New Jersey Devils: 5 Prospects Who Shouldn’t Be Touched At NHL Trade Deadline

Arseni Gritsyuk

There is just so much to deal with when it comes to Arseni Gritsyuk. Let’s start with strictly on the ice. Gritsyuk has grown from a prospect with upside to realizing that upside in record time. He is someone who looks like he could jump into the NHL today. He showed his skill against men all year, first in the KHL and then in the Olympics back in January. This is a player that could really burn the Devils if they give up on him too early.

He has 28 points in 38 games for Avangard Omsk. He’s shown skill that almost nobody else has in the Devils prospect pipeline has. He can make a play for himself, and once he gets close to the net, he always seems to make the right move. His numbers aren’t insane, but his numbers are great when it comes to a 20 year old in that league.

Those are reasons enough to hold onto Gritsyuk. If the Devils want to go after a big fish, they can’t take every top prospect off the table, but the issue is that Gritsyuk plays in Russia right now. That’s a major issue for all hockey players. What comes next for Russia, the KHL, Russian prospects, and more is just up in the air right now. Obviously, there is an issue over there right now. It would look really bad on the Devils to trade a prospect over there at this point.

They are dealing with more than their fair share of distractions right now. The Devils should be focusing more on getting the players that are there out of there if they want to leave. There are too many reasons to keep a player like Gritsyuk, and how it would look to trade a player in his position at a time like this might not look great.