2. Chase Stillman
The first-round pick the Devils used on Chase Stillman could have been Logan Stankoven, Matthew Knies, or J.J. Moser. The Stillman pick was always a strange one, as going into the draft, he was considered a late second-round pick at best. That’s where Cory Pronman of The Athletic has him. The Devils didn’t have a second-round pick, so many believe that’s what caused the Devils to reach for Stillman. It was very similar to the Shakir Mukhamadullin pick from the season prior.
Unlike Mukhamadullin, the Devils are still developing Stillman. It’s not going well.
Through eight games this season, Stillman has one point. He’s on the team’s second line, and he has one point. Yes, Shane Bowers and Max Willman are also struggling, but Stillman was supposed to help them drive offense. He was supposed to grow after a 14-goal season last year. Stillman was supposed to get much better in his second professional season. Right now, the results are much worse.
It’s still early on Stillman. He’s one of nine first-round picks in the 2021 Draft who haven’t made his NHL debut yet. However, he can’t go backward. He has to make serious progress in his career this season so as not to fall by the wayside among Devils prospects.