Kakko is tempting as well. Depending on how they play going forward will determine who Shero picks, kind of how Nico Hischier jumped Nolan Patrick in the 2017 draft. Either player will greatly improve our team and help us attract free agents.”
Photo Credit: Carlos Osorio/Associated Press filesThanks, Ryan for taking the time to answer some of the questions! Stay tuned for next week for a new set of questions and a new interviewee!
Cover Photo Credit: Kevin Hoffman/USA Today Sports
