New Jersey Devils 5 Prospects Who Could Surprisingly Make NHL Roster
The New Jersey Devils went on a little bit of a spending spree this offseason. The team added Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Graves, Tomas Tatar, Jonathan Bernier, and Christian Jaros through trades and free agency signings. That’s a lot of talent to add in one offseason that filled some major needs.
There are still open spots on this Devils roster. Maybe they will add another name like Vladimir Tarasenko or another winger to add to the top six. That obviously changes the availability of roster spots for Devils prospects. The Devils prospect pool is still deep, and depending on how much they worked this season, some in Devils management got a good look at them since the AHL team played with no fans in Newark. Now, the Devils AHL team is going to Utica next season, but there will be some great players who never make the trip with them.
For now, it appears there are three available spots on the NHL roster. The spots are one place on the third line. That can either be a center or a winger. There’s another spot for a winger. That player could play on literally any line. There is no line that is perfectly intact. Even the Youths Line with Jack Hughes, Yegor Sharangovich, and Janne Kuokkanen isn’t safe. Then, there will be one spot as an “extra” on the 23-man roster. It would be someone to be an injury replacement or someone to provide a shot of adrenaline into the lineup if they fall into a losing streak.
Some prospects are already considered “the favorites” to take these spots. These are the players that people are mentioning on social media or even Devils writers have talked about in length. They include Dawson Mercer (people seem to love him in that 3C position), Jesper Boqvist, Nolan Foote, and Marian Studenic. They will not be on this list. This is trying to find those players who could have a huge training camp and sneak their way in the opening night lineup. Let’s start with a player who already had a shot but didn’t exactly impress on the NHL stage.
Tyce Thompson
Tyce Thompson left Providence College after the end of last season and went straight to New Jersey. After the Devils signed him to an entry-level contract, he was placed right on the NHL roster. He was given a seven-game tryout, but he struggled. He only had one point in those seven games, an assist in his first-ever NHL game. He went scoreless over the next five games, and he was sent down to the AHL before he was given one more NHL game before the season ended.
However, diving into some of Thompson’s advanced stats (thanks to Natural Stat Trick) shows some interesting trends. When looking at full-season stats, only Jack Hughes had a better 5v5 CF% than Thompson. That’s right, Thompson had the second-best Corsi percentage of any player that stepped foot on the ice for the Devils. His 54.65% shows he was doing a lot of the things the Devils need from him, especially on the defensive end, but his line struggled to finish. He actually leads the team in Fenwick percentage.
In 47 total chances, Thompson was on the ice for one goal at even strength. When looking deeper at the chances, Thompson was on the ice for 10 high-danger chances. That is where the one goal came from. Comparatively, Hughes was on the ice for 128 high-danger chances at 5v5, and he saw 16 goals go in the net.
There was clearly some bad luck surrounding Thompson. He was also sheltered by Lindy Ruff, so he might have to start more in the defensive zone next season, but he will get a legitimate look in training camp and the preseason come September, and if he plays well, he will make the NHL roster.
Kevin Bahl
Kevin Bahl hasn’t been discussed much since the Devils signed Dougie Hamilton, and then traded for Ryan Graves and Christian Jaros. It seems like the Devils have their seven defensemen in Hamilton, Graves, Subban, Severson, Siegenthaler, Smith, and Jaros. There might not be room for Bahl who still has waiver eligibility. He could go back to the AHL to start the season, but the way he ended last season is definitely worth another look.
His advanced numbers are actually really bad, but he seemed to be all or nothing on the ice. He could single-handedly stop a high-danger chance, but he also watched as 21 high-danger chances went against his goalie in just seven games. Y’all don’t need me to tell you that allowing three high-danger chances against per game is bad for a defenseman.
This is where eye test sometimes takes precedence over advanced statistics. Bahl needs a LOT of work, but looking at the stats alone would take away from his impact on the ice. He found ways to use his body in a proper way on the ice. As someone who is between 6’7 and 6’8, using his size will keep him on an NHL roster.
