New Jersey Devils Prospect Ranking No Longer Near The Top

The New Jersey Devils prospect pool was ranked in the top ten just one year ago. A variety of issues now has their rankings much closer to the bottom of the league.

The New Jersey Devils preach a youth movement for changing the face of their franchise. After five seasons without a playoff berth and multiple veterans making way too much money, the Devils rode that youth movement, and Taylor Hall, to the playoffs this season. Not only that, but there were supposedly prospects to come.

However, recent rankings of the Devils farm system shows a different story. The Sporting News just ranked the Devils 19th in the NHL. Just last year, The Hockey Writers ranked the Devils 6th in the league. So, what changed in a year?

Well, for one, the Devils have a different top overall prospect. Ty Smith has some thinking of the days when Scott Niedermayer was wearing the NJ crest. That’s some lofty expectations, but the defenseman immediately becomes the future of the team’s blue line. That should help the team’s rankings, right?

Well, Smith finds himself on the top of the list because multiple prospects have turned into roster players. Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Will Butcher would make the Devils system much better if they were still considered prospects. They are full blown NHLers. Also, take out Miles Wood, Blake Coleman, Stefan Noesen and Mirco Mueller, and that severely hurts the prospect pool’s depth.

While having all these young players on the NHL roster hurts, it shouldn’t be everything. It’s not the only reason the Devils prospect pool is severely tanking in the rankings.

The Devils top prospects had down seasons last year. Michael McLeod went from the hero who carried the Mississauga Steelheads to the OHL Finals to a player who couldn’t stay healthy while having a mediocre season in his return. McLeod spent his first games in the AHL, and could not score. He spent six games with Binghamton, and did not impress. That’s supposed to be the Devils top prospect.

Jesper Boqvist, who was last year’s second-round pick, also fought injuries all season. He broke his wrist early, and never really recovered. He didn’t make much headway in the Swedish league, and will now try again as he returns to Brynas.

MacKenzie Blackwood was plain terrible last season. He’s quickly looking like a bust as a second-round pick, and the future of the Devils goaltending position remains in doubt.

Nathan Bastian played much worse after he was separated from his ‘Super Buddies’ teammate McLeod, and only scored 10 goals in Binghamton.

John Quenneville went through another season that saw him fail to make the Devils NHL roster. Injuries also got in his way, as he seems like his future is as a bottom-six forward.

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That’s not all. The Devils also traded away Yegor Rykov, who many scouts really liked. Sure, it’s possible he never makes his way to the NHL, but the Russian defenseman could be really good if he does. The Devils lost him in the Michael Grabner deal, which was a colossal loss for the franchise.

Also, the Devils were without a second or third-round pick in this year’s draft. Losing top of the draft talent that hasn’t been tainted always hurts a team’s ranking.

Still, even with everything that’s been mentioned, it still seems like this is an unfair ranking. McLeod still has immense skill, and looked great in the OHL playoffs. Smith is an amazing defensive prospect. Aarne Talvitie looks like another sixth round steal. Joey Anderson could make the NHL out of training camp after leaving Minnesota Duluth. There’s plenty to be excited about.

The Devils rank behind the Montreal Canadiens prospects. That seems hard to believe. The Devils prospects have to prove last year was a fluke, and the midseason rankings will move closer to the top ten.

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