The New Jersey Devils invited 36 players to development camp. There are a few players who stand out amongst the rest.
On Monday, the New Jersey Devils will welcome some of the best prospects in its system to Newark. This includes some of the Devils’ top 2022 draft picks, including Simon Nemec their first-round pick. The Devils are using this early camp to get an idea of where a lot of their prospects are in terms of development.
They have prospects from all over the place. There are a few prospects who were already in the U.S. because they were either getting prepared for college or they might be coming off an AHL season with the Utica Comets. There are prospects from Europe that are coming in for the camp. Some have some question marks after playing against men. The one set of prospects we don’t expect to see if the Russian prospects, which is obvious reasons.
There are some incredibly exciting prospects we can’t wait to see. Some might come in here and blow minds. For this exercise, we won’t include Šimon Nemec. We know he’s going to turn heads here no matter what he does. Speaking of turning heads, let’s go to the first prospect to watch closely this week.
1. Alexander Holtz – Utica Comets
Alexander Holtz is the top guy to watch on anyone’s list. He’s the one player on the list who has a high likelihood of making the NHL right out of training camp. Could other players make it? Sure, but with players like Fabian Zetterlund, Reilly Walsh, and Kevin Bahl spending time away, there aren’t a ton of players looking to play themselves into spots on the roster. Holtz, on the other hand, is kind of expected to play himself on the opening-night roster. Yet, he still decided to put in some extra work months before training camp opens.
Will the skating work he’s done show when he’s playing on North American ice? Will he be able to look like he’s head and shoulders above the other prospects? This could be a jumping off point for Holtz. He grew some confidence in the AHL last season, but it would be best if he continues on that journey.
Holtz has superstar potential. His ceiling is everything we were drooling over when it comes to Juraj Slafkovsky. He has size, and he can score at will. Let’s hope the skating can catch up so he can stick to the NHL for good this time.