With most of their former top prospects having already graduated, the New Jersey Devils‘ farm system may not be what it was a few years back. That’s not a bad thing; many of those graduates, such as Luke Hughes and Arseny Gritsyuk, are now making a sizeable impact on the NHL squad.
Related: New Jersey Devils’ Top 10 Prospects for 2025-26
Don’t get it twisted, though: the Devils’ system is certainly respectable despite a lack of high first-round picks in recent years. This is the beginning of a bi-weekly series (once every two weeks) which will take a deeper dive into notable prospect pool storylines. Remember: Just because a player’s stock is ‘up’ does not mean they’re a “better” prospect than someone whose stock is down, and vice versa.
Stock Up: Gustav Hillstrom
Hillstrom, selected 114th overall in the 2025 Draft, is a 6-foot-2 Swedish forward who is just 18 years old. His ceiling is likely a middle-six center at best, but it was excellent slot value for the Devils as some outlets ranked Hillstrom to go as early as #29 with an average of #69 across 15 major outlets.
He has always shown a mature, responsible two-way game but the question was how much of a step his offense could take. Returning to Brynäs IF’s U20 squad, he posted 16 points (7G, 9A) in 10 games — an 81% increase in production — prompting a recent call up to Brynäs’ men’s squad in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Only five of 375 skaters in the Swedish U20 league have had a higher points-per-game pace.
At Development Camp in July, Hillstrom told The Hockey Writers that one of his role models/mentors has been former NHL player Jakob Silfverberg. With Hillstrom being called up to the men’s squad, the two are now teammates.
Stock Down: Anton Silayev
The 6-foot-7 Silayev (drafted 10th overall in 2024) is arguably the Devils’ top prospect at this point, but unfortunately, it’s been an excruciatingly frustrating season for the defenseman in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has just one point — an assist — in 24 games.
That may not tell the full story, though: his average ice time has plummeted from 17:25 per game to 13:34. Could it be underperformance or a lack of trust? Possibly, but it’s more likely a form of punishment as they know he could leave for North America as early as April. Remember: Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov, who is now tearing up the NHL, was benched in the KHL last season on multiple occasions without any valid reasoning.
In fact, in the last five games, Silayev’s average ice time is just 8:22. Even if he was mightily struggling, he was drafted so high for a reason; he would not be that much of a liability to where he’s almost unplayable. Don’t panic: once he can get to North America, his situation will likely be much better.
Stock Up: Trenten Bennett
6-foot-8 netminder Trenten Bennett was arguably the biggest wild card of the Devils’ entire 2025 draft (#99 overall). On one hand, the 19-year-old’s size is an undeniable asset. But on the other, his numbers were peculiar, as his numbers were worse in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) than the much better Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
While he just suffered his first loss this season, he’s 5-1-0 with a .915 save percentage (SV)%. For someone of his size, he moves pretty well and to the eye test, there aren’t many notable deficiencies. It’s a small sample but through 13 total career OHL games, he sports a .919 SV%.
He’s set to head down St. Lawrence University to play college hockey next season. It’s still early but if he continues to put up elite numbers, he’ll be a prospect worth keeping an eye on.
Stock Down: Mikhail Yegorov
Do not panic: just because Mikhail Yegorov has been struggling does not mean he loses his status as an upper echelon goaltending prospect. After tearing it up for Boston University (BU) last season and nearly dragging them to a National Championship, he’s faltered early on to the tune of a 3.62 goals against average (GAA) and .887 SV% in nine games.
While there have been a few he’d want back, BU’s defense has mightily struggled at times. It’s clear that Yegorov’s playing time is not in danger; their backup has only started one of the 11. He’s previously struggled behind shoddy defenses before and still found his way to bounce back and remain effective — most notably with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2023-24. There was a game last week where Yegorov gave up three early goals, but while the counting stats look rough, they could’ve given up five or six if he didn’t stand on his head. That’s why numbers don’t always tell the full story.
Matt Beck, his former goalie coach from Omaha, told The Hockey Writers last year: “[Yegorov] has always been very hard working and wants to know why we do things. He’s an analytical thinker who is always curious to learn and get better.”
Rest assured: it shouldn’t take long for Yegorov to get back on track.
Stock Up: Daniil Orlov
The 6-foot-1 left-handed defensive defenseman (2022, #110 overall) has shown some promise in the KHL this season…and unlike Silayev, he’s been an integral part of his team, averaging 21:03 per night. While the motor and shutdown defensive ability was always there, some questioned if he could generate enough offense to hold his own in the NHL.
Through 21 games, he’s notched 12 points, nearly matching his total from all of last season. While most of those points were in the first half of those games, there’s a clear offensive touch that wasn’t previously there. While his ceiling is more like a bottom-pair defenseman, he can still one day become a valuable piece to a future Devils team that relies on speed and shutdown defensive ability.
Stock Down: Jakub Malek
With Yegorov’s success last season, Jakub Malek (2021, #100 overall) flew under the radar a little more than he should’ve. After posting three solid seasons playing pro in Finland, his start in Utica (American Hockey League) has been rough: 4.07 GAA and .856 SV% in four games.
However, Utica as a whole has mightily struggled so Malek hasn’t gotten much help. It’s worth noting that in his lone preseason appearance, he had a .923 SV% against the New York Islanders. It’s hard to fault Malek, especially in such a small sample size, but regardless those numbers are far from ideal.
Like Yegorov, it would not be surprising to see Malek bounce back quickly as Utica, with a ton of newcomers, adapts and meshes together. Their roster is way too talented for a 1-6-1 record.
Quick Mention:
Lenni Hameenaho and Shane LaChance have both yet to notch a single point in Utica, but even the veterans have struggled to score. It’s not worth panicking over at this moment; only one player has more than four points. For whatever the reason, the environment/playing style in Utica has not been conducive to anybody’s success.
