The New Jersey Devils’ loaded prospect pool has dwindled somewhat with the trade of Shakir Mukhamadullin to the San Jose Sharks and the promotion of Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Alex Holtz to full-time NHL players. The cupboard remains far from barren as the Devils still boast several players likely to have a bright future in the NHL, some sooner than you think.
Below is an updated look at the summer 2023 top ten with additional players added. This summer’s prediction will be revisited, evaluated, and revised. The Devils are fortunate to have a diverse prospect group with players at several stages of development in leagues worldwide. It is important to view the group as a whole since there are no guarantees who will or won’t make it, as there are always surprises, like a sixth-round pick from Sweden emerging as an All-Star caliber player.
Luke Hughes – Defense, 6-foot-2, 185 Pounds, 19 Years Old
Summer 2023 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.
2023 Reality So Far: Simply put, it’s better than expected. Hughes moved throughout the lineup, pairing with almost every other defenseman at a time, largely staying recently with Colin Miller. He also supplanted Dougie Hamilton as the quarterback of PP1, which is no small feat considering it is the top power-play unit in the NHL.
Hughes leads all rookie defensemen in points (16) and is tied for second among all skaters. He is tied for the lead amongst all rookies in assists (12), game-winning goals (1), and power-play goals (3). He is averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per night, and according to Money Puck, he is a part of three of the top 27 defensive pairs ranked by expected goals for percentage (xGF%). No other defenseman, rookie or veteran, is listed in the top 27 three times; the only defenseman listed more than once is Jakob Chychrun.
Simon Nemec – Defense, 6-feet, 190 Pounds, 19 Years Old
Summer 2023 Prediction: Simon 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.
2023 Reality So Far: Nemec’s season began in Utica, where he got experience running a power play and defending against top lines. When the Devils needed insurance, he was not the first call-up, as his development and playing in games was prioritized over serving as a backup at the NHL level. This all changed when Dougie Hamilton went down with a pectoral tear that will cost him months of the season. The Devils called Nemec up and immediately slotted him in Hamilton’s right-side slot, pairing him with Jonas Siegenthaler and quarterbacking PP2.
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Thus far, Nemec has exceeded expectations for a rookie in his debut week. In just five games, he has seamlessly integrated himself into the lineup. Other than some rookie mistakes in coverage, it has been a revelation, drawing early comparisons to former Devils defenseman and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Scott Neidermayer. In five games, Nemec is averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time, has four points, and has a game-winning goal. He may have played his final game in Utica and is likely to remain in New Jersey throughout the pendency of Hamilton’s injury, which will be measured in months, not weeks.
Alexander Holtz – Winger, 6-feet, 195 Pounds, 21 Years Old
Summer 2023 Prediction: The Devils desperately want Holtz to show a return on their investment 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.
“I just want to be a consistent goal scorer. I don’t want to have a slump, so I just want to keep producing every game…I feel like my forechecking game is getting stronger for sure, you get a lot more loose pucks and more trust from your teammates so of course my offense can open up.”
Alexander Holtz
2023 Reality So Far: For the first time in his career, Alex Holtz is trending in the right direction. The young Swede has found a permanent role on the team, having played in all 26 games. He has yet to find a consistent group of linemates, having moved throughout the lineup from the first to the fourth line, largely due to injury. He has found a regular spot on PP2 and is showing great improvement in winning the wall battles and doing the little things in the game that the Devils beseeched him to work on this summer.
One area that has never been a question is Holtz’s lethal shot. He has found a way to fill into open areas in the slot and use his shot, scoring eight goals so far and shooting north of 18 percent. He looks like the player the Devils envisioned and continues to improve. He is on pace to surpass 20 goals and should be a mainstay for the Devils for years.
Seamus Casey – Defense, 5-foot-10, 178 Pounds, 19 Years Old
Summer 2023 Prediction: Before getting 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 likely a year or two away from making an impact in the NHL, the Devils have 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.
2023 Reality So Far: Casey is the first player on this list who has not yet appeared in a Devils sweater this season, though that idea does not seem as far-fetched as it once did. He has been dominant in the early going for the University of Michigan’s hockey club. He is second in the nation amongst defensemen in points and is the current points leader for the 13th-ranked Wolverines. Casey has been selected as a finalist for the USA’s World Junior Championship team.
Nolan Foote – Winger, 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, 22 years Old
Summer 2023 Prediction: Nolan Foote had to be disheartened when the team signed Tomas Nosek, as he likely filled 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 as the 14th forward.
2023 Reality So Far: Unfortunately for Foote, he didn’t finish training camp healthy and is yet to play a game this season. The team has never disclosed the injury or extent, but it is serious. It is conceivable that had he been healthy, he would have gotten several opportunities with the Devils as the team scrambled to add the likes of Max Willman when a plague of injuries ravaged the team in November. Should his recovery continue on the right path, Foote will likely see some NHL action before the end of the season.
Topias Vilen – Defense, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, 20 Years Old
Summer 2023 Prediction: Vilen will impress in preseason games and camp and be 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 can be a left-side John Marino. The question for the Devils is whether there is room for Vilen long-term or if they can use him to acquire a player who better fits their needs down the road.
2023 Reality So Far: Vilen has been good but not great, splitting time between Utica and Adirondack of the ECHL. He is still adjusting to the North American game. Ben Birnell, who covers the Comets for the Daily Sentinel, shared that Vilen has been working his way back into the lineup after an injury sidelined him earlier in the year. He has also been getting time on the power play of late.
