The New Jersey Devils concluded their 2024 NHL Draft with their second overage selection of the day. With the 171st pick in the sixth round, the Devils selected center Matyas Melovsky from Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

Melovsky ends up being the smallest player the Devils drafted in this year's draft, as Elite Prospects lists him at 6'2″ and 195 lbs. He also turned 20 in May, so he could be immediately eligible to play professional hockey in North America. He's already in North America and has played his last two seasons in major junior hockey. Originally from the Czech Republic, Melovsky worked his way up through HC Vitkovice's system. He was passed over in 2022, when he played primarily for HC Vitkovice's U-20 team, and only had one assist at the U-18 World Championship with the Czech U-18 team. Melovsky missed much of that season due to injury. But Melovsky kept going. He moved to the QMJHL with Baie-Comeau. He played in 59 games, scored 6 goals and 52 assists (!!) on 116 shots, and led the Drakkar in points that season. He also finished second in the league among rookies in points, behind Maxim Masse. Melovsky, still not selected, continued in the “Q”. In 53 games, he scored more goals – 18 – and finished with 60 points, finishing fourth in team scoring on a better Drakkar team. Melovsky also made the Czech squad for the World Junior Championship and had a impressively tournament. He was a big reason the Czechs took bronze, and he finished third on the tournament's scoring charts with one goal and ten assists. It was a performance that should help him get noticed – and with this selection, it clearly worked.

What sets Melovsky apart? Given all of his assists, it would be fair to call him a playmaker. But there's more to it than that. Jim Bay wrote the following about the player in this profile at The Hockey Writers:

At 6'2″, Melovsky already has the physicality to play an NHL checking game. His all-around projectable skills, attention to detail on defense, and ability to attack opponents and take the puck away from them all bode well for the NHL. He has a mature game and is a real playmaker for his team. A deceptive point guard, he is composed with the puck and takes as much time as possible before releasing it. He shows great decision making and puck management as he usually takes the right option and rarely makes mistakes.

Bay also noted that Melovsky uses his frame and physical play to win pucks and dish them out quickly. And his offensive skills have earned Baie-Comeau power play appearances. This will certainly help Melovsky's eventual transition to professional hockey. The big downside is that Melovsky is 20 years old and closer to a finished product. How he adjusts the details of his game will determine how far he goes in professional hockey and whether he reaches the NHL level in the future.

Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff also named Melovsky as one of the top ten overage prospects for this year's draft.

Playmaker Melovsky had a stellar performance at the World Junior Championship, recording 10 assists and 11 points en route to a bronze medal. It was the highlight of an otherwise great season from the second-year QMJHL forward, who is slowly approaching a 50-assist season. Few overage players can move the puck and find their teammates in open space like Melovsky – especially on the power play. I'm not always a fan of him at 5-on-5 because I feel like he floats around a bit too much at times, but I think a team will accommodate him.

And the last part is the details that Melovsky needs to work on. Call it competition. Call it focus. Call it whatever you will. Things like that are important and it will be something that may need to be worked out when Melovsky moves to Utica or Adirondack next season.

As far as overage picks go, this is a solid pick. Not only does he fill a hole in the pool, but Melovsky has shown improvement and adaptability. He has clearly bounced back from his injury-shortened 2021-22 season. He transferred to Quebec and adapted quite well in terms of performance in a new league. He continued to perform as the team improved and had a stellar WJC performance. In doing so, Melovsky has shown the ability to make plays and create offense, two important aspects of one's game that could translate to the next level. This is someone to give a shot towards the end of the draft. I'm happy to see the Devils round out their class of big young guys with someone like Melovsky.

Now that you know what I think about the selection, feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. Also, please vote in our flash poll (ends tomorrow at 8pm) which will lead to a later post describing what you, the people who matter, think about the selection. Thanks for reading.