The New Jersey Devils will enter the 2023-24 season as legitimate Cup contenders. General manager Tom Fitzgerald and his staff have utilized the draft and made trades to create a prospect pool that is the envy of most teams in the league. While top “prospects” Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier have graduated into superstars, there is a diverse, well-stocked group knocking on the door to join them. Below examines the top ten prospects in the pool and names four honorable mentions.
For purposes of this article, the term prospect will be defined as a player who is under 23 years old and has not played in more than 20 NHL games in a single season or 30 cumulatively. Goaltenders, while also a strength for the Devils pool, will not be discussed, as it is too difficult to make direct comparisons to skaters. Prospects are ranked according to potential impact on the NHL roster. The 2023 Draft class has been omitted as none are within imminent reach of making the NHL and will be reevaluated after their D+1 season. However, there is certainly reason to be excited about the players selected.
Honorable Mentions
- Samu Salminen
- Ethan Edwards
- Petr Hauser
- Daniil Orlov
10. Chase Stillman – Forward, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, 20 Years Old
A late first-round draft pick in 2021, Chase Stillman is headed to Utica of the American Hockey League (AHL) this fall. Stillman took a sizeable step forward this season and looks to be penciled in for Devils training camp with a chance to crack the roster, likely, in 2024-25. He is known for his hard-driving play, toughness, and skill. He potted 19 goals in the regular season while racking up 77 penalty minutes. Stillman also went viral for dropping the gloves in the playoffs.
Prediction: Stillman will play well at camp and use his size to acclimate quickly. He is likely behind Nolan Foote and Graeme Clarke, but it would not be shocking to see him force a call-up at some point and be ready to contribute in a bottom-six role more fully in 2024-25.
9. Arseni Gritsyuk – Winger, 5-foot-11, 192 pounds, 22 Years Old
Devils fans have been teased with clips of the diminutive but stout Russian winger scoring highlight-reel goals in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Arseni Gritsyuk has the skill to be higher on this list and may be considered a more valuable asset in a trade than some ranked above him; however, he is unlikely to be available to the Devils for another two seasons, following the expiration of his KHL contract. Gritsyuk has become a social media sensation for his workouts and physique, as well as his play. Last season, he posted 40 points in 66 KHL games. His elite skill is his shot and ability to release quickly at multiple angles.
Prediction: Gritsyuk and the Devils both agree that after two seasons he will have a chance to walk into the NHL. When describing the former fifth-round pick in 2019, the Devils have cited the path of Kiril Kaprizov as a model. With the top-six set for the next several years, Gritsyuk is an ideal candidate to be dangled in a trade or could be used as insurance should a player like Alexander Holtz not fulfill his potential.
8. Josh Filmon – Winger, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, 19 Years Old
For the second year in a row, Josh Filmon turned heads at the Devils Development Camp. Filmon is the youngest player on this list and possibly the most intriguing. His lack of weight caused him to plummet down draft boards despite being ranked 38th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting until he was taken by the Devils in the sixth round of the 2022 Draft (166th overall).
Filmon internalized the draft day fall and has used it as motivation to drive his play, and he went from 45 points in the 2021-22 season to 47 goals alone in 2022-23. At camp, he demonstrated more than just his finishing skills. He was able to find open gaps in the offensive zone and was active along the boards and in the defensive zone. He has also become an above-average skater, flashing speed as he gets going, and demonstrated his maturity and comfort with the media that leaves people feeling that he has a bright future.
Prediction: Filmon will finish out his junior campaign this season with a letter on his jersey. He has said that he wants to make the Canadian World Junior Team, which would be a recognition of his growth. He will likely need another full AHL season after leaving Swift Current to be ready for the NHL. But by the time he is 21, he should be ready to compete for a roster spot, likely as a middle-six winger with the ability to become a 25-30 goal scorer
7. Graeme Clarke – Winger, 6-feet, 175 pounds, 22 Years Old
In some way, Graeme Clarke is what Filmon projects to be in two to three years. Clarke does not have Filmon’s height, but he has shown steady improvement in Utica and ended last season with 25 goals and a late-season call-up to the Devils. His calling card is his smooth hands and lethal wrist shot. However, he will need to continue to improve his play away from the puck and along the boards to become a consistent NHL player.
Related: Devils Development Camp News & Notes
Prediction: Clarke will push Holtz for a roster spot in the NHL this season. With a strong training camp, he has an opportunity to make the team and play in the middle six. If not, he will certainly be on the radar for a call-up should injuries strike. He is still waivers exempt, so look for him to earn a ton of frequent-flyer miles on the Utica to Newark shuttle.
6. Topias Vilen – Defense, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, 20 Years Old
The first, but not last, defense prospect to make the list, Topias Vilen has shot up to near the top of the Devils’ prospect pool. At 20, Vilen has played over 120 games in Liiga, the top league in Finland. His play this season drew acclaim and brought him to North America, where he plans to stay and attempt to make the roster out of training camp. When asked at Development Camp what his goals were, Vilen paused, smiled, and said, “I just want to be the steal of the draft.” He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 Draft, so he may be on to something. He already has NHL size and plays a steady game with the ability to join the play and activate offensively.
Prediction: Vilen will impress in preseason games and camp and get himself paired with Simon Nemec in Utica to start the season. Should Kevin Bahl’s play dip or there are injuries on the left side, he would be the first choice to receive a call-up, especially since he is still waivers exempt. Long-term, he has the ability to be a left-side John Marino. The question for the Devils is whether there is room for Vilen long-term or if can they use him to acquire a player who better fits their needs down the road.
5. Nolan Foote – Winger, 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, 22 years Old
Nolan Foote is the oldest player on this list and will turn 23 in November, so it’s time for him to make the roster and make an impact. Fitzgerald mentioned Foote to the media as an example of a player who has responded to their development program and who he is excited about entering this season.
