New Jersey Devils prospect Anton Silayev has been in the news lately. He had a great game to start the playoffs for Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo. He had two assists for his team in 17 minutes of ice time. That matched his assist total for the entire regular season. Through two games, he’s the only defenseman on his team with more than one point, and only Mikhail Naumenkov has any points at all.
Silayev was a player who had all the skill in the world, but this season went about as bad as it could for the 19 year old. Silayev’s downfall follows the trend of Devils prospects having a terrible season. Mikhail Yegorov was left out to dry by Boston University, and now his season is over. Second-round picks Ben Kevan and Conrad Fondrk both had bad first seasons in NCAA and failed to make the U20 World Juniors team for the Americans. There’s a list of other prospects who didn’t step up, including top prospect Seamus Casey, who spent most of this season injured.
However, most can blame Silayev’s rough season on their new coach. Alexei Isakov took over for Torpedo this season, and he just didn’t vibe with Silayev. It was clear from the start of the season that the young defenseman wasn’t getting top-line minutes like he did last season.
The Devils must have seen this situation and begged to get him out of it. Unfortunately, he’s signed to Torpedo and can’t go anywhere until the end of the season. We’ve seen the rare occasion where guys get out of their contract to come to the NHL, but Silayev is not ready for the NHL. He definitely needs development, and he’s not getting it on the bottom line.
Which is why the latest report makes no sense.
Per Artur Khairullin: "The rumors that Anton Silayev will sign with #NJDevils are just rumors. As far as I know, there's a very high chance that he will stay with Torpedo."
— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) March 25, 2026
Now, Artur Khairullin isn’t the most reliable source here, and we can reliably say that the Devils have always expected Silayev to come over. However, this is something that’s out there. Take it for what it’s worth.
The truth probably lies in “the conversations will dictate what comes next.” The Devils need Silayev to come over because his development is important. While the defense is incredibly logjammed right now, Silayev is, in our opinion, at a minimum two years away from NHL ready. With so many players signed and prospects closer to the NHL at his position, it makes sense for him to get a full year to show what he can do, then the Devils can properly evaluate what comes next.
There’s no evaluation to what he’s been going through this season. It’s a lost season of development. It can be easily fixed, but it needs to be fixed. Sticking in the KHL can’t be on the table. The only way he can stay there is if he forces his way onto another team. Going to play for the Utica Comets is the best route forward.