Graeme Clarke – Winger, 6-feet, 175 pounds, 22 Years Old
Summer 2023 Prediction: Graeme Clarke will push Holtz for a roster spot in the NHL this season. With a strong training camp, he can make the team and play in the middle six. If not, he will be on the radar for a call-up should injuries strike. He is still waivers exempt, so look for him to earn frequent-flyer miles on the Utica to Newark shuttle.
2023 Reality So Far: Clarke currently leads the Comets in points with 18 in 21 games. Why has he not gotten a call-up, especially during the dog days of November when the Devils were relying on Max Willman and Justin Dowling? Probably because, at that time, he was having an underwhelming season. Birnell observed, “Clarke is playing a more direct game. He’s got good hands and offensive ability, and playing that more direct game seems to be helping him find a rhythm.” He began the year having difficulty, scoring only seven points in his first 15 games, including a six-game scoreless streak. But Clarke has been on fire in the six games since, scoring 11 points in just six games. Should the injury bug hit again and the Devils need scoring, look for Clarke to be the first on the shuttle.
Josh Filmon – Winger, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, 19 Years Old
Summer 2023 Prediction: Josh Filmon will finish his junior campaign this season with a letter on his jersey. He has said he wants to make the Canadian World Junior Team, which would recognize his growth. He will likely need another full AHL season after leaving Swift Current to prepare 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.
2023 Reality So Far: Filmon has continued where he left off in Swift Current, averaging 1.07 points per game. He is currently second on the team in points with 29. It does not look like he will be joining the Canadian team at the World Juniors, but his play has not dropped off, which should land him in the AHL after his WHL season. He remains a long-term prospect to watch for Devils fans.
Arseni Gritsyuk – Winger, 5-foot-11, 192 pounds, 22 Years Old
Summer 2023 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 Kirill Kaprizov’s path 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 used as insurance should a player like Holtz not fulfill his potential.
2023 Reality So Far: Gritsyuk has been putting up impressive numbers in the KHL. Thus far he has eight goals in 21 games and has shown a knack for scoring around the goal. Like Filmon, Gritsyuk is not an immediate help for the Devils, but he could be attractive in a trade for a goaltender due to his readiness for NHL competition.
Chase Stillman – Forward, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, 20 Years Old
Summer 2023 Prediction: Chase 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.
He’s showing offensive instincts while playing a physical game. He’s noted learning from Kevin dineen as he’s someone he wants to try to model his game after.
Ben Birnell, Daily Sentinel
2023 Reality So Far: Stillman is playing the sort of game one would expect as he transitions from first-round draft pick to middle-six forward on a good team. He is playing with physicality, adding offensive production at a decent rate, and being rewarded with time on the power play. His maturity was evident in how he conducted himself in development camp and training camp this past summer. With the prolonged absence of Nolan Foote, the path to the NHL for Stillman is probably the clearest it has been in his career. He still has a shot at making an impact later this year or will be in line for competition in next season’s training camp.
Other Players to Keep an Eye On
Lenni Hameenaho – Forward, 6-feet, 175 pounds, 19 years old
The Devils’ 2023 second-round pick has flourished in Liiga in Finland. He leads Porrin Assat (his team) in goals and is fifth in the entire league. He has been selected for the provisional Finland World Junior Championship squad and will be a focal point of their roster. He will be viewed as a potential breakout player in the tournament, and the Devils are likely to do whatever they can to hasten his arrival in North America.
Isaac Poulter – Goalie, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, 21 years old
The Devils appear stocked at goalie in their development system with the likes of Tyler Brennan, Nico Daws, and Jakub Malek. None of those players have looked as good this season as Poulter. He has exceptional numbers for a 21-year-old in the AHL. Thus far this season, he is 8-3-1 with a .920 SV% and a 2.36 GAA.
Birnell says it may be time to pump the brakes on Poulter, not because he is playing over his head but because of the minuscule sample size and his age. “He’s built on his first season when he had a limited role. He seems to be seeing the puck well and playing with a lot of confidence. People have pondered signing him to an NHL deal and a call-up, but he’s played 26 total AHL games. The goal is to let goalies develop, and it seems like putting him in the NHL, where things move faster, wouldn’t be prudent from the organization, considering the goal was to avoid having Daws and Schmid play in the NHL so quickly. It’s a solid start, but he should continue to build.” With the emergence of Akira Schmid and stopgap options Keith Kinkaid and Erik Kallgren in the AHL, Poulter should have as much time as he needs to prepare for the big jump.
Daniil Misyul – Defenseman, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, 23 years old
The strong, mobile Belarusian turned heads with his play during training camp. He evoked comparisons to Nikita Okhotiuk and other big, physical, and athletic defensemen. He leads Utica in points by a defenseman and will likely get a call-up should the team struggle defensively. He has not been shy about throwing his body around but has done so wisely, collecting only 13 penalty minutes in over 20 games.
Birnell relays that Misyul is a better offensive player than previously thought; considering his numbers in the KHL, he described him as “plays a solid physical defensive game. His offensive instincts are better than I think people expected … he’s gotten to some good spots and has a strong shot.” Like Stillman and others, he is blocked at the NHL level but will be in the running should the Devils need reinforcements.
The Devils’ prospect pool remains deep, with several players in the NHL and others on the cusp of being ready. There is a pipeline of talent that’s well organized to not get overloaded at any position group. The future remains bright in New Jersey.