He needs to fix his flaws over the offseason, but with some consistency in the coaching staff, Bahl probably got some very specific coaching. Lindy Ruff’s system is hard on defensemen, but Bahl can find a place if he works just a little faster. The game is going to move, and if Bahl can show major growth, he might even steal that last spot in the rotation from Jonas Siegenthaler.
Graeme Clarke
The Devils need finishers. That is the one place the team really didn’t address this offseason. Tomas Tatar is a nice name, but his ceiling feels like 25 goals, and he needs a lot of help to get there. He was an analytical darling, but he’s been inconsistent at lighting the lamp. Do you know who hasn’t been inconsistent at scoring goals? Graeme Clarke.
Clarke led the Binghamton Devils in goals last season, scoring eight in 31 games. If he is able to stay healthy, then he will score goals it is that simple. During an injury-riddled season in what ended up being his last with the Ottawa 67s, Clarke scored nine goals in 16 games. Clarke can score when his shoulder isn’t bothering him.
He is very, very young, and he needs to learn just about everything besides shooting the puck, but the Devils need someone to light the lamp. Clarke would be a monster on an NHL power play, and his shot would be one of the best on the team tomorrow even if it didn’t get better this offseason.
He is very confident in his shot. He averaged more than two shots per game in the AHL, and that trend has followed him throughout his career. Clarke will shoot, and he will shoot often. The Devils need that kind of confidence on the roster.
Alexander Holtz
This one might seem a little too obvious to be on this list, but after a pretty underwhelming first season after being drafted seventh overall, nobody is really talking about Alexander Holtz making the NHL this season. He could use another year in the AHL after a very complicated year. He was playing in Sweden, but he wasn’t getting the proper playing time to excel. Holtz’s performance at the World Juniors Championship didn’t come close to expectations. His time in the AHL was just as bad as everything else. He had three points in ten games. It’s not the worst point percentage in the world, but it’s way below what we expected.
Holtz had a long offseason to reassess his game and work on his flaws. There were times he looked really good on the ice, but he scored once in 28 shots. He has to find a way to get quality chances instead of taking every single chance that comes his way. We’re happy he’s confident in his shot, but there were clearly times a better decision should have happened.
Holtz is a great prospect, and he’s probably still the best prospect the Devils have. Even with Luke Hughes in the fold and Dawson Mercer dominating in juniors last season, Holtz has the highest ceiling. He could make the first line this year. Would anyone really be that surprised if he’s playing next to Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich?
Holtz has a clear advantage that the others on the list don’t have. Devils management really wants him to be ready. If he shows clear growth on the ice in the preseason and training camp, the Devils are more likely to keep him on the roster than others on the list.
Fabian Zetterlund
Trivia question: who led the Binghamton Devils in points last season? Obviously, it’s the name at the top of this page, but it was surprising to see Fabian Zetterlund along at the top of the B-Devils stats page. Also obvious is the impact that the taxi squad had on this stats page. Zetterlund had 19 points in 34 games. Nobody on the team played as many games as Zetterlund.
Here’s the thing, the Devils almost always have a player make the opening night roster out of nowhere. Yegor Sharangovich was the guy last season (when considering his season prior to the KHL start). Brett Seney was a surprising role player two seasons ago. Going all the way back to Jesper Bratt and Blake Coleman making the roster in 2017-18, there are surprise players on the roster every year.
This year, Zetterlund could be that player. He needs to show it immediately in camp, however. His shot is a true long shot, but if something clicked last year that will continue to get better, the Swedish center absolutely has a place on this roster.
Zetterlund would need to make MAJOR strides for this to come true, but as the Devils’ past has shown, we needed at least one major longshot on the list. The guy who led the AHL in points was a good start. Zetterlund does a lot well, however, he doesn’t have a lot that’s spectacular. If Lindy Ruff is looking for a general source of decent play from his fourth-line center (assuming Michael McLeod moves up), then Zetterlund might be given a look.