StevenToddIves
Registered User
The Devils already had perhaps the NHL's deepest prospect pool entering the 2020 draft, but they were a bit lacking in high-end talent. Three first round picks certainly helped address this.
The depth of the prospect pool is staggering. Most teams have maybe five or six players you hope will make it as NHL regulars. The Devils have players outside of their top 20 prospects who have legitimate NHL possibilities and who would easily make the top 10 lists for most NHL organizations.
As far as my rankings go, my qualifications for making the prospect lists are simple -- if I though a player has NHL potential, I included them. If not, I did not. So, a guy like Gignac makes my list even though I doubt he will be more than a spare part at the NHL level, and a guy like Jocktan Chainey does not make the list.
Goalies
1 Nico Daws
2 Gilles Senn
3 Cole Brady
Daws immediately rockets to the head of what was a disappointing group. I no longer consider Evan Cormier or Akira Schmid legitimate prospects, as they have regressed. Brady still has a ton to prove, but he's 6'5 and very young. Senn has potential as a 3G/depth guy, which gives him value to an NHL organization.
Left Defense
1 Ty Smith (included because he's a left shot, though he prefers RD as has been well-documented)
2 Kevin Bahl
3 Shakir Mukhamadullin
4 Daniil Misyul
5 Nikita Okhotyuk
6 Michael Vukojevic
7 Yegor Zaitsev
8 Matthew Hellickson
9 Colton White
10 Ethan Edwards
The deepest and best pool of LD for any team in the NHL, and only Ottawa is close. Smith is a surefire mid-pairing stud who possesses the upside to be a true top-pairing NHL all-star. Bahl's rare combination of size, mobility and intelligence makes him a potential shut-down force with some offensive pop at the top of an NHL depth chart. Mukhamadullin oozes talent, but has a long way to go. Misyul and Okhotyuk are terrific defenders, but I gave Misyul the edge because he's a bit better with the puck. I expect them both to be NHL regulars one day. Vukojevic can excel as the physical, defense-first guy on an NHL third pairing. Zaitsev and Hellickson both have depth potential for an NHL roster, while White is more of an AHL player who can be called up in case of injury. Edwards might have been a reach in the 4th round, but has some interesting puck skills which we hope can be developed over the next four years in the NCAA.
Right Defense
1 Case McCarthy
2 Reilly Walsh
The alarming opposite of the Devils strength at LD -- the RD situation is pretty troubling. Of course, all of that changes if Ty Smith becomes a full-time RD, because the kid is just a tremendous talent. McCarthy easily tops this list, he was an outstanding defensive and physical force for Boston University as an 18 year old, and his puck skills are underrated. Walsh needs work in his own end, but he brings mid-pairing caliber offensive skills and projects to be a better version of Will Butcher, since he is a clearly superior skater.
Left Wing
1 Nolan Foote
2 Jesper Boqvist
3 Aarne Talvitie
4 Janne Kuokkanen
5 Arseny Gritsyuk
6 Nikola Pasic
7 Eetu Pakkila
The most underrated group of Devils prospects, I would say it's outstanding. Foote can rocket the puck, play a power game, and has top-line NHL upside. Boqvist is a speed demon with great puck skills, and can be a second-line scoring force. Talvitie is the perfect middle-six LW -- he combines off-the-charts compete level and intelligence with a wicked shot which could see him as an annual 20+ goal grinder at the NHL level. Kuokkanen has second-line upside and a great all-round game gives him a high floor as a third-liner. Gritsyuk is the most intriguing prospect on this list and also the toughest to rank -- he has the talent to surpass Boqvist on this list, but it will be a few years before he makes it to North America. Pasic is a terrific bottom-six winger with the requisite offensive skill to slot up a line-up. Pakkila still should be considered a prospect, though at 21 years old he needs to start producing more in the Finnish Liiga.
Right Wing
1 Alexander Holtz
2 Dawson Mercer
3 Tyce Thompson
4 Nick Merkley
5 Patrick Moynihan
6 Graeme Clarke
7 Nathan Bastian
8 Fabian Zetterlund
9 Marian Studenic
The best and deepest group of prospect RWs in the entire NHL, and it's not even close. To give you perspective, I could name 5 teams where Bastian, Zetterlund or Studenic would be in the conversation as the first or second best RW prospect in the organization. Holtz is the best pure goal-scoring prospect outside the NHL right now. Mercer is just a tremendous talent who would be the surefire top prospect for a dozen NHL teams. Thompson emerged last year as a late-bloomer who could be a second-line scorer at the NHL level. Merkley just needs to stay healthy to be a two-way, competitive and smart middle-sixer. Moynihan has an extremely high floor as a third-line forechecking force, and his eye-opening freshman campaign at Providence proved he has more scoring skill than many realized. Clarke is another prospect for whom staying healthy is a concern, but his hands and shot are undeniable. Bastian could crack the Devils line-up as a 4th line bruiser as early as this season. Zetterlund is a pest with some scoring upside, and Studenic looks like a depth player who could see some NHL time in a bottom 6.
