The New Jersey Devils are next up in the NHL prospect pool overview series.
Tony Ferrari digs into the Devils’ strengths and weaknesses, latest draft class, positional depth chart, next player in line for an NHL opportunity and more. A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for these exercises, with few exceptions.
Initial Thoughts
The New