Foote has unique size for the prospect pool and plays with an edge on the walls. He has improved his offensive game, going from 14 to 20 goals over the last two AHL campaigns. He flashed his potential in his brief stint with the Devils last season and was often used as the injury insurance call-up, playing six games. For a bottom-six winger, he has been productive in his time in the NHL, with seven points in 19 games. If he can continue to find ways to score around the net, he should become a contributor in the NHL.
Prediction: Foote had to be disheartened when the team signed Tomas Nosek, as he likely fills what was a potential fourth-line roster spot that was tailor-made for Foote. He will be given every opportunity to make the team in training camp, but with Nosek, Curtis Lazar, Nathan Bastian, and Ondrej Palat likely ahead of him on the depth chart, he will have an uphill climb. Further complicating things is that he is now waivers exempt, so the Devils would have to either keep him in the NHL, trade him, or risk losing him via waivers. Look for Foote to make the team out of camp and initially be used as a 14th forward.
4. Seamus Casey – Defense, 5-foot-10, 178 Pounds, 19 Years Old
To anyone who attended Devils Development Camp, there was no mistaking Seamus Casey as the most talented player on the ice. Casey’s skills were on full display in the 3v3 tournament, where he showed his small area quickness and a lethal ability to get his shot off in tight spaces with accuracy. He also showed his defensive prowess, as he seemed to be a step ahead of opponents, often using his quickness to break up plays before they began.
There is some debate as to whether he should be moved up to forward to take advantage of his speed and puck skills, especially given his size. He did play center a bit at Michigan and excelled there. When asked about his best position, Casey said he is simply “a hockey player” and that he is willing to do whatever he can to help his team. He has been successful at every level and will be a main cog in the US World Junior Championship team this winter.
Prediction: A player of Casey’s talent is destined for NHL success. Before he was drafted, he was ranked anywhere from 10th to 51st by evaluators. For the Devils to have selected him in the mid-second round was a steal. Although he is still likely a year or two away from making an impact in the NHL, New Jersey has a ton of depth on the right-side defense, so it’s uncertain whether there is room for Casey. If not, he would certainly be a valuable asset should the Devils need to acquire a piece at the deadline.
3. Alexander Holtz – Winger, 6-feet, 195 Pounds, 21 Years Old
This is a make-or-break offseason for Holtz. The seventh-overall pick in the 2020 Draft was given an opportunity to play in the NHL last season and never found his way. After an auspicious start, including the Devils’ first goal of the season, Holtz’s play away from the puck and skating doomed him to the scratch suite for weeks at a time while the Devils continued to win. It got to the point that he asked Fitzgerald for a demotion to be able to play every day in Utica.
His shooting and playmaking talent is undeniable, but he has yet to put it all together at the NHL level. He has been dominant in the AHL, scoring at just under a point-per-game pace, and still has the potential to be an impactful, 30-goal, 70-point player in the NHL.
Prediction: There is a reason for that open roster spot on the right wing. The Devils desperately want Holtz to take that spot in training camp and show a return on the investment they made in him at the 2020 Draft. He will start the season on the Devils’ third line and, with the guidance of Erik Haula and Ondrej Palat, will have an opportunity to grow into the role. There is no doubt the goals will come for him, but learning defensive responsibility and playing away from the puck from Haula and Palat would elevate Holtz to an NHL regular. Should the Devils not be satisfied with his improvement, he would be a top candidate to be moved in a trade.
2. Simon Nemec – Defense, 6-feet, 190 Pounds, 19 Years Old
It took Simon Nemec a few months to adapt to playing in North America last season, but by the end of the AHL season, he had become the player the Devils had expected when they selected him second overall in the 2022 Draft. So much so that the team was comfortable allowing veteran Damon Severson to leave via free agency, opening up a spot on the right side that Nemec will have a chance to win in camp. Nemec displays maturity in his game, is an excellent puck transporter and playmaker, and has improved his rush defense. His AHL stats were as good as any U19 defenseman in the last decade.
Prediction: Nemec will begin the season in Utica and gain experience, especially quarterbacking the power play and matching against the opposition’s top lines. He will be a late-season call-up and become a full-time roster staple for the next decade, starting next season. Eventually, he will become a top-pair, right-shot defenseman.
1. Luke Hughes – Defense, 6-foot-2, 185 Pounds, 19 Years Old
There are few superlatives for Luke Hughes that are undeserving. Not only has the highly-touted youngest brother of the Hughes clan succeeded at every level, he even surpassed expectations in his brief but critical stint in the NHL for the Devils last season. He made an immediate contribution, netting a game-winning overtime goal against the Washington Capitals for the first of his career.
He is a big, fast, mobile, puck-moving defenseman with exceptional vision and a knack for playmaking. All of his skills were on display in the second-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes when the Devils eventually leaned on him to play 25 minutes in an elimination game. For a coach like Lindy Ruff, who is known to rely heavily on his veterans to show so much faith in Hughes, speaks volumes.
Prediction: Hughes will begin the season paired with John Marino and be utilized as the quarterback of PP2. He will be an instant contender for the Calder Trophy and will have no difficulty adjusting to the grind of the NHL game, having watched both of his brothers succeed. His emergence is the latest signal that the rebuild is over, and the Devils are now a Stanley Cup contender and will be for years.
Despite graduating players like Jack Hughes, Dawson Mercer, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt and trading Fabian Zetterlund, Reilly Walsh, Yegor Sharangovich, and Shakir Mukhamadullin, the prospect pool is still very deep and will remain so once Nemec, Hughes, and Holtz arrive in the NHL. Fitzgerald and his staff deserve credit for building a system that will replenish itself and sustain long-term success.