5. Nico Daws
Utica Comets
We are breaking our own rules by letting Nico Daws on this list. Nolan Foote, Santeri Hatakka, and others were left off because they are 24 years old, but Daws is very much a prospect for this team, and goalies tend to have different rules for how they are handled as prospects. Daws has had a weird season, but his NHL numbers stand out. He has a .966 save percentage in five appearances and three starts. He was very helpful when the Devils were in a pinch. However, he hasn’t been that good for Utica. He has an .893 save percentage in the AHL, which is worse than his counterpart Isaac Poulter. Daws also got injured again, which is upsetting, but his actual talent stands out at the top level. Something isn’t clicking in the minor leagues, but Daws might not have to worry about that next season. He has an NHL skill set, and he has a one-way contract next season. He should be in the big leagues next year, even if it’s just as a sitting third goalie.
4. Seamus Casey
Utica Comets
The Devils have clear top-four prospects in the system, but their order will differ depending on who you speak to. Some might find it insane to rank Seamus Casey fourth among these options, but this isn’t anything against him. He’s already stood his ground offensively at the NHL level. Casey just has significant strides to make defensively to survive in the NHL. He has the ability to adjust to what the Devils’ coaching staff will ask of him. He’s also completely showcased every great impact he can make at the AHL level. He has 15 points in 23 AHL games this year. He also has four goals in 10 NHL games. Casey has an incredible shot and even better offensive instincts. His positioning in the offensive zone is beyond his years. His defense isn’t even atrocious, but it does need serious work when dealing with NHL speed.
3. Anton Silayev
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
We wrote not too long ago that the Devils might have made the wrong pick at 10th overall when they chose Anton Silayev. Since then, Silayev has been playing really well, putting up between 16 and 20 minutes per game on the score sheet. He also has 12 points, adding to his mystique. Doing this as an U20 defenseman in a very hard men’s league is crazy. Silayev is also a complete unicorn. He stands at 6’7 and skates like the wind. He is fleet-footed, which sounds impossible with that frame. Most would think he would skate like a newborn giraffe, but his skating might actually be at the NHL level already. He needs time in North America to get used to this style of play, but we’d at least settle for playing on a better KHL team next season. Silayev might not be Zeev Buium, but he could be the best player in this class if he hits his ceiling.
2. Arseni Gritsyuk
SKA St. Petersburg
Arseni Gritsyuk could be in the Devils’ top six today if the KHL allowed him to come over. He just returned from injury for SKA St. Petetsburg, and he’s already making an impact in their top six. He had a goal and an assist in his first two games back, and that impact should run true throughout the playoffs once the regular season ends. Gritsyuk started as a pure sniper, but he’s developed his game to include passing as an essential element. This season, he has 42 points in 47 games. His scoring is getting better as time goes on, and he needs to be in the NHL sooner rather than later.
1. Mikhail Yegorov
Boston University Terriers
We have a surprise at number one, but the decision to put Mikhail Yegorov here is more than just recency bias. He looks like a legit star in between the pipes, and this started well before he won the Beanpot for Boston University. He was amazing for the Omaha Lancers, who might as well have rec league guys playing defense for them. He survived a nightly onslaught of shots, and around the New Year, he enrolled to BU early. He’s been the Terriers’ best player. He has a .936 save percentage. This is his first year in college hockey, and he’s dominating like this. What will he do with an actual offseason? He looks like a freak of nature between the pipes, and we mean that in the nicest possible way. Yegorov looks like the clear future in net. He will be a star as long as he stays on course and stays healthy. Let’s hope for a National Championship to add to his resume this season.