And with the Fourth Selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the New Jersey Devils Would Like to Select...

As we continue to watch our most hated rivals battle it out in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, let's look to the future, which commences with the NHL Draft.

Obviously winning the draft lottery is huge, as it gives us a chance to select a franchise player, rather than just a great player. Now, the Devils have needs, like all other teams. We could use another center, but I feel confident of the one-two punch of Travis Zajac and Jacob Joseffson will suffice. With Martin Brodeur's career coming to an end in just a few years, (gulp, I can't believe we've saying this) the Devils have a need at goaltender. However, with no standout goaltenders projected to go in the top ten, and the recent signing of College standout Keith Kinkaid ( http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/devils_sign_union_college_goaltender_keith_kinkaid/#comments ), we now look to defense, as we already know how top heavy we are on the wings.

With an outstanding crop of D-Man projected to go early in the draft, our eyes quickly set on Swedish prospect, Adam Larsson. Drawing comparisons to the great Nick Lidstrom, Larsson can be a homerun at the draft. However, selecting him at fourth may seem questionable, but I'm going to take you throughout a small mock draft.

1. Edmonton Oilers- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins- The kid's amazing. Great vision, often compared to the "Great One", he should and will go number one. With Already a talented group of wingers up in Edmonton, Nugent-Hopkins will complement whoever he plays with, whether it be Hall, Hemsky, Eberle, Magnus, etc. Nugent-Hopkins will not fail at living up to his hefty expectations as a franchise center.

2. Avalanche- Gabriel Landeskog- He does it all. He hits, fights when needs to, a great leader, and possesses a whole of skill. Compared to Mike Richards, Landeskog is projected by many NHL scouts to be the most NHL ready player. With the Avs trading Chris Stewart to the Blues, Landeskog can become a good replacement for the gritty goal scorer.

3. Panthers- Sean Couturier- Big, responsible in his own end, and can dish it out as well as bury a few goals with his wicked wrist shot, Sean is a great asset to any team. Often compared to the likes of Jordan Staal, Sean is a tremendous player. With Florida really only having one notably talented center in Sean Matthias, after trading Frolik to Chicago, Sean can be a center you build around. Some teams may stay away from him, as his skating ability isn't as nice as you would want it to be for a potential NHL player.

4. Devils- Adam Larsson- Good in all aspects of the game. You build your D around him. A good pick heading towards the Future.

What do you all think? Leave Your Comments Below!