Janne Kuokkanen: 15 Points
My Prediction: HOLD
Janne Kuokkanen is one of the many prospects that made the starting roster. This will be Janne’s second chance to be a regular in the NHL after only playing one game with the Devils last year after being traded from Carolina at the trade deadline. Janne was a great fit for Binghamton as he produced six points in four games. He also had the opportunity to compete overseas by playing with Karpat of Liiga, the top professional league in Finland.
Kuokkanen is most likely going to play a bottom-six role with the Devils. He will try to display the skill that he had displayed when he excelled with Bingo. In 56 games, he will score around 15 points this season.
Miles Wood: 27 Points
My Prediction: UNDER
It seems that Miles Wood did not pan out to be the player that he was supposed to be. It is very unfortunate because Wood is one of the fastest players in the National Hockey League. How good is that speed if a player’s skills are not up to par? If Wood learns how to control his speed and be able to stickhandle well at top speed, he would be an extremely dangerous player. With a new coaching staff that loves to help young players develop, Lindy Ruff and Mark Recchi can work with Wood so he can match his skill with his speed.
With that being said, Wood will see a slight increase in production this season in comparison to last season; however, I think he will score fewer points than what some fans predicted. I think Miles will score 21 points in 56 games. This might be Wood’s last chance to prove himself to be a good depth player. If he does not play to what he is expected to, this might be his final season with the big club or maybe with the organization.
Michael McLeod: N/A
My Prediction: 12 Points
Michael McLeod making the starting roster was a huge surprise for me and possibly for a lot of fans. This is a great opportunity for McLeod to show that he belongs with the big club after being a disappointing prospect up to this point. Similar to Miles Wood, McLeod has incredible speed that his hands and skill cannot keep up with. If his skill can accompany his speed, McLeod can be a threatening depth player. Because of his underwhelming stats during his short tenure with the Devils and Binghamton, I predict that McLeod will score 12 points with the Devils this season. I wish the best of luck for him and I hope he can finally find success this season.
Note: I did not get any predictions from fans for McLeod. But, it was necessary to mention him here since he made the opening night roster.