New Jersey Devils: 2022-23 Prospect Pyramid Is Incredible
Here we go again! Another year of New Jersey Devils‘ hockey brings excitement around as it promises to be a great year for this growing team.
They have some great players at the NHL level that will help them take that next step in addition to a lot of great prospects.
Speaking of prospects, every year, a new Prospect Pyramid comes out. The idea is inspired by popular YouTuber Steve Dangle. Every year, he makes one for the Toronto Maple Leafs which is the team he cheers for and covers.
The idea of the pyramid is to group prospects together instead of ranking them numerically. It is also designed to make it where only the best of the best prospects make it into tier one. Since doing it, only Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier have been in tier one. Until now.
Tier One
For the first time in a few years, the New Jersey Devils have a tier-one prospect.
- Luke Hughes
It was hard to decide if a player deserved to be in Tier One this year. Normally, guys who are in this tier are supposed to join the league and play right away. However, Luke Hughes is in this tier despite the fact that he is playing one more season at the University of Michigan.
The younger brother of Jack Hughes is only going there because it will be even better for his development as a defenseman. He dominated his freshman year as the number two guy (behind Owen Power) on the blue line so now he gets his chance to be the man.
If Hughes wanted to play in the NHL this year and be an impact player he probably could which is why there is no problem putting him in this tier. When Michigan is eliminated or wins it all next spring, he will sign his entry-level deal and make his NHL debut shortly after. This is an elite prospect that should be a very good top-pair defenseman.
Tier Two
Tier Two is for prospects that could become great New Jersey Devils players.
- Alexander Holtz
- Simon Nemec
These are both players who come just short of being in Tier One. Alexander Holtz and Simon Nemec were both top ten picks in the NHL Draft that are hoping to become NHL players in training camp. Not only that, they have the potential to become stars in this league.
In the case of Holtz, this is a kid that has the ability to become a star offensive player. He is already starting to get some chemistry going with Jack Hughes in the preseason as a part of the “H20 line” along with Ondrej Palat. He is a gifted goal scorer that is doing a good job developing his playmaking abilities.
Simon Nemec was the second-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. A lot of people thought that New Jersey would take Shane Wright after the Montreal Canadiens passed up on him but the Devils stuck to their board and took what they believe is the best defenseman in the draft.
Nemec is flirting with tier one but he has a long way to go before we can know for sure that he is going to be an impact defenseman at the NHL level. He very well could be in tier one next year or he could be off the list entirely if he is so good that he graduates to the NHL.
It is unclear for now if either guy will make that big of an impact this season, but there is a chance that they do. Holtz is probably the safest bet of the two to get regular playing time in 2022-23. Hopefully, they both live up to the hype.
Tier Three
Tier Three has players that can add tremendous depth to the New Jersey Devils.
- Seamus Casey
- Arseni Gritsyuk
- Fabian Zetterlund
This is probably as good as Tier Three can possibly be for an NHL team. The Devils have some really nice depth prospects that can become great players in the NHL. All three of Seamus Casey, Arseni Gritsyuk, and Fabian Zetterlund could go on to be great players in this league.
It is hard to argue against any of them, but they are each at different points in their young careers. Fabian Zetterlund probably has the best chance of making an impact in the near future but both Casey and Gritsyuk have an incredibly high ceiling.
Zetterlund is getting a nice look in training camp this year. He made a small impact on the team to end the 2021-22 season and that is allowing him to get a chance this year. So far, he has looked pretty good.
Gritsyuk is going to play in the KHL again this year. Last year, he played a big role in Russia’s Silver Medal-winning run in the Olympic Games. A big year in the KHL could get him signed and brought to North America soon enough.
Seamus Casey was a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He is a defenseman that will be a teammate with Luke Hughes at the University of Michigan. Hopefully, Hughes helps him have a solid year down there so he can come up to the NHL not far behind Luke.
The Devils have such a highly-rated farm system thanks to the depth players like this bring. Even their fourth tier has players to be excited about.
Tier Four
Tier Four gives the New Jersey Devils lots of options over the coming years.
- Shakir Mukhamadullin
- Nolan Foote
- Reilly Walsh
- Tyce Thompson
- Kevin Bahl
Tier Four is always one of the most interesting tiers because it is loaded with talent that may or may not make it to the NHL. However, it seems like the guys from this tier that go on to play in the league become impact players. When you look at this list, you see that is absolutely possible.
Shakir Mukhamadullin is probably the most interesting prospect in the entire system. He has the biggest “boom or bust” factor of any prospect. He is a big kid that can impact the offensive side of the game thanks to his ability to skate and control the puck. Mukhamadullin’s biggest deficiency is the defensive side of the game which is what many wonder about when he reaches the NHL.
As for the other four, Nolan Foote, Reilly Walsh, Tyce Thompson, and Kevin Bahl all have some NHL experience now and this year will be the year that we will tell if they are able to stick in the league.
There aren’t a lot of slots on the NHL roster and it is going to thin out even more so now would be a great time to make an impact if you are one of those four guys. Mukhamadullin will get more time as he is headed to the KHL for one more year which should really help him. All five of these guys will get their chance.
Tier Five
Tier Five is one that can help the New Jersey Devils take a step or not help at all.
- Tyler Brennan
- Chase Stillman
- Graeme Clarke
- Patrick Moynihan
- Daniil Misyul
- Nikita Okhotiuk
- Akira Schmid
- Michael Vukojevic
- Samu Salminen
There are a lot of prospects here in Tier Five. This is a tier where guys can make people look foolish if they overlook them. Yegor Sharangovich was in this tier just two years ago and now he is a legit top-six scorer on this team that could be a major part of the future.
Is there a Sharangovich on this list right now? There very well might be. If any of these guys want t be like him, they need to make noise wherever they play as he did the year before he made it to the NHL. There are plenty of kids here that are capable of doing that.
Chase Stillman is someone to single out as he was a late first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. He was taken a bit earlier than projected but he is still a good player. It would be amazing t see him keep up his development and find himself in higher tiers or even the NHL someday soon.
There are also a couple of goalies in this tier. Unless they are superstar goalie prospects like Andrei Vasilevskiy, Carey Price, or Carter Hart at the time, they are usually hard to rank much higher because they take so much longer to develop.
Tyler Brennan and Akira Schmid might turn into fantastic goaltenders but it will be a long time before we see them as full-time NHL starters if they ever get t that level.
Nikita Okhotiuk is someone else to watch out for as well as he made his NHL debut last spring and looked very solid. It is unclear how much he will play in the NHL this year but you can expect to see him in both Utica and New Jersey at different points.
All of these guys could make it but will have to keep making themselves noticeable to the organization. It will be fun to see who can become the next Yegor Sharangovich from tier five if anyone.
Related Story. The H20 line could lift the New Jersey Devils. light
Tier Six – Everybody Else!
If there is a New Jersey Devils prospect that hasn’t graduated to the NHL yet or left the system, they are in this tier. It is a tier that doesn’t get any recognition but can produce a player that comes out f nowhere that helps a team win.