Prospects Report - New Jersey Devils
Our scouting staff broke down the New Jersey Devils prospect pool, highlighting top prospects for the organization, as well as breaking down past drafts and a look at the upcoming 2022 draft.
2022 Draft Outlook
The Devils upcoming draft plan should be fairly simple, draft best available prospects. With a pick in every round, including 3 4th round picks, the Devils will be drafting in the early half of each round again this season, and will look for some lottery luck to get into the top 5. The largest question mark is what will they do at the trade deadline ? PK Subban looks like a guy who the Devils could get some return on, but would most likely need to eat some some of Subban’s $9 million cap hit. Subban is having his best year as a Devil this season, with 2 goals and 13 assists, showing vast improvement defensively from last season.
Will the Devils be sellers for the deadline ? With just PK Subban and Jimmy Vesey as UFA’s for next season, they will be the only real playoff rental options for teams.
Draft History
The Devils have chosen in the top 20 in the past 7 drafts, including 5 top 10, and 2 first overall selections, beginning in 2015 with Pavel Zacha at 7th overall. Some will say the Zacha selection was a slight miss, as players selected after him have shown stronger offensive output, but Zacha’s game away from the puck, including PK, is invaluable for the current Devils roster. The 2015 NHL Draft first round included forwards Mikko Rantanen (#10), Matthew Barzal (#16), Kyle Connor (#17), and Brock Boeser (#23), as well as defenseman Zach Werenski (#8) and Ian Provorov (#7), all selected after Zacha.
1st Round Picks In Lineup
2015 Pavel Zacha
2016 Michael Mcleod
2017 Nico Hischier
2018 Ty Smith
2019 Jack Hughes
2020 Dawson Mercer
The Mcleod selection in 2016 at #12 is another similar situation to the 2015 draft. High end talent drafted in the top 10 selections, including Austin Matthews, Patrik Laine, Matthew Tkachuk, Clayton Keller, Mikhail Sergachev and Tyson Jost, with top end defenseman selected right after Mcleod, with Charlie McAvoy (#14) and Jakub Chychrun (#16). As the same with Zacha, Mcleod has found his role within this Devils line up, contributing heavily in the face-off circle, while bringing pace and puck protection to the 4th line with buddy Nathan Bastian.
Outside the first round, the Devils have been hit or miss in the mid to late rounds of the draft. Draft “steals” as of late would be Jesper Bratt (2016 6th round) and Yegor Sharangovich (2018 5th round), with both players playing top minutes this season while finding some great chemistry with Jack Hughes.
Bratt has taken a step this season, already surpassing his highest points production in his 5 seasons with 14 goals and 27 assists in 42 games. Bratt has been a force in the off season, working on his skating and it shows. He has great explosions coming out of Mohawks and other deceptive footwork while skating with the puck, and has the ability to slink around defenders with elusive hands. Bratt’s playmaking ability outshines his shooting ability at times, but has turned into a top 6 player with a long term future in the league.
Looking back to the 2012 to 2014 drafts, the Devils selected just 2 players that would play significant minutes in NHL games in New Jersey. Damon Severson (2012 2nd round) and Miles Wood (2013 4th round) were the highlights of this 3 year span, including a 2014 Draft that resulted in zero significant NHL impact, most by 2014 1st rounder John Quenneville before spending time in Chicago and AHL affliiate Rockford. Quenneville now plays for Zurich in the Swiss Pro league.
Looking through the prospect pool, the constant theme for the Devils are the amount of prospects that are currently in that wait and see period. Jesper Boqvist, a 2017 second round pick, hasn’t materialized yet in the NHL, with just 7 points in 19 games this season. Kevin Bahl, who came over in the Taylor Hall trade, is a bruising defenseman, but like Boqvist, has spent most of his time in the AHL, and was so-so in his few NHL appearances this season. Other prospects under 22 include Fabian Zetterlund, Nolan Foote and Michael Vukojevic, all who should be getting a look in the next year. Vukojevic was impressive during the summer development camps in the past, and does a lot of the small details needed to be a NHL’er. The Kitchener product of the OHL has just 2 goals and 6 assists in 23 games in Utica this season, but could be a player to make his debut in the near future.
