On the New Jersey Devils …
Kurt BSH: Corey Pronman: ” has been indicated to me from several NHL sources that the Devils are leaning towards selecting Makar first overall.”
Grant McCagg: There are rumors that the Devils could be leaning towards taking Cale Makar with the No. 1 pick and they may not be way off. One NHL scouting source said back in May that the Devils loved him.
On the Dallas Stars
Craig Custance: Stars GM Jim Nill is getting interest in their No. 3 pick. He’s looking for a high end player who can play right away if he decides to move it.
Sean Shapiro: GM Jim said it would have to be a “pretty good player” and someone young if he were to move the pick.
Sean Shapiro of Wrong Side of the Redline: GM Jim Nill
“There’s a value,” Nill said. “We like the spot where in. If there is something that makes sense we’d do it. I’m not going to make the move for the sake of making a move.”
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: Defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Cale Makar could be available for the Stars at No. 3 if they keep the pick.
With the Stars needing a defenseman now, would trading their No. 3 and either No. 29 or No. 39 for Marc Methot and Vegas’ No. 6 pick work?
On the Buffalo Sabres …
John Vogl of the Buffalo News: Sabres GM Jason Botterill said they are prepared if they move up in the draft or if they move back.
“What I like what the staff has done, part of the discussions in both May and this week is, ‘OK, these are sort of the top eight guys that we’re focusing on, but what happens if we move back? What happens if we move up in the first round?’
“I like the fact that they’re going through all those different scenarios and are prepared for anything.”
Botterill adding
“If we get hit hard, we’ll get No. 8 on our list,” Jeff Crisp, the head amateur scout, told Sabres.com. “If we don’t, we’ll get someone higher on our list.”
At No. 8 they should be able to get a scoring winger or a puck-moving defenseman