New Jersey Devils: Top 25 Prospects At Midseason
By Nick Villano
25. 85. Michael Vukojevic. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. D. Kitchener Rangers
Previously Ranked: 22
Michael Vukojevic fell three spots from his preseason rankings. There’s nothing wrong with his season, it was and still is just incredibly hard to rank him. He’s made some minor improvements this season with the Kitchener Rangers, and he’s starting to develop an offensive game. He certainly has the size the Devils are looking for in defensemen, standing at 6’3. Still, he has some work to do on some very important aspects, like puck handling. There is definitely a future for this 3rd-round pick, and he’s still just 18 years old (doesn’t turn 19 until June), and has a lot to build on.
C. Yegor Sharangovich. 24. player. Scouting Report. Binghamton Devils. 85. Pick Analysis
Previously Ranked: 23
Yegor Sharangovich has worked his way on to the top line of the Binghamton Devils, playing between two players ranked 11 and 10 on this list most nights. It’s…. strange. He only has nine points while playing most games. Binghamton coach Mark Dennehy has a weird faith in him. We originally had him off the list, but can we take off the first-line AHL center who’s just 21 years old and only in his second professional season in North America? He has a lot of skill, but we need to see more.
RW. Adirondack Thunder. Nikita Popugaev. 85. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 23. player
Previously Ranked: 15
This is the biggest drop on the entire list, but you wouldn’t know it based on the stats. We thought this might be the season Nikita Popugaev finally showed the chops that had some draft analysts saying he had 1st-round talent. Well, he hasn’t even been able to play himself on to the Binghamton Devils. He’s in the Devils ECHL affiliate. Adirondack has been pretty bad this season, but Popugaev has been pretty good considering. He has 21 points in 33 games. We expected more, thus the eight spot drop. We expect to see him in Binghamton when the New Jersey Devils make a few call ups.
Pick Analysis. Providence College. Patrick Moynihan. Scouting Report. C. 22. player. 85
Previously Ranked: 25
Patrick Moynihan is the first player on this list who’s got good news to share. He’s the first one to move up on the list (although it is still early). Moynihan is having a decent season at Providence College, where he has 16 points in 25 games in his freshman season. In just his last game, Moynihan scored the game-winning game against the University of New Hampshire, helping lead the number 11 team in the country to victory. He’s gotten better as the season has gone, and he could see himself fly up these charts by the time we get to the preseason chart.
Scouting Report. Nate Schnarr. player. Pick Analysis. C. Binghamton Devils. 21. 85
Previously Ranked: NR
We come to the first prospect that the New Jersey Devils got from the Arizona Coyotes in the Taylor Hall trade. Schnarr is by far the prospect we expect the least from, but he could surprise us as a nice fourth-line player in the future. He’s been playing well with Binghamton, scoring five points in 10 games. He’s been on the fourth line there, so the former 3rd-round pick has some work to do. In his last OHL season with the Guelph Storm, he scored 102 points. He has ability, but he’s having trouble It’s his first pro season, so he’s going to take some time to adjust to the speed and physicality, but he could very well be an NHLer one day.