2021 Draft
The 2021 NHL Draft was another one highlighted by a Hughes, with Luke Hughes being selected 4th overall out of the USNTDP. Hughes has been impressive in his freshman campaign at Michigan, totaling 10 goals and 13 assists thus far, and has shown growth in his offensive game. Another first rounder to keep an eye on is Chase Stillman, currently playing for Peterborough in the OHL after a trade from Sudbury. Stillman is an undersized but skilled forward with a scoring touch, a great complimentary player to players like Hughes, and Holtz. Samu Salminen is a smart forward who can play both wing and center currently playing for Jokerit U20 and will be playing for University of Denver in 2022.
Goaltender Jalub Malek only got one game for Czechia at this year’s World Juniors, and is currently playing in the Czech second league for HK Vsetin, where he has put up impressive numbers, .932 Save % and 1.95 GAA in 26 games.
Topias Vilen and Viktor Hurtig were both 6th round defenseman selected by New Jersey. Hurtig, a 6’6” righty currently played in Sweden’s junior league, and Vilen, a 6’1 lefty currently playing pro in Finland’s Liiga, both bring a 2 way game with puck moving ability. Both could be prospects to hit North America at the AHL level in the next 2-3 seasons.
Luke Hughes-Defenseman-1st Round
Chase Stillman-Forward-1st Round
Samu Salminen-Forward -3rd Round
Jakub Malek-Goaltender-4th Round
Topias Vilen-Defenseman-6th Round
Viktor Hurtig-Defenseman-6th Round
Zakhar Bardakov-Forward-7th Round
2020 Draft
The 2020 Draft first round could be one that pushes the Devils into taking their next step. Starting with Holtz, the eye test looks to be clear, and the production this season can back it up. Holtz will be a great compliment to either Hischier or Hughes, a constant shooting threat who has shown he can beat NHL goaltenders already. The 7th overall pick in 2020 was ready to lead Sweden at the World Juniors before the cancelation of the tournament, and has spent time between the AHL and NHL this season. Holtz has put up 13 goals and 14 assists in 23 games with Utica this season, and has appeared in just 7 NHL games with the big club, registering 2 assists.
Next up from the first round is Dawson Mercer, a player who has brought speed with some edge to the Devils lineup since his first game. Mercer has had some learning pains throughout the season but has put up impressive numbers with 9 goals and 14 assists in 45 games. Shakir Mukhamadullin, the rangey, left handed, Russian defenseman could be the perfect fit to compliment up and coming defenseman Ty Smith. Smith brings an agile, offensive game while Mukhamadullin has the reach, size and brain to be the shutdown defenseman every NHL team is looking for. The 6’4” 20th overall selection has yet to leave Russia yet, and is currently playing in the KHL for Salavat Yulaev.
Other prospects include Nico Daws, selected in the 3rd round, who has been a stud at the AHL level with Utica this season along with Akira Schmid. The Guelph product of the OHL, Daws made 2 starts for New Jersey this season, including a 2-1 overtime win, and has posted a 2.44 GAA with a .917 Save % in the AHL.
Ethan Edwards, currently at the University of Michigan, may be a defenseman to watch during the Frozen Four, as well as during the Olympics with teammate Owen Power representing Canada. Edwards has 7 points in 23 games this season, and has shown to have a great ability in breakouts and rush plays.
Alexander Holtz - Forward - 1st Round
Dawson Mercer - Forward - 1st Round
Shakir Mukhamadullin - Defenseman - 1st Round
Nico Daws - Goaltender - 3rd Round
Jaromir Pytlik - Forward - 4th Round
Ethan Edwards - Defenseman 4th Round
Artem Shlaine - Forward - 5th Round
Benjamin Baumgartner - Forward - 6th round