Center
1 Mikhail Maltsev
2 Jaromir Pytlik
3 Michael McLeod
4 Yegor Sharangovich
5 Nate Schnarr
6 Brett Seney
7 Brandon Gignac
8 Artem Shlaine
9 Benjamin Baumgartner
I'd say center is another area of some concern for the Devils. There are a lot of names here, but no sure bets and no top-6 talents. Fortunately, the Devils are set for many years with an unbelievably talented duo of top overall picks in Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. I really like Maltsev, I think he can develop into a third-line, shut down guy who can also contribute offensively. I was high on the Pytlik pick (say that five times fast), he's a big, intelligent kid with a great shot and excellent two-way acumen. McLeod's tool box never caught up with his tool kit, but I'd say he has potential as a bottom 6 center or right wing. Sharangovich is a solid bottom-6 prospect, and his offensive game looks to be developing. Schnarr was a nice throw-in to get in the Taylor Hall deal. Seney could play some games on the Devils 4th line this year, maybe Gignac too. Shlaine is certainly a project, but he has some offensive tools to work with. Baumgartner's total package proved better than the sum of his parts this year in the Swiss league, and we might see him in the AHL pretty soon.
Conclusion:
If you're keeping score at home, that's 40 players who the Devils can consider legit NHL prospects. Even if you take away the "fringe players", we're still around 25 -- which is incredibly promising for the future. The Devils have the very best prospect talent and depth in the NHL at RW, and they're up there too at LD and LW. Considering the young age of Hischier and Hughes, the situation at center is also quite good for the foreseeable future. If Daws pans out in net, the Devils will basically be strong everywhere except at RD. I have nothing but accolades for Mr. Shero and Mr. Fitzgerald for building what was once a bereft prospect pool into a rich and deep well of talent.
The depth of the prospect pool is staggering. Most teams have maybe five or six players you hope will make it as NHL regulars. The Devils have players outside of their top 20 prospects who have legitimate NHL possibilities and who would easily make the top 10 lists for most NHL organizations.
As far as my rankings go, my qualifications for making the prospect lists are simple -- if I though a player has NHL potential, I included them. If not, I did not. So, a guy like Gignac makes my list even though I doubt he will be more than a spare part at the NHL level, and a guy like Jocktan Chainey does not make the list.
Goalies
1 Nico Daws
2 Gilles Senn
3 Cole Brady
Daws immediately rockets to the head of what was a disappointing group. I no longer consider Evan Cormier or Akira Schmid legitimate prospects, as they have regressed. Brady still has a ton to prove, but he's 6'5 and very young. Senn has potential as a 3G/depth guy, which gives him value to an NHL organization.
Left Defense
1 Ty Smith (included because he's a left shot, though he prefers RD as has been well-documented)
2 Kevin Bahl
3 Shakir Mukhamadullin
4 Daniil Misyul
5 Nikita Okhotyuk
6 Michael Vukojevic
7 Yegor Zaitsev
8 Matthew Hellickson
9 Colton White
10 Ethan Edwards
The deepest and best pool of LD for any team in the NHL, and only Ottawa is close. Smith is a surefire mid-pairing stud who possesses the upside to be a true top-pairing NHL all-star. Bahl's rare combination of size, mobility and intelligence makes him a potential shut-down force with some offensive pop at the top of an NHL depth chart. Mukhamadullin oozes talent, but has a long way to go. Misyul and Okhotyuk are terrific defenders, but I gave Misyul the edge because he's a bit better with the puck. I expect them both to be NHL regulars one day. Vukojevic can excel as the physical, defense-first guy on an NHL third pairing. Zaitsev and Hellickson both have depth potential for an NHL roster, while White is more of an AHL player who can be called up in case of injury. Edwards might have been a reach in the 4th round, but has some interesting puck skills which we hope can be developed over the next four years in the NCAA.
