BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – New Jersey Devils selected 11 players at the 2017 NHL Draft from United Center in Chicago, IL.
1st Round – 1st Overall – Nico Hischier (F)
The 18-year-old center recorded 86 points (38 goals, 48 assists) in 57 games played with the Mooseheads this past season. Hischier played in five games for Switzerland at the 2017 World Junior Championship and scored seven points (four goals, three assists) and finished 12th in overall scoring at the tournament.
2nd Round – 36th Overall – Jesper Boqvist (F)
In the 2016-17 season, Boqvist collected six assists in 16 regular season games with Byrnas of the Swedish Hockey League. In the playoffs, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound forward scored a goal to help his club reach the final. With the junior club, Boqvist recorded 15 points (10 goals, five assists) in 15 games played. On the international scene, Boqvist helped Sweden capture the Silver Medal at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship scoring three points (two goals, one assist).
3rd Round – 63rd Overall – Fabian Zetterlund (F)
Zetterlund, a native of Karlstad, Sweden, put up 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 40 games played with Farjestad Jr. The forward also played in 14 games for Farjestad in the Swedish Hockey League. Zetterlund scored five points (three goals, two assists) in seven games for Sweden at the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship.
3rd Round – 81st Overall – Reilly Walsh (D)
Walsh skated in 24 games with the Clark Cup Champion, Chicago Steel, where he scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists). The 5-foot-11, 184-pound defenseman also recorded 69 points (30 goals, 39 assists) in just 30 games with Proctor Academy. The native of Andover, New Hampshire is committed to Harvard University for the 2017-18 season.
4th Round – 98th Overall – Nikita Popugaev (F)
Popugaev split time during the 2016-17 season between Boose Jaw and Prince George in the WHL and totaled 69 points (29 goals, 40 assists) in 71 games played. In the 2015-16 season, the Moscow, Russia native put up 47 points (16 goals, 31 assists) in 70 games. Popugaev scored three goals in six games to help lead Russia to a Gold Medal at the IIHF U17 World Hockey Challenge in 2014.
5th Round – 129th Overall – Gilles Senn (G)
Senn was between the pipes for 34 games for HC Davos last season and posted a 2.64 goals-against average along with a .911 save percentage. Senn helped his club to the 2014-15 NLA Championship and collected the most shutouts (3) and wins (17) in 2012-13.
5th Round – 143rd Overall – Marian Studenic (F)
The 6-foot-0, 164-pound winger racked up 30 points (18 goals, 12 assists) in 58 games played with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Prior to that, the Slovakia native appeared in five games for his country at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.
6th Round – 160th Overall – Aarne Talvitie (F)
The Penn State University committed forward scored 37 points (13 goals, 24 assists) in 46 games this past season with Blues U20 in the Jr. A SM-liiga. Internationally with Finland, Talvitie appeared in 23 games and put in 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) to capture the Silver Medal at the IIHF U18 World Junior Championship.
7th Round – 191st Overall – Jocktan Chainey (D)
A native of Asbestos, Quebec, Chainey had 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) from the point position in 2016-17 with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. At the IIHF U18 World Junior Championship for Canada, Chainey had four assists in five games.
7th Round – 205th – Yegor Zaitsev (D)
Zaitsev played in 19 games this past season with the KHL’s Dynamo Moskva picking up an assist. The Moskva, Russia native also saw 24 games with Dynamo Balashikha of the VHL where he recorded six points (two goals, four assists) as a defenseman.
7th Round – 214th – Matthew Hellickson (D)
Hellickson helped lead the Sioux City Musketeers as the assistant captain to the Clark Cup Final in the USHL this past season with 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) as a defenseman. The University of Notre Dame commit won a Silver Medal with Team USA in 2014-15 at the U17 IIHF World Hockey Challenge and Bronze Medal in 2015-16 at the U18 IIHF World Junior Championship.
