5 first-round draft pick targets for NJ Devils in 2026 NHL Draft

Names like Penn State’s Gavin McKenna and Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg are widely seen as the top picks overall, but opinions on the best players beyond that are varied.

Here are five names Mehta and the Devils will likely keep an eye on with its first round selection.

Belchetz was the number one overall pick for the OHL in 2024, the same season where he would win the OHL Cup and the league’s MVP award. A broken left clavicle in March 2026 hindered the attention Belchetz got from scouts and shifted the rehab for the 6-foot-5 winger into getting leaner. Belchetz knows how to be physical and disruptive in front of the net and projects to be the league’s next big power forward prospect. His skating ability will be given attention to improve at Michigan State.

The Minnesota native is the son of Matt Cullen, who won three Stanley Cups across a 21-season career. As one of the youngest prospects in the class at 17 years old, Cullen also brings some of the most question marks. A very good skater still coming into his own, Cullen’s shot is not as powerful as you’d like but is so accurate that it can fool goalies. Cullen has excellent hands but can sometimes do too much with the puck. Cullen has enough skill to be an important piece in the future and could benefit a team willing to be patient.

Defensemen were a hallmark of drafts in the Tom Fitzgerald era, so picking another in the first draft under Mehta isn’t expected. However, some of those prospects could become disposable under the new regime and Gustafsson is too good of a prospect to ignore if he slides. Gustafsson is a reliable and smart defenseman that forces turnovers and has high hockey IQ for a prospect who just turned 18 on June 11. His passing is steady and reliable but not quite elite. Developing a slapshot could turn Gustafsson into a two-way defenseman and make him even more of a draft steal.

Born in Finland, Hemming played nationally in U-17 and U-18 teams before joining the Eagles in the 2025-26 season. Hemming is the younger brother of Emil Hemming, a first-round draft pick by the Dallas Stars in 2024. The 6-foot-4 Hemming is smart enough to force opponents into mistakes without sacrificing physicality. Hemming has an NHL-ready shot but his skating ability is the biggest aspect of his game to work on for the next level.

Lawrence got a lot of attention in the USHL and was viewed by some as a top-five pick, though a slow start to this college career cooled things down. Lawrence is a low-risk and high-reward prospect with high intelligence and awareness that has still translated into the NCAA even if his offensive numbers took a dip. Lawrence projects to be a second line center in the league with the ability to make the right moves, especially in transition. Jay Pandolfo, a former Devils player and Lawrence’s coach at Boston University, says that Lawrence’s play makes him “hard to handle”.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 5 first-round draft pick targets for NJ Devils in 2026 NHL Draft