The New Jersey Devils could have a good problem on the blue line this season. The club has a solid blueline corps seemingly in place. But if Anton Silaev can elbow his way into the lineup, it might just create the type of complication GMs and coaches love to have.
As it stands, the Devils defense pairings would look like this:
- Jonas Siegenthaler-Dougie Hamilton
- Luke Hughes-Brett Pesce
- Brenden Dillon-Johnny Kovacevic.
So, there doesn’t appear to be much room for Silayev. The towering defenseman, nonetheless, could force his way into the lineup.
Silayev is coming off a full season in Russia in which he put up three points in 61 games. The numbers suggest that he won’t be competing with Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes for the scoring lead among blueliners.
But it’s Silayev’s overall skill set that could make him a valuable addition to the team’s defense group. And if he can translate his size and physicality into a solid NHL shutdown role, he could become a second coming of Zdeno Chara.
The question would be: Who could Silayev squeeze out?
The left side looks pretty solid with Siegenthaler, Hughes, and Dillon. Could Dillon be the odd man out? The 35-year-old will be hitting the final year of his current deal. And he might just become expendable.
But it would take one heck of camp from Silayev to do it.
Silayev would be better served in the AHL this season
Realistically, Silayev would be better off in the AHL this season. Transitioning from the KHL to the NHL is hardly easy for players. It generally takes some time to acclimate to the North American game, particularly for young players.
The good news is that Silayev wouldn’t necessarily make the team due to his overwhelming offensive presence. Would sticking the former first-round pick on the bottom pairing really be the best thing for his development?
That depends on what the Devils think they really have in Silayev.
If the club really feels that he can become a top-pairing shutdown guy, the best thing would be to wait for him to further hone his skills in the minors.
Devils might still want to give Silayev a cup of coffee
The Devils might still want to see what they have in Silayev. The club could put him on the NHL roster to start the season and give him a nine-game trial. If he shows he can handle the pace of the NHL game, the Devils might just keep him in the lineup full-time.
If he struggles out of the gate, the club can send him down and save burning the first year of his entry-level deal. That approach has worked with other prospects in the past. So, it might just be the best way the Devils can gauge what they have in Silayev, especially with the shortened preseason.
Ultimately, the Russian blueliner is in a quantum state right now. The Devils don’t really know how well he’s going to work out in the NHL until he proves he’s ready for it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google