New Jersey Devils Top 25 Prospects Prior To 2019-20 Season

5. Michael McLeod

We’ve seen a lot of fans give up all hope for Michael McLeod already. We need to calm down. This is still one of the best prospects in the Devils organization. He’s got elite distribution skills. He needs to work on his finishing abilities. It’s weird, since he showed he was a scorer during his best season with Mississauga, but ever since he suffered an injury in Devils camp in 2017, he seems more timid. He still seems a little too timid in this week’s Prospects Challenge tournament. We need McLeod to shoot good shots. Seems obvious, but we haven’t seen it yet. This is probably the most important season of any player’s development in the Devils system.

4. Reilly Walsh

It’s been well documented that Reilly Walsh is getting a much bigger role with Harvard this season. Adam Fox left the top spot on the defense to Walsh when he graduated to the NHL. Now, Walsh goes into his junior season with huge expectations. Walsh is looking to show he can be a top-line prospect, and wants to earn a contract with the Devils after the season. Ray Shero told him that Harvard will be the best three years of his life. This is year three. Let’s hope this is the best year of his amateur career.

3. Jesper Boqvist

Jesper Boqvist is one of the most dynamic players in the Devils system. He could play every forward position with speed. He can skate incredibly fast with control, which we’ve seen what happens when a player has speed without control. Boqvist has two options this season. He’s either playing for the New Jersey Devils or Brynas IF of the SHL. There’s no inbetween. That means he has to have a great camp, not even just a good one, to show he deserves the last spot on the Devils roster. We’ve seen some flashes over the summer, but we hope to see a little more when he faces NHL players.

2. Ty Smith

Ty Smith isn’t having the best Prospects Challenge, but we’ve seen enough of him over the past year to know he is NHL ready. His skating is great. His passing is even better. Smith is an assist machine from the blue line. He can make the breakout pass, and can be the power play quarterback even at 19 years old. Did we hope to see a little more from Smith in this tournament? Sure, but his issues seem more about chemistry instead of talent based. Expect to see a great preseason from this guy.

1. Jack Hughes

It wasn’t going to be anybody else. Jack Hughes is the best prospect in all of hockey, and he’s coming to the Devils this season. He showed in his game against Buffalo in the Prospects Challenge that his talent is just head and shoulders about other prospects. Are there things he needs to work on? Of course, but his God-given talent is so ahead of everyone else, it’s insane. Hughes will keep this Devils team afloat by himself. With the rest of these prospects around him? This could be a really good Devils team for a really long time.