The New Jersey Devils prospects are getting more respect than this team’s group has in years. This is solely thanks to the prospect of number one overall pick Nico Hischier.
The New Jersey Devils lucked out this offseason when the NHL Draft Lottery ended with them choosing first overall. General manager Ray Shero chose Nico Hischier over Nolan Patrick, which in hindsight looks like the right pick.
The excitement behind the prospect pool nationally is directly related to that pickup. Shero has been working to revamp the team’s prospect depth since he arrived.
ESPN’s Corey Pronman just ranked the Devils as the fifth best prospect pipeline in the NHL. This after the team ranked 19th just last season. The excitement behind this is thanks to Hischier, but he isn’t the only exciting prospect on this roster. Devils fans learned that during last month’s development camp.
Devils prospects have been proving themselves all offseason. Joey Anderson was great for Team USA during the World Juniors Summer Showcase. Sixth-round pick Aaron Talvitie was called the surprise of the tournament. Jesper Boqvist was also extremely impressive in that tournament. This is the first time I can remember the Devils having such a large presence at any Juniors tournament.
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Michael McLeod had a great season in the OHL alongside linemate and fellow Devils prospect Nathan Bastian. They helped take the Mississauga Steelheads to the OHL Final, which they lost to the Erie Otters.
This list doesn’t even include the young players who have NHL experience. Pavel Zacha is under 21 years old but has a full season under his belt. He will only get better with time. Miles Wood was a massive surprise at the beginning of last year, and fans hope he can relive some of the magic he brought. Steve Santini is expected to extend his role on a flailing blue line.
The Devils have been getting credit all offseason for its prospect pool. Bleacher Report ranked them third in the league. The Hockey Writers put them at 6th. The national hockey media likes what the Devils are doing, and the fans are just as excited. The Devils could further improve its prospects with some college free agent signings.
At the end of the day, this Devils team has a great future ahead of them. This is thanks to Shero and his savvy moves inside and out of the draft.