3 intriguing prospects the Devils cannot trade at the 2024 deadline
It remains to be seen whether the New Jersey Devils will be buyers at the 2024 trade deadline, but if they buy, there are some prospects they should not trade.
The New Jersey Devils prospects pool isn’t what it was in recent years, but that’s because they saw quite a few players earning extended spots with the big club. While New Jersey has yet to snag even a wild card spot in the playoff race, the Devils have played well enough to attract potential trade assets should they buy within the next week if they don’t drop their next few games.
But just because they could land a player who could prove to help them fare better than they have so far, it shouldn’t mean that all prospects and draft picks should be part of a prospective trade package, and there are even a few prospects they can target by the 8th.
The Devils have done an outstanding job of building their big club into what should be an annual contender for the foreseeable future. Therefore, they need to go into the deadline knowing that they are still among the younger and lesser-experienced teams in the NHL, and there are future assets in their prospects pool who should become part of their overall core within the next few years.
Devils could buy at the trade deadline, but refrain from selling prospects
The Devils are currently eight points out of a wild card, so they are on the outside looking in, and a lot can change between now and March 8th with three more games to go before then. If they don’t fare well in those three contests, then perhaps the assumption that they will be buyers goes out the door and they instead become sellers. But if they’re winning games and, ideally, Detroit and Tampa hit some rough patches, then expect them to buy.
So let’s assume for the purposes of this article that the Devils take at least two of their next three games and look to add talent to their lineup as Tampa and Detroit play sub-0.500 hockey. Which prospects should they keep in the system, and how would those prospects help New Jersey in the near future?
Lenni Hameenaho is a player whose high hockey IQ the Devils should value
A second-round pick in 2023, Lenni Hameenaho is still playing in Finland, but the winger has been productive in Liiga since he debuted for Assat’s big club in 2022-23 when he put up 21 points and nine goals in 51 contests. He made steady improvements this season, logging 27 in 41 games with 12 goals and 15 assists, and he also enjoyed a strong showing at the World Juniors with four goals in seven contests.
Hameenaho already has size that can translate to the NHL, and the 19-year-old still has room to grow on what is a 6’1, 185 pound frame. Putting on a little more size will only help Hameenaho’s game, especially if he can remain an agile player capable of quickly finding open passing and scoring lanes.
While he realistically won’t play for the Devils until the second half of the decade, Hameenaho’s smart approach to the game will make the front office thank themselves for keeping him around should they buy and choose not to trade him to a club that will be collecting prospects. Players like Hameenaho will get creative in finding ways to win hockey games, and you can never have too many players with such intellect in the system.
Graeme Clarke has come too far for the Devils to trade him away
Some players in the Devils prospects pool should be ready to roll next season, and Graeme Clarke is someone who will be a serious contender to break into the lineup. He made his NHL debut earlier this season, so that alone indicates he’s on the brink of making it to the next level.
The former third-round pick in 2019 has also more than paid his dues in Utica and Binghamton, appearing in 199 contests as of February 29th, 2024, and getting better with each passing season. While he may not supersede the 58 points he scored with the Comets last year, the overall progression in Clarke’s game is what matters at this point.
New Jersey also has three forwards slated to be unrestricted free agents come the 2024 offseason, so Clarke, at minimum, will be a part-time player in Newark next season should the Devils move on from their pending UFAs. Until then, Clarke will continue as a premier scorer, where he is currently on pace to notch a career-high 28 goals this season.
He can eventually work his way into the lineup full-time as a depth forward, and from there, maybe he will take that dynamic scoring with him to the NHL. Regardless, the organization has spent too much time developing Clarke since he signed with them.
Topias Vilen is one blueliner in the system you can’t underestimate
Like Lenni Hameenaho, Topias Vilen is one prospect who is still a while away from earning a spot with the big club, but his first full season in North America has been productive. He saw time with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder, where he scored 10 points and three goals in six contests. Vilen also has 16 points in 33 games and a goal with the Utica Comets, putting him on a near half-point-per-game pace.
This is a continuation of what we saw in Liiga, when he logged a solid 17 points and nine goals in 41 games with the Pelicans before amassing another nine points and four goals in 18 playoff games. Given his production at the lower levels and in Finland, the Devils may have a prospect in their organization who can rack up some unprecedented points if they keep the fifth-round pick from 2021 around.
Despite points-productivity, however, Vilen’s game is defense-first, so he’s completely fine with pushing opponents around near the crease and disrupting would-be plays before they even get going. Overall, he has a simple approach that works: End an opponent’s play before it begins or at least minimize it, and make the right decision with the puck if it lands on his stick. Yeah, that’s a player worth developing in your system, then calling him up when he’s ready.
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(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects as of March 1st)