5 New Jersey Devils Prospects Who Can Make A Major Jump In 2020-21

Nikita Okhotyuk

When we went to sleep on the first day of the 2019 NHL Draft, the New Jersey Devils still had three 2nd-round picks and Jack Hughes secured in their grasp. By the end of day two, the Devils traded away two of those picks (one in the P.K. Subban deal and one to trade down for two 3rd-round picks with the San Jose Sharks). So, after waiting for most of the round, but still riding high on the Subban trade, the Devils finally made their first pick with the second to last pick in the round, and they chose defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk.

During the season, the Devils signed him to an entry-level deal while he was playing for the Ottawa 67s. He was one of many players the Devils were watching play for the team. Okhotyuk isn’t the type of defensive prospect that gets a lot of hype in today’s NHL since he isn’t putting up 50 points in juniors. However, he’s proven he can cut down space, which is crucial for an NHL defenseman in today’s game.

He’s still a teenager and will be one when the NHL season starts on December 1st. The 19 year old showed a lot of growth in the OHL for one of the top teams in that league.

This season, the Devils could bring Okhotyuk to the AHL to develop even more, or they can let him play one more season in juniors to finish his career there. He might have some unfinished business to take care of since the pandemic cut their season short. The 67s won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy for the best team in their conference twice, but both times for different reasons they didn’t make it to the OHL Finals. A lot of the talent on the team might want to return for one more run.

Either way, we expect a big season out of Okhotyuk. He’s going to show he can be a shutdown middle-pairing defenseman this season. If the Devils can find someone to keep shooters out of the high-danger area, it’s going to be huge for them.