The New Jersey Devils are one of 31 teams that did not win the Stanley Cup this year and one of 16 that did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, they are one of few teams in the league with a multitude of talent throughout their lineup. They possess this plethora of legitimate talent with a win now mindset. With that comes a prioritization of the present over the future.
Although there are existing gaps in the lineup which management will attempt to solve via trades and free agency, the talent to win now is there. This mindset impacts fans and followers by heightening expectations and spurring excitement. In terms of personnel, however, one of the more glaring ways it’s impact is felt is through the prospect pool.
Trading away draft picks and potentially serviceable prospects for on ice assets are common occurrences for teams like New Jersey. Teams in a window of contention. Drafting high level talent and possessing a strong development program has a positive impact on any team moving forward. The Devils are a prime example.
Luck has been a factor too with three lottery wins in the past eight years, but the New Jersey Devils possessed one of the strongest prospect pools in the league for quite awhile with Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, Dawson Mercer, and Alexander Holtz highlighting the group who weren’t taking number one overall.
Years in the standings basement led to these high draft choices for the Devils
But, management has also found a way to find diamonds in the rough in the later rounds. Just look at Yegor Sharangovich, Seamus Casey, Arseny Gritsyuk, and Jesper Bratt as examples. For the longest time, this signaled a bright future in Newark.
The desired outcome is for most, if not all, of these prospects to progress into regular contributors for, hopefully, years to come. That is what is occurring right now. Prospects are no longer prospects and that is a good thing. Some have been traded for much needed help in the present and that is also a good thing. Through it all, although the Devils prospect pool is not exactly what it once was, it still sports plenty of talent.
Should this worry Devils fans? No, because their pool of prospects is still very exciting and full of potential. Arseny Gritsyuk, Lenni Hameenaho, Seamus Casey and this upcoming 10th overall pick (if it’s not traded) are young names that should excite Devils fans about the future. These players will make an impact on the team’s fortunes whether directly from their play or indirectly through trading them.
Either way, the Devils are in a good spot. The pool is not what it once was because, as is the case with everyone, players are getting older. They are maturing. They are growing. They are contributing to a Devils team ready to make the jump into the upper tier of the National Hockey League. These changes certainly shouldn’t be a worry to anyone.