5 New Jersey Devils prospects whose failure still baffles us

3. Ty Smith
123 NHL Games

This one is likely fresh in many people’s minds. Ty Smith was on the path to greatness. Unlike others on this list, he did it on the NHL level. Then he… just stopped being a useful player. 

Smith was great in his first season, putting up 23 points in 48 games. He was the highest-ranking rookie defenseman in Calder Trophy votes, finishing seventh overall. He also made the All-Rookie team with K'Andre Miller, Jason Robertson, and Kirill Kaprizov. Smith looked like he was going to be one of the great offensive defensemen in the league. 

The next season, something just didn’t look right with Smith. His defensive numbers fell off a cliff, and his offensive numbers did not make up for the issues. At 5v5, Smith was on the ice for just 40 goals and saw 59 goals scored against him in 2021-22. He did score more goals (a career-high five), but that was the only positive to his game. 

The Devils sold Smith for what value he still had to bring John Marino to New Jersey. Smith did not work out in Pittsburgh and ended up being an extra piece in the Jake Guentzel trade. Now, he’s in Carolina, and he was actually the only piece of that trade the Hurricanes kept. He’s still just 24 years old, so he has a chance to turn this career around, but it won’t be in New Jersey. Smith was often considered the Devils top prospect, but what happened to him between 2021 and 2022 should be studied by scientists to see what happened.