The New Jersey Devils have a great defensive prospect in Ty Smith. While he is probably good enough to make the roster as a rookie, he probably shouldn’t.
The New Jersey Devils really hit the jackpot in the 2018 NHL Draft. Defenseman Ty Smith fell to them at 17, and instead of trading back the team jumped on him immediately. It is already looking like the right move, as Smith stands out in every single situation he plays in. Now that he’s taking part in his first NHL training camp, he’s once again standing out.
He’s standing out so much, there’s talk he could make the roster on opening night. While that would be great for the Devils this season and for the foreseeable future if he’s great, it may not be worth the situation it puts the team in.
The Devils currently have five locks to make the opening night roster on defense. Will Butcher, Sami Vatanen, Andy Greene, Damon Severson and Ben Lovejoy will be on the roster in some way, shape or form, even if they aren’t on the ice. That leaves, at most, three spots on the roster for defenseman. It’s probably two, but lets pretend they can hold eight defensemen again.
More from Pucks and Pitchforks
- Should New Jersey Devils Try Load Management With Vitek Vanecek?
- New Jersey Devils Will Prove That Last Year Wasn’t A Fluke
- New Jersey Devils: Luke Hughes’ Playmaking Will Outshine His Mistakes
- New Jersey Devils: Chase Stillman’s Performance Causes Concern
- Can Devils Fans Separate Zach Parise Heartbreak From Achievements?
For those three spots, the Devils must find a spot for Eric Gryba, Steve Santini, Mirco Mueller and Yegor Yakovlev. All four players bring a varying set of issues by sending them down to the minors. Santini just signed a three-year, one-way deal in the offseason. He’s also not waiver exempt. Mueller also has to go through waivers, and he’s on the final year of his deal. If Ray Shero wants to get his money’s worth from the two picks he sent to the San Jose Sharks to get him, he has to get a legit chance this season. Yakovlev didn’t come here from Russia to play in the minors, and he’s already showing really good things early in training camp. Then there’s Gryba, the Devils biggest free agency signing.
Basically, John Hynes already has a hard decision to make this season. Legitimately adding Smith to the equation makes it even more difficult. That’s not a reason to take him out completely, but taking into account how most defensemen take a little longer to develop, it’s probable he will be even better with a year in Juniors.
Does it look like Smith has the skills to make the roster of an NHL team? Probably, but with the situation the Devils find them in, maybe it’s time to temper expectations. On top of that, he’s listed at just 176 pounds. It’s one thing for a skilled forward to be undersized, but a small, young defenseman might just be asking for an injury.
Smith will be great next year when the Devils have more openings on the roster. He will also have some more weight to him, and one more year of experience. It’s the best situation now and in the future to have Smith wait a year.