3 New Jersey Devils prospects who could excel under new coaching with Utica Comets
The Utica Comets announced they were making change on the bench, firing Kevin Dineen after a 0-8-1 start. Who are some of the New Jersey Devils prospects that could thrive under new head coach Ryan Parent.
The New Jersey Devils announced on Wednesday that a change was coming for the 0-8-1 Utica Comets. Former head coach Kevin Dineen was relieved of his duties, and the Comets would move forward with Ryan Parent as the interim head coach. It was a surprise move by the Devils, even though it happened to a team that failed to win one game out of nine. On top of that, the Comets have been worse every year. After a historic start in 2021-22, Dineen’s first year on the bench, the Comets have been worse each season.
Many will say that the issues in Utica were much beyond the coach. The forwards are not the best, but this seems extreme. They have talent, especially on the back end and in net. This is still a team with Seamus Casey, Topias Vilen, Nico Daws, and Daniil Misyul. They also have veterans Colton White and Nick DeSimone.
The prospects are what this season will be about, as the Devils AHL affiliate is pretty much already out of the playoff race. Getting a team that can develop the prospects in a winning environment is important for the future of both the Comets and the Devils. Which prospects will see the biggest bump from this change?
1. Topias Vilen
We mentioned the defensemen on the team, and we have some feelings. Seamus Casey has been performing, and likely will no matter the scenario. DeSimone was someone the Devils assumed would be on the NHL roster. Misyul has been decent enough to earn a short-term NHL call up. However, the one guy who seems to be lost in the shuffle is Topias Vilen.
Vilen has been playing on the Comets' third line with Will MacKinnon, the team's general manager's son. That's when he actually gets into the lineup. Vilen only has three games this season. How is he not playing every single night?
Vilen is a left-handed defenseman, a position the Devils have a depth issue. When Luke Hughes got injured to start the season, Vilen was a name floated by some Devils fans. It appears he wasn't considered for the job, and the Devils decided to play right handers on their off hand instead. We need Vilen to get more and more opportunities, and a new coach will hopefully give them to him.
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.
3. Simon Nemec
There’s a lot to unpack with Simon Nemec in the AHL, but it’s something that must be considered. There are some complications here. For one, just like the Devils, the Comets have a much better right side of the defense than they do left side. However, it’s pretty simple to just add DeSimone to the NHL roster and let Nemec take that spot.
Would the Devils want to take time away from Casey or Nemec in the AHL? That’s a small issue here. Second-line minutes would still be better than the no minutes Nemec is getting right now. With injuries to Nathan Bastian and Curtis Lazar, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe has said he was considering going 11-7 to get Nemec back in the lineup, but he’s been on record as against that lineup configuration.
So, with a new head coach in Utica and a different philosophy, the Devils might be more open to letting Nemec go to the AHL. He will get time to develop that he didn’t get last season.
Nemec is an underrated disappointment this season, but his shoulder injury is likely to blame as much as anything. It’s not too worrisome for his development, as we’ve seen him succeed at the NHL level anymore. That doesn’t mean the Devils should rest on their laurels when it comes to his development. They should make the right move, and with Ryan Parent in the coaching seat, the right move is probably a move to Utica.
feed