Martin Brodeur revealed a shocking information about the last draft

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MarcO
October 11, 2022 (0:00)

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During the last NHL draft in July, several informants came out with the rumor that the New Jersey Devils wanted to trade their second overall pick. That didn't happen and they ended up selecting Slovakian Simon Nemec.

In an interview with JiC last Friday, Martin Brodeur confirmed that the intentions to trade the second pick were real, if not very likely.

« We came pretty close to trading it in. I would say we were at seven on a scale of one to ten. We had conversations with different teams. It was important for us to have at least one top 10 pick in this draft. Soon we'll be able to trade some draft picks, but we're not there yet." - Martin Brodeur

Brodeur then mentions that he is very impressed with Simon Nemec and that selecting him was the right thing to do.

« We are impressed! Because he was in Europe, we hadn't seen much of him. Our scouts liked him a lot and that's why he was drafted second overall. When he arrived at training camp, it took him a week to get used to the size of the rink and the speed of the game. It's amazing to see him go, for an 18 year old. He always has the puck and defensively he's holding his own. »

The legendary goaltender went on to say that the Devils are aiming for the playoffs this year. The kids have matured and the addition of a player like Ondrej Palat adds leadership and quality to 200 feet.

As for training camp, Brodeur finds it never-ending. If it was just for him, he'd shorten it.

« It's long, especially the last week. All the players arrive already in good condition. The last week is the hardest to wait. It's long practices and our coaches have to keep the players focused. Me, I would be for keeping training camp much shorter. Put it down to two weeks and you can play between three and five prep games. »

Source: TVA Sports