New Jersey Devils' Draft Target Profile: LJ Mooney

The seventh part of a series deep-diving potential second-round targets for the New Jersey Devils.

Three-ish weeks ago, I started my many-part series deep-diving potential draft day fits for the Devils at all rounds of the draft — from the Devils’ two second-rounders (~50th and ~64th) to their sixth-rounders, I’m compiling a list of players I’d be pounding the table for on draft day should they be available. Naturally, I’m focusing more on the earlier stages of the draft, as that is where there is the most talent and intrigue. However, I do have my list of scouting reports and notes for players I think will be available come the end of the draft, too, which I am excited to share with you.

Targets so far:
~50th Overall (Rd. 2): Adam Benák, Alexander Zharovsky, Ethan Czata, Conrad Fondrk, Cameron Schmidt
~64th Overall (Rd. 2): Theo Stockselius
~94th Overall (Rd. 3):
~114th Overall (Rd. 4):
~161st Overall (Rd. 6):
~178th Overall (Rd. 6):

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Next up in the draft target series is LJ Mooney, who, as you’ll notice is a theme with some of these picks (Adam Benák, Cameron Schmidt), is likely to drop far past where his talent would normally place him on draft day.

Draft analysts like SMAHT Scouting and The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari have identified that Mooney’s talent surpasses his size and have ranked him at the very beginning of the second round (35th and 33rd overall, respectively), whereas the bulk of other pundits and outlets have him dropping to the mid-late 60s and even 70s by proxy of his frame. NHL Central bafflingly had him listed as the 209th best North American skater. Listed at 5’7, 157 pounds, he obviously has a ways to grow (both in height and filling out) before he’s likely to make an NHL impact.

What an impact it could be, though. Mooney has one of the highest ceilings in the draft if things go to plan. His tools are absolutely drool-worthy, and he is an incredibly hard worker. I think he would be a superb target at 64th overall, if he drops that far.

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Statistical Profile

For this spot in the draft, Mooney’s production is quite admirable. He put up 51 points in 51 games while playing for the US National Team Development Program (NTDP), which is my personal favorite development route and produces a ton of NHL talent. Most of those points were assists — 41 of those 51 points were assists — but the point stands that his production is relatively stellar.

via Hockey Prospecting (Byron Bader)

The NHLer probability is some of the highest I’ve seen around this slot, and the star probabilities are probably underselling it by a little bit — NHLe models typically take into account a player’s size, and Byron Bader’s model here has him listed as smaller than he actually is.

The cousin of Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley, Mooney is committed to the University of Minnesota for next season.

Skating

As you’d expect, Mooney is a strong skater, though I don’t think his straight-line speed is otherworldly.

Instead, he relies more on creation through open space by virtue of explosive movements, stops, and excellent edgework. Mooney’s stop-start ability is remarkable, being able to explode from a standstill in one direction or another at the drop of a hat. His top speed, while not overwhelmingly high, is still above average, and is reached faster than his peers can keep up.

The edgework is as impressive as the explosiveness. Mooney is quick to turn in any and all directions, losing defenders at will and executing high-level spin-o-rama plays with the puck on a string. He balances well on his edges, being able to shift his weight effortlessly to feign one direction while moving the other. It’s impressive to watch, and a huge part of the reason why possessions rarely die on his stick. The manipulation he is able to put onto defenders through use of his heel and toe edges is quite impressive.

Beyond just the mechanics, I’m always impressed with the pace at which Mooney plays the game. He’s just… non-stop. He’s manic on the ice; a wrecking ball of energy that can’t be halted. The energy level in his game and stamina on his skates while playing at Mach-10 at all times is unparalleled, especially when things are rolling for him.

Shooting

Shooting isn’t Mooney’s strong suit — he’s more of a facilitator than sniper — but he has some solid mechanics that I think would be better recognized had he actually used them more.

