In the 1st round of the 2018 NHL Draft, the consensus about the New Jersey Devils were they were likely going to trade back. They didn’t have a 2nd or 3rd-round pick after trades during the season, so most thought Ray Shero would try to replenish some of his lost assets. Then, when the NHL Draft hit pick 17, there was a gem on the board.
He selected Ty Smith with that pick, and instantly the Devils had a new number-one prospect. This wasn’t the situation where Smith jump up the prospect ranking after a good season.