3 New Jersey Devils Prospects to Watch During Rookie Camp

Hockey season is just around the corner. Training camps are getting ready to start, followed by preseason, and the regular season will be kicking off on Sept. 29. Ahead of all of that excitement, though, the rookies are about to put in some work.

The New Jersey Devils are about to kick off their rookie camp, which begins on Saturday, Sept. 12. Ahead of the camp, the team finally announced the rookie camp roster. The roster is stacked with 25 players, consisting of 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and three goaltenders. Three of these players also received a camp invite from the team.

While all the players named to the rookie camp roster will be exciting to watch, let’s look at the top three to pay attention to during rookie camp.

Anton Silaev

The number one player who jumps out on the rookie camp roster is Anton Silaev. The Devils drafted Silaev 10th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Russian-born player has yet to make his debut on North American ice, as he has played the last two seasons after being drafted back in his home country.

Silaev played for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Last season, he played in 61 games and recorded three points via one goal and two assists. Although Silaev didn’t have the most impressive offensive performance in the KHL, he has the chance to step it up in the NHL.

He is currently signed to a three-year entry-level contract, with a cap hit of $1.75 million. This will be his first time taking the ice in the Devils’ red and black, and he will want to make a lasting impact from the beginning of his time in New Jersey. Luckily for Silaev, he has plenty of time to make his mark with the Devils.

Lenni Hameenaho

Unlike Silaev, who is taking the ice for the first time with the Devils, Lenni Hameenaho is looking to make a bigger break this season. Hameenaho played his first season with the Devils last season. He split his time between the Devils and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate team, the Utica Comets. With the Devils, he played in 33 games and scored two goals and recorded six assists. In Utica, he played 37 games, scoring 10 goals and notching 16 assists.

The Devils were plagued with injuries last season, which is partially why Hameenaho got his chance to play in his first NHL game. Unfortunately for him, his time with the Devils didn’t last long. While Silaev is trying to prove to Devils management they made the right choice in drafting him, Hameenaho is going out onto the ice to prove to management he deserves a full-time roster spot in New Jersey.

Jakub Małek

Jakub Małek is a name Devils fans should be partially familiar with. The Czech-born goaltender was selected in the fourth round by the Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft. He remained in Europe to continue his hockey career there, but last season, he played on North American ice for the first time.

Malek primarily played for the Comets; however, he did play two games with the Adirondack Thunder, the Devils’ ECHL team. In the 31 games Malek played with the Comets, he earned a record of 13-14-15, a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.75, and a save percentage (SV%) of .895.

Last season, Malek was the backup goaltender, while Nico Daws was the primary goaltender in Utica. This season, it appears the Devils will be leaning more towards running a three-goaltender system. With Daws getting the call-up to the NHL, Malek will have to hold it down in Utica.

Even though Malek might not be ready for the NHL just yet, he is a player to watch to see just how strong the Devils pipeline truly is. Players like Malek are getting ready to become the next face of Devils goaltending; now fans will get another chance to see what he is capable of doing.

Rookie Camp Kicks off Saturday

Once rookie camp starts with training on Saturday, Sept. 12, there is no slowing down for these young players. On Sunday, Sept. 13, the Devils will host the New York Islanders’ rookie camp team for a scrimmage at the RWJ Barnabas Center, the Devils’ training facility. Monday, Sept. 14, will consist of another training day, while Tuesday, Sept. 15, will mark another scrimmage against the Islanders rookies, this time at the Northwell Health Ice Center. Both of these games will be available for fans to watch.