Prospect Info: 2023 HFDevils Prospect Rankings #10 - Half way home

[Blackjack]

Other posters are giving their top 10 lists, I’ll do my tiers.

Tier 1 - Blue chip blue line studs
Hughes, Nemec

Class of the league, having the two best defensive prospects in the NHL is absolutely unreal. I don’t think we’ve had the top defensive prospect since drafting Larson in 2011.

Tier 2 - High upside wingers with some uncertainty
Holtz, Gritsyuk

Even with Holz’s hiccups in the NHL, these two have top line upside and game breaking potential

Tier 3 - High upside defensemen that have taken huge strides since being drafted
Casey, Vilen

The difference between these guys and tier 4 is that after last season it would be more of a surprise if they did not make an NHL impact than if they did. The team will have interesting decisions to make in the not so distant future.

Tier 4 - Where the list really gets interesting. These players all have compelling cases for being a top prospect, but also have considerable uncertainty. I think any of them could vault up to the top of the list with a strong season. Any of them could also tumble down with a bad season. That they’re sitting at 7-12 on the list is good news. If 1 or 2 of these guys really pop NJ will be sitting pretty for years.

Hameenaho, Filmon, Karpovich, Bardakov, Orlov, Clarke

 

[Beastdog75]

Voted for Clarke, add Malek

 

[Guadana]

1-2 Luke&Simon or Simon&Luke
(3 Schmid)
3 Gritsyuk
4 Holtz
5 Vilen
6 Bardakov
7 Casey
8 Lenny
9 Foote
10 Orlov

Vote for Bardakov. He is the only one who is played regularly against toughest competition, was toughest competition by himself for his opponents. Great skating, movement, 200 foot game. He is the only really good defensive forward.
And I'm waiting him as potential #12 or even lower in this pools.

Overall I like Devils top 10 for what we have in Devils roster. I think there are 6+ future nhlers.

I made tonns of video and breakdowns of Gritsyuk. He isn’t number one or number two Devils prospect. But he is number three. And I talked about his value three(four?) years sin a row.

My number two is Luke, vote for Nemec. Add Bardakov. He is number five prospect in the moment.

I like two way game of Simon more, his puck battle skill more, I think both are outstanding too. I just thing Nemec will face more harder minutes in defensive zone, and will produce offense too. I believe he can easily be less productive than Luke but its not a problem for me. We Dougie he was 1ppg player, but you can easily understand why we can't name him as a perfect all situational player and why some two way defenseman could be perceived as a better defenseman. Luke is much much better skater but there are some roughness with his game. Its ok, no one is perfect. Im happy we have both, yes I still like Edvinsson little bit more, but I think both Luke and Nemec have better offensive potential and Luke has enough tools to compensate the gap, our defensive D should help to protect and offensive impact should be huge. Im glad we drafted Hughes, not Johnson or Eklund or Clarke.
Nemec should be truth elite two way defenseman with good skating, good defensive game, offensive impact and minutes eater, who should be nominated for Norris. I have questions about his gap control and ... not proactive defensive game, but he changed it. So Im a big fan of a players, who can adress their flaws.

Time to revisit it.

My thoughts were evry close to how in feeling it now

1 Nemec (1a)
2 Luke (1b)
(3) (Schmid)
3 Lenny (3a)
4 Gritsyuk (3b)
5 Holtz
6 Vilen
7 Casey
8 Bardakov
9 Orlov
10 Karpovich
(11) (Malek)
11 Misyul
12 Thompson (12a)
13 Foote (12b)
14 Filmon
15 Squires

Thats the list.

Nemec is better overall. Gritsyuk is playing in the game. Vilen if he is raw, still very mobile, defensive and physically closer than Casey. Its really hard now to not put Casey over Holtz now. Orlov and Karpovich are developing their game, mobile and defensive reliable. Casey is a gamer, if he will outplay boards against high pro, he will be great at hockey. Filmon is raw product and its hard to say that he is guarantee NHLer, but some potential is there. Squires still has some NHL potential at least. Foote wasnt impressive but he and Thompson looked like replacable but stil nhlers even in limited roles. Lenny is awesome. I will think about Lenny as a name for my future child. Holtz should add a lot, because for now putting him over Casey is some kind of favor. I made a favor to Foote when putted him in top-10, now I dont want him in my top-10. Even if he will find himself as nhler, he will not gonna be Jersey Devil regular. Guys over him looks like a player with real nhl potential, with better nhl ceiling, with better potential to be Devils players or being good piece in the trade.