At the recent Prospects Challenge, there was one player for the Devils who stood out above the rest. With Training Camp underway, storylines for the New Jersey Devils are plentiful. The potential in Stillman as a player is no exception. The 21-year-old right wing could very well represent the future of the team.
Stillman was drafted in the first round of 2021 NHL Draft as the No. 29 overall pick by the Devils. He was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Devils on Aug. 21 of the same year.
Proud to announce I signed my first NHL contract with the @NJDevils pic.twitter.com/8824IzSUiY
— Chase Stillman (@ChaseStillman) August 22, 2021
"It was a remarkable moment," Stillman said at the time. " were super comfortable to talk to. I talked to multiple people in the organization and they gave me a bunch of psych tests to do and I had a good feeling with those guys and New Jersey is obviously a great organization. They've done very well in the past years and for me to throw on a Devils jersey in the years coming up is a great experience."
The St. Louis native saw success as young as in junior hockey. In his first season of major junior hockey, he logged 34 points through 58 games with 13 goals and was thus placed on the OHL First All-Rookie Team.
While in the junior ranks of Danis Club Esbjerg Energy during COVID-19, he tallied 16 points through only eight games of play. It was after this that the Devils drafted him.
Flashing back to more recent times — Stillman played for the Devils AHL affiliate for the 2023-24 season. With the Utica Comets, he scored his first professional goal on Oct 28, 2023 followed by his first professional hat trick on Feb. 25, 2024.
His first AHL season concluded with him earning 14 goals across 54 goals with a total of 24 points.
Stillman also comes from a hockey family, making him even more destined for greatness. Both his father, Cory Stillman, and his grandfather, Bud Stefanski, were NHL forwards. Riley Stillman, his brother, is also a professional ice hockey defenseman.
Coincidentally, the game Chase scored his first professional goal in was against his brother who was at the time playing for the Rochester Americans.
Transitioning to the present, Chase is listed on the 2024 New Jersey Devils training camp roster as a center. Because of this, he saw plenty of action at the Prospects Challenge.
We saw him delivering highlight reel passes and vision, forcing turnovers on Buffalo, springing into the offensive zone, shooting five-holes for the lead and of course, scoring goals.
While all of this is impressive, his highlight reel was plentiful before this too — of course.
And his game is growing. It's growing and its growing fast. And he's still not content, he wants to keep improving. That is the kind of player the Devils need. A player with drive, a player who is never complacent. Yes, the Devils have plenty of offensive talent on their roster with big names like Jack Hughes.
But there's no such thing as too much offensive depth and talent. Stillman is that offensive talent. And this year, this season is his for the taking.