His wrist shots are relatively compact and deceptive, with an ability to change the angle of his release around defenders in order to freeze goalies. Mooney almost exclusively uses wrist and snap shots — I’m not sure I saw more than one slap shot attempt in my viewings of him in tournaments or with the NTDP. That’s fine though — he just needs to shoot more in general. With the relatively tidy mechanics, I’d like to see a bit more of a concerted effort to prioritize that at times. Mooney is an expert at gaining space, so why not use that to generate a chance for yourself, rather than almost always deferring to a teammate? I understand the want to prioritize generating the highest-danger play, but it’s not necessarily always the right play.

Puck Skills

My, oh my, does Mooney have oodles of skill. Beyond just his fantastically wide array of moves to pull from, he is able to use them at full speed, while moving from a standstill to exploding in some direction or vice versa, and while dipsy-doodling around others with his edges.

Mooney’s puck control is absurd. He’s patient and deliberate with his moves, with a high enough IQ to understand the value of waiting. There are few players in the draft with such an ability to maintain possession through carrying the puck on their own stick — when he’s rolling, he looks unstoppable out there.

Playmaking & Hockey IQ

From a playmaking standpoint, Mooney could step into an NHL lineup right now and be one of the better passers on any given team. He slows the game down to the nth degree, executing high-difficulty plays like it’s nothing on a pretty regular basis. In my viewings of him, Mooney was good for at least two or three high-danger passes per game. He is creative in his playdriving, too, finding unorthodox ways of getting the puck from Point A to Point B.

Beyond just his passing chops, his smarts are arguably his best asset. Mooney reads the play extremely well, often anticipating where his teammates will be without failure. There are instances in every game where you’ll find yourself saying, “How did he find that play?” He is an expert at give-and-go plays, as well:

Defensive Awareness

If defense were simply about effort and takeaways, there wouldn’t be any complaints from me about Mooney’s work in his own zone. His stickwork is genuinely high-end, taking the puck away from opponents on a regular basis.

The downfall of Mooney’s defensive game is over-commitment. He can get lost in the sauce, resulting in him getting out of position enough to where he can’t fully recover. In the right system, he can flourish, if that’s taught out of him. Otherwise, I can certainly see some defensive deficiencies at higher levels.

Physicality & Size

This is honestly where I’ve been the most impressed with Mooney. His frame is slight, but he is violent. He frequents laying the body, plowing through opponents who are six-eight inches taller than him and dozens of pounds heavier. It’s quite impressive, honestly, and is a testament to the tenacity he has on the ice. In the Men’s U18 tournament — where Mooney had 11 points in seven games, mind you — he laid the following hits… in the same game. I’ll list the size of the player affected.

Anton Frondell: 6’0, 196 pounds (and projected top-5 pick)

Ivar Stenberg: 6’0, 181 pounds (projected top-5 pick in 2026)

Both of those players are five inches taller than him and anywhere from 24-39 pounds heavier, and he dropped them like it was nothing. It’s something he does on a game-to-game basis, too.

Mooney’s ferocity and bulldogged nature are staples in his game. He’s tough. He’s irritating. He’s in-your-face. He scraps and scrums. He’ll score on you and then stare you down, just to mark his territory.

More strength will come in his game as he continues to fill out his frame. As one of the lightest players in the draft, he does get knocked around a bit during board battles and has to work harder than anyone else to come out with the puck in those situations. The good news for whoever drafts him, though, is that he is more than willing to put in that extra effort if it means he gets an opportunity to create with the puck on his stick.

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At 64th overall, where Mooney should still be available, I’m not sure there’s a player with this much dawg in his game, and there certainly isn’t a player available who has a higher ceiling if things pan out. I’m extraordinarily high on the player — I think that the skill and tools are absurd enough to minimize the impact his frame will have at the NHL level. The Devils have what should be a Cup contending team for the foreseeable future, so they’re in a position to take a player like him. If they trade the pick, it’s a moot point. If he doesn’t hit, so what? If he does hit, that’s an incredibly impactful forward to add to the core on an ELC-level contract. Mooney’s undeniable skill will get him far in my opinion, particularly if he works on his straight-line speed and fills out a bit. He has Logan Stankoven written all over him.

*Outside of the U18 tournament clips, which were clipped by me, the videos in here are via the USNTDP.