It will be probably a year or two or more before we learn just what kind of impact Dawson Mercer will have on the New Jersey Devis. However, a trio of those involved in Sportsnet’s coverage of Tuesday’s first round of the National Hockey League Entry Draft — including a well-known former NHL general manager — were in enthusiastic agreement that the Devils had made a wise investment by selecting the teen from Bay Roberts with the 18th overall pick.
“The kid’s got a motor… a good Newfoundland boy. This kid’s really impressive,” said Brian Burke, who headed up hockey operations with Calgary, Vancouver, Hartford, Toronto and Anaheim, winning a Stanley Cup with the latter team in 2007.
Burke was part of a Tuesday-night panel that included host Jeff Marek and Sam Cosentino, who is Sportsnet’s lead analyst when it comes to major junior hockey and, therefore, should have a good read on Mercer, the Chicoutimi Sagueneens forward who began his Quebec Major Junior Hockey League career with the Drummondville Voltigeurs in 2017.
When Marek suggested to Cosentino that he seemed to approve of the Devils’ selection of Mercer, he answered quickly.
"This kid’s a good player. He’s deceptive, he’s shifty, but he also brings a confident, positive attitude that’s useful to any team.” — Brian Burke
“I sure do,” replied Cosentino. “This is an unbelievable young man… a guy, who as a 16-year-old, scored 30 goals for a deep Drummondville team,
“Yes, he got some good match-ups, yes, he got a little bit of power-play time, but he went into the (following) off-season saying ‘I want to prove I’m the guy who scored the 30 goals, not the circumstances surrounding (me).’
“So he comes back last year and had an unbelievable start and got invited to the Canada-Russia series. (Canadian head coach) Dale Hunter says ‘I love this guy. He plays with speed, he plays with passion, he plays with energy, he plays with bite and he has really good hands.’
“So he makes Canada’s world junior team, albeit in a bit role. Then, he goes back (to the QMJHL and) he’s a big part of a trade to Chicoutimi and he comes into this year and he’s starting on fire over again.
“I love the passion, the energy, the small-area game. Great pick.”
Burke then chimed in, focusing on Mercer’s highly touted character.
“You go through the (draft) interview process and there’ value to a positive, confident kid,” said Burke offering a couple of former NHLers as examples.
“Teemu Selanne was like that. Brad May was like that. They come into your dressing room and it is like like sunshine. They’re very important.
“And this kid’s a good player. He’s deceptive, he’s shifty, but he also brings a confident, positive attitude that’s useful to any team.”
In that regard, Cosentino retold the story of how Mercer agreed to be the schoolroom show-and-tell subject of a Grade 1 girl in his hometown.
“What kind of kid is that? You have to love it,” he enthused.
So Nice! @DawsonMercer14 made a little girls day by agreeing to be her ‘Show and Tell’ item! #TeamCanada #awesomedawson #truecharacter #roots #hometown #2020NHLDraft #WorldJuniors @HockeyCanada @TSNHockey @QMJHL @VOCMNEWS @TheNfldHerald @Town_BayRoberts @CBCNL @TSNBobMcKenzie pic.twitter.com/G0UpbTqGYH
— Colette (@docdawson123) January 9, 2020
But Cosentino had more to say about Mercer’s skill, as well, citing findings from Iceberg Analytics showing that when it came to taking shots from so-called “high-danger areas” that actually make it to the net, Mercer led the entire 2020 draft class with a 75 per cent success rate.
“When he’s in tight, he still has that knack to get that puck on goal,” said Cosentino.
Marek then closed with about a dozen words that served as the panel consensus
“There’s a whole lot to like about Dawson Mercer. A wonderful pick by the New Jersey Devils.”
