Success in the NHL could be about more than his impact on the New Jersey Devils for Anton Silayev

All signs point to the New Jersey Devils signing former 10th-overall pick Anton Silayev to an entry-level contract this summer. Despite his KHL team Torpedo Novgorod giving him a qualifying offer, his situation there was terrible. A new head coach clearly didn’t see the impact he could make, and he essentially benched him. 

Silayev saw his time-on-ice drop from around 17 minutes per game to under 13. He was essentially playing like a third liner when his previous coach had him on the top line as a teenager for most of the 2024-25 season. Silayev was asked to play above his head, but the demotion this past season felt like it was about more than his play on the ice.

Many Russian players, especially younger ones, are punished if it becomes publicly known they are planning on signing in North America after the season. Whether this was an example of that or not will likely never be known, but signing Silayev to get him away from that situation and taking over his development has to be a top priority for new Devils GM Sunny Mehta. 

Coming to America will be great for Silayev, as he builds on his NHL journey. He will likely start the season in the AHL, playing for the Utica Comets. However, if he plays well, there will always be an opportunity to get promoted. 

And that’s not the only reason this next season is important for Silayev. While he does want to impress his NHL team, a new report suggests that something previously thought impossible might come to light. 

Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, Chris Johnston’s reporting just says that the IIHF is changing the evaluation process for Russia moving forward, but they’ve already lifted the ban on Belarus for future tournaments. 

Silayev has already lost multiple opportunities to prove himself on the international stage, including the 2024-25 World Junior Championships. However, it appears that there’s at least a chance he could get an opportunity once again.

See, the Russian defensive depth is incredibly weak. If you built their Olympic team for 2026, they might be going with multiple young players like Alexander Nikishin and Pavel Mintyukov. If he has a great season and grows into the player many hope he’d become, Silayev has a chance to start representing his country quickly. 

Of course, this decision is about much more than hockey. We’re not commenting on if Russia should be in the tournament. We’re only talking about the impact of the Devils’ players. 

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