3 Utica Comets Players That Could Be NJ Devils On Opening Day
The New Jersey Devils had a very bad season. They saw some of their young core players have great years but the team as a whole had another year near the basement of the National Hockey League. They did, however, come out with the second overall pick thanks to some more lottery luck.
New Jersey’s AHL team in the Utica Comets did have a good year. They were one of the best teams in the American Hockey League and had a bye in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, they were defeated in Game 5 of their second-round series.
The Rochester Americans got the best of them in that series and will now be moving on. As for Utica, their promising season comes to an end but there are some things to be very happy about. They were led by some of New Jersey’s best young prospects.
A few of these players are going to make the New Jersey Devils roster out of camp. We can only hope that the ones who do make it are there because they earned it. If that is the case, the Devils will be a really fun team to watch. There are three players to look at for that role.
The New Jersey Devils have a lot of good young players to use in 2022-23.
1. Alexander Holtz
Alex Holtz was a top ten draft pick for the New Jersey Devils in the 2020 NHL Draft. He was the first of three picks that the Devils made in that year’s draft. He has a very good shot that can score lots of goals.
If he proves that he can play against the NHL-level players, he will certainly get his chance right out of camp. A winger like this with one of Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier could be a lot of fun to watch in the NHL.
2. Fabian Zetterlund
Fabian Zetterlund was very good in 2021-22. He helped Utica be as good as they were and he also made an impact at the NHL level when he was given a chance. There are a lot of reasons to be excited about what he can bring next season. There is a good chance he makes the NHL squad right away.
Related Story. Nico Hischier is doing very well with Team Swiss in IIHF Worlds. light
3. Kevin Bahl
Kevin Bahl was one of the better defensemen on this Utica Comets team in 2021-22. He was one of the pieces acquired in the Taylor Hall trade so they have high hopes for him.
His early NHL stints didn’t go very well but he was certainly good with the Devils late in the regular season before returning to Utica. There are going to be a lot of defensemen in the mix to make the team but Bahl is looking good as of right now.