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New Jersey Devils: Reilly Walsh At Harvard University Update

By Vincent Parise

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 4: Harvard Crimson defenseman Reilly Walsh (2) waits for the puck to drop on a face off. During the Harvard Crimson game against the Boston College Eagles on February 4, 2019 at TD Garden in Boston, MA.(Photo by Michael Tureski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 4: Harvard Crimson defenseman Reilly Walsh (2) waits for the puck to drop on a face off. During the Harvard Crimson game against the Boston College Eagles on February 4, 2019 at TD Garden in Boston, MA.(Photo by Michael Tureski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils have a lot of intriguing prospects, but Reilly Walsh’s potential impact one day should excite all fans of the team.

The New Jersey Devils lost to the New York Rangers 6-3 Thursday night. The Rangers have a defenseman on their team by the name of Adam Fox. Fox was an absolute superstar at Harvard University. In 2018-19, he had 1.45 points per game for Harvard in a season that his NHL rights were traded from the Calgary Flames to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Dougie Hamilton trade. Then, it came out that he wasn’t ever going to sign with the Hurricanes, so they traded him to New York.

That move led to Fox playing in the NHL and not Harvard in 2019-20. That has allowed Devils defensive prospect Reilly Walsh to get a lot of Fox’s ice at Harvard. He has four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 14 games for Harvard as of right now. He is not quite as good as Fox but if he is almost as good as him one day that would be amazing for the New Jersey Devils. He is being given a chance to make an impact at the college hockey level and he is making a name for himself.

It was obvious that this might happen when it was announced that Fox was gone because Walsh would be getting more ice time and premier power-play ice. Walsh was a third-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. If he hits, that would mean that the Devils got something out of the first three rounds in that draft with Nico Hischier going first overall and Jesper Boqvist going to them in the second round.

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Walsh is not the biggest guy at 5’11” and 181 lbs. What is big is his abilities so hopefully, he can develop them into a level that gets him to the NHL one day. The Devils might need his help on the back end sooner rather than later so hitting on him could prove to be very important. This season has been a disappointment for the Devils but focusing on development is extremely important. If Reilly Walsh comes in and has a great training camp along with a good preseason he will have a chance to make it.

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