New Jersey Devils: 5 Prospects To Watch In 2023-24
The New Jersey Devils have been focusing more on prospects than most teams in the NHL. With more of those prospects graduating or expected to graduate in 2023, we have to go deeper to find the prospects worth watching.
The New Jersey Devils still have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL. Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec could be the best defensive prospects in the entire league. The 2023 NHL Draft was a weird one for defenders, but the forwards were some of the best we’ve seen in a decade.
However, it goes way beyond Hughes and Nemec. The Devils have an entire rebuild’s worth of prospects in their pool. There are some top-level players, but there are also those third and fourth-round picks that need more time to cook.
For a lot of those players, this year is very important for their development. There are many reasons why that’s true, but the most important is the Devils need to know who these players are. Some are brand-new draft picks, and others have been in the system for years. Let’s start with one that everyone will have their eyes on from day one.
Chase Stillman – 2021 First-Round Pick
Chase Stillman didn’t grow like many of us thought he would. After the Devils took him much higher than analysts thought they should, Stillman spent the past two years with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL. He had one less point in the same amount of games. He did have a lot more penalty minutes, but that’s not really anything to brag about.
This season, Stillman is going to the AHL. He will spend his season with the Utica Comets. This is where the Devils will see what Stillman is. Is he a player who plays an energy role without points, or does he have more upside than that?
The Devils don’t need him to make the NHL. It would be nice for Tom Fitzgerald to say, “he told you so,” for this pick. He already has that somewhat because his other reach was part of the Timo Meier trade. Shakir Mukhamadullin was a reach, but he was probably the biggest prospect involved in that trade. Let’s see if the same can happen for Stillman.
Josh Filmon – 2022 Sixth-Round Pick
It usually takes a long time for sixth-round picks to develop into good players. Other times, late-round picks pay immediate dividends. It’s rare, but the Devils are uniquely qualified to know when it is happening. Jesper Bratt was drafted in the sixth round of 2016 NHL Draft. He was signed less than a year later, looked like a superstar throughout that summer, and made the opening-night roster despite all odds against him.
We don’t expect Josh Filmon to take the same route to the NHL. The Devils don’t really have enough open spots on the roster to take a chance on a forward as young and inexperienced as Filmon. The Devils did sign him to a three-year entry-level deal earlier this year. Now, he can show his worth right under the Devils front office’s eyes.
After he signed, he played four games in Utica and scored one goal. Getting that first one out of the way is huge for his confidence going into next season. He didn’t play in their five playoff games, but that’s to be expected. This season, he should be a full-time starter, and he could be the Devils most important forward in Utica.
That’s saying something since we just talked about Chase Stillman. They might also have Alexander Holtz (if he’s there, he’s more important), Graeme Clarke, possibly Tyce Thompson, and Brian Halonen. Filmon is the only one coming off a 47-goal season. It’s 48 if you count the goal he scored with the Comets. If he can bring that goal scoring to Utica, it might be no time before he’s in New Jersey.
Lenni Hameenaho – 2023 Second-Round Pick
Lenni Hameenaho wasn’t exactly an exciting pick when the Devils took him in the second round. There were other players analysts liked better. It’s not like Hameenaho was a terrible pick, but he was missing a lot of the upside teams look for in the second round. He isn’t going to score 40 goals even in the best-case scenario. He won’t be a 100-point player. However, Hameenaho is a safe player who can do a lot right.
The Devils likely saw a player who has an incredibly high floor. The ceiling is another topic for another day. Hameenaho is decent defensively, can hold his own with passing, plays all phases of the game when needed, and can provide a little physicality.
He had 21 points in SM-Liga last season. He also had two points in five games at this year’s U20 World Junior Championships.
Things got exciting after the draft. Hameenaho was quite good during the Devils prospect camp. Then, he took it up a notch at the World Junior Summer Showcase. He had seven points in five games, leading the entire tournament. There was an aggressiveness to his game we didn’t expect to see. Now, we need to see if that type of play will continue during the regular season.
Topias Vilen – 2021 Fifth-Round Pick
Topias Vilen is moving to North America this season, and he might be the next late-round gem in Tom Fitzgerald’s arsenal. He has been really good in every showcase where we see him up close. The 20-year-old former fifth-round pick has continued to get better every season. In 41 games last season, he had nine goals and eight assists.
Now, Vilen is signed to play within the Devils organization. After two years where he grew a ton, both physically and on the ice, he now comes to North America in a much better state. There’s a very outside chance that Vilen could make the Devils, but injuries would have to happen. Still, it probably makes the most sense for Vilen to spend a year or maybe two in the AHL to hone his skills.
Vilen has said the speed of the AHL game is so much faster than it is in Finland. The speed of the NHL game is about twice as fast.
This is why we need to keep an eye on Vilen in 2023-24. Can he keep up with the AHL speed? Not only is it something overseas players have to adjust to, but the Devils play an especially fast style of play. We’re sure Vilen will grow into the role. It’s interesting to see where he ends up. Will he spend most of this season on a third pairing to get used to the style of play or will he jump onto a top-line role as the season progresses?
Tyler Brennan – 2022 Fourth-Round Pick
The goaltending situation for the Devils is sort of in flux. As of right now, the Devils have Vitek Vanecek in the NHL. That’s pretty much all we know for sure. Akira Schmid might be the backup or starter in the NHL, or he could spend the entire season in Utica to gain a little more experience. Nico Daws could miss the entire season after hip surgery, or he could be back in a few months and take his starting job right back. Erik Källgren might be in the NHL, or he could spend the entire season in Utica.
Then, there’s Tyler Brennan. The fourth-round pick from last year was fantastic in the OHL. After a rough season with Prince George (record-wise, not stats-wise), Brennan put up 21 wins in 34 games. After the season, the 6’4 goalie signed his professional contract.
Brennan was expected to form a tandem with Daws while Schmid and Vanecek held it down in NJ. Now, things are complicated. This shouldn’t deter our excitement for Brennan this season. He has a good skillset that could eventually be used to start in the AHL. Heck, he could be an NHL starter one day.
Next. 5 Players Who Could Surprisingly Make Roster. dark
Goalies are voodoo. That’s well documented. Schmid could be great, but Brennan might be even better. There’s a long road ahead of him, but we’re excited to see what he does in year one of his professional career.