Right Defense
1 Case McCarthy
2 Reilly Walsh
The alarming opposite of the Devils strength at LD -- the RD situation is pretty troubling. Of course, all of that changes if Ty Smith becomes a full-time RD, because the kid is just a tremendous talent. McCarthy easily tops this list, he was an outstanding defensive and physical force for Boston University as an 18 year old, and his puck skills are underrated. Walsh needs work in his own end, but he brings mid-pairing caliber offensive skills and projects to be a better version of Will Butcher, since he is a clearly superior skater.
Left Wing
1 Nolan Foote
2 Jesper Boqvist
3 Aarne Talvitie
4 Janne Kuokkanen
5 Arseny Gritsyuk
6 Nikola Pasic
7 Eetu Pakkila
The most underrated group of Devils prospects, I would say it's outstanding. Foote can rocket the puck, play a power game, and has top-line NHL upside. Boqvist is a speed demon with great puck skills, and can be a second-line scoring force. Talvitie is the perfect middle-six LW -- he combines off-the-charts compete level and intelligence with a wicked shot which could see him as an annual 20+ goal grinder at the NHL level. Kuokkanen has second-line upside and a great all-round game gives him a high floor as a third-liner. Gritsyuk is the most intriguing prospect on this list and also the toughest to rank -- he has the talent to surpass Boqvist on this list, but it will be a few years before he makes it to North America. Pasic is a terrific bottom-six winger with the requisite offensive skill to slot up a line-up. Pakkila still should be considered a prospect, though at 21 years old he needs to start producing more in the Finnish Liiga.
Right Wing
1 Alexander Holtz
2 Dawson Mercer
3 Tyce Thompson
4 Nick Merkley
5 Patrick Moynihan
6 Graeme Clarke
7 Nathan Bastian
8 Fabian Zetterlund
9 Marian Studenic
The best and deepest group of prospect RWs in the entire NHL, and it's not even close. To give you perspective, I could name 5 teams where Bastian, Zetterlund or Studenic would be in the conversation as the first or second best RW prospect in the organization. Holtz is the best pure goal-scoring prospect outside the NHL right now. Mercer is just a tremendous talent who would be the surefire top prospect for a dozen NHL teams. Thompson emerged last year as a late-bloomer who could be a second-line scorer at the NHL level. Merkley just needs to stay healthy to be a two-way, competitive and smart middle-sixer. Moynihan has an extremely high floor as a third-line forechecking force, and his eye-opening freshman campaign at Providence proved he has more scoring skill than many realized. Clarke is another prospect for whom staying healthy is a concern, but his hands and shot are undeniable. Bastian could crack the Devils line-up as a 4th line bruiser as early as this season. Zetterlund is a pest with some scoring upside, and Studenic looks like a depth player who could see some NHL time in a bottom 6.
Center
1 Mikhail Maltsev
2 Jaromir Pytlik
3 Michael McLeod
4 Yegor Sharangovich
5 Nate Schnarr
6 Brett Seney
7 Brandon Gignac
8 Artem Shlaine
9 Benjamin Baumgartner
I'd say center is another area of some concern for the Devils. There are a lot of names here, but no sure bets and no top-6 talents. Fortunately, the Devils are set for many years with an unbelievably talented duo of top overall picks in Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. I really like Maltsev, I think he can develop into a third-line, shut down guy who can also contribute offensively. I was high on the Pytlik pick (say that five times fast), he's a big, intelligent kid with a great shot and excellent two-way acumen. McLeod's tool box never caught up with his tool kit, but I'd say he has potential as a bottom 6 center or right wing. Sharangovich is a solid bottom-6 prospect, and his offensive game looks to be developing. Schnarr was a nice throw-in to get in the Taylor Hall deal. Seney could play some games on the Devils 4th line this year, maybe Gignac too. Shlaine is certainly a project, but he has some offensive tools to work with. Baumgartner's total package proved better than the sum of his parts this year in the Swiss league, and we might see him in the AHL pretty soon.
Conclusion:
If you're keeping score at home, that's 40 players who the Devils can consider legit NHL prospects. Even if you take away the "fringe players", we're still around 25 -- which is incredibly promising for the future. The Devils have the very best prospect talent and depth in the NHL at RW, and they're up there too at LD and LW. Considering the young age of Hischier and Hughes, the situation at center is also quite good for the foreseeable future. If Daws pans out in net, the Devils will basically be strong everywhere except at RD. I have nothing but accolades for Mr. Shero and Mr. Fitzgerald for building what was once a bereft prospect pool into a rich and deep well of talent.
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