5 New Jersey Devils Prospects Who Could Turn Into Anything

Tyce Thompson

The New Jersey Devils 2019 4th-round pick made one of the biggest jumps in college hockey last season. In his freshman year with Providence College, he had 25 points in 42 games. Last season, he had 44 points in just 34 games. That was good for third in the entire NCAA. Sure, it helped he played with Jack Dugan, but Thompson did his fair share.

That’s where things get confusing for scouting purposes. Thompson did get to play with a future NHL player who’s now signed with the Vegas Golden Knights. Will Thompson do better in his junior season (if there is one) now that he’s the main guy on the team, or will he struggle with Dugan no longer playing with him?

Thompson is someone who works hard off the ice in order to be a better player on it. That’s something that bodes well for his future. Still, his skill set will only take him so far. Is he a diamond in the rough that teams literally passed on drafting twice before the Devils stepped up and took him? He was eligible for the 2017 and 2018 NHL Drafts, and nobody took him. Now, he has the makings of a future superstar if his development works out.

Thompson is someone who will listen to his coaches and put it into fruition on the ice. That’s huge for a player like him. That can lead to a role similar to what Blake Coleman provided for the Devils one day. He could be someone who scores 20 goals a season while also playing on every unit.

There are the downside possibilities, however. Obviously, losing confidence after Dugan leaves this season is possible. It might not be in his personality, but it’s hard to avoid that when a dynamic duo is broken up. He didn’t have a ton of upside going into the draft, but now he has unlimited potential. We’ve seen that before and it doesn’t always work out. His work ethic will probably lead to an NHL stint at some point, but it could take longer than we hope.