This year marked the first of the NHL’s new ‘decentralized draft’ format. While draftees were gathered in Los Angeles, NHL teams remained in their home cities and joined remotely.
Fans immediately called for the draft to be centralized in 2026. The lack of personal interaction and technical issues were the main reasons cited for why fans wished to return to the traditional in-person format.
However, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported on X today that the decentralized draft may be here to stay.
He said, “Apparently, there are reports about the future of the NHL draft. There is a vote right now, not yet completed. But from what I'm canvassing - unless there is a wild swing in the few remaining to be submitted - the vote will be to stay with the decentralized format.”
Apparently there are reports about the future of the NHL draft
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 10, 2025
There is a vote right now, not yet completed.
But from what I'm canvassing -- unless there is a wild swing in the few remaining to be submitted -- the vote will be to stay with the de-centralized format.
Fans quickly responded with outrage, claiming the league doesn’t listen to the fanbase.
As talk of the draft circulates, fans and teams continue to debate whether it should remain decentralized going forward.
Reflecting specifically on the Devils organization, many special moments and players have emerged from the centralized draft. Here is a list of some of the best NJ Devils draft moments that arguably would not have happened or would not have been the same if the drafts had always been in the decentralized format.
Best NJ Devils Draft Moments
1. NY Rangers fans cheer as Jack Hughes is selected first in the 2019 Draft.
The New York Rangers fans erupted in celebration when the NJ Devils selected Jack Hughes. The fans believed at the time that Kaapo Kakko was the better choice and were relieved he hadn’t been selected first, giving the Rangers the opportunity to draft him.
The Rangers did end up drafting him, only for him to be traded in 2024 to Seattle. The NJ Devils didn’t let the Rangers forget about that moment when they cheered on Hughes. They played it back on the Jumbotron when the Rangers played at the Prudential Center.
2. David Poile’s final trade
In 2023, the NJ Devils traded their 7th-round pick to the Nashville Predators. While this was less of a strategic move, it was for sure a sentimental one. The Nashville General Manager, David Poile, announced following the 2023 NHL Draft that he would be retiring.
Devils’ General Manager Tom Fitzgerald was Poile’s teammate and first NHL Captain while the two played with the Predators from 1998-2002.
In a final sendoff, Fitzgerald wanted to be a part of the last trade of Poile’s career. Poile had a record-breaking career, being the GM in NHL history with the most wins and the third most wins in single-team history.
The move was full of class, as Fitzgerald and Poile were joined by Barry Trotz, their former coach, to finalize the last trade of Poile’s career. They then gathered together for a photo following the trade on the draft floor, a memory that was only possible with all three of them in the building.
3. Bobby Carpenter gets drafted right out of high school
Though not drafted by the Devils, Bobby Carpenter’s full-circle journey is one of the many stories that feel more real when shared live at a centralized draft.
In 1981, with the 3rd overall pick in the draft, the Washington Capitals selected Bobby Carpenter. The 18-year-old was fresh out of high school, making history as the first high school player to jump directly to the NHL in his draft year. Just one year after graduating from St. John’s Prep High School in Massachusetts, Carpenter made his way to the NHL. In his first season, he scored 32 goals and 67 points as an 18-year-old.
Many years later, Carpenter would join the NJ Devils for the final years of his career. He helped the Devils win their first Stanley Cup in 1995. He played six years with the Devils before retiring.
Best NJ Devils Draft Picks Of All Time
Not only were there sentimental moments over the years at the centralized draft, but there were also franchise-altering selections. Here is a list of a few draft picks that changed the New Jersey Devils organization.
- John MacLean - 6th Overall 1983
- Kirk Muller - 2nd Overall 1984
- Brendan Shanahan – 2nd Overall 1987
- Scott Niedermayer – 3rd Overall 1991
- Martin Brodeur – 20th Overall 1990
- Patrik Elias - 51st Overall 1994
- Scott Gomez - 27th Overall 1998
- Jesper Bratt - 162nd Overall 2016
- Nico Hischier - 1st Overall 2017
- Jack Hughes - 1st Overall 2019
Photo Credit: © Eric Bolte-Imagn Images