5 NCAA Free Agents New Jersey Devils Should Target Now
By Nick Natale
Jacob Quillan - C - Quinnipiac, NCAA
Back-to-back Quinnipiac players on the list, which makes sense given their dominance over the last two years. Quillan is second to Graf in points for the Bobcats this year with 44. He put together a solid 2022-23 season with 19 goals and 19 assists but has taken up a bigger role and his production has followed.
Quillan is best described as a strong-skating, two-way center, something the Devils lack depth in. In fact, the Devils center depth is non-existent. 2021 third-round pick Samu Salminen is likely considered their top center prospect, and his chances of ever touching NHL ice are slim. Quillan won't turn into a top-six or even top-nine center, but he would give the organization some depth at the position and could feasibly see some NHL time.
"He’s a strong skating center with good puck skills who can create offense with pace. His hockey sense is fine, good enough, to go with a strong compete level and ability to play both ways. At 6-0 without dynamic enough puck play, whether there’s enough to his game to be a real player is debatable, but he could be a very useful depth piece for an NHL organization."
- Corey Pronman (The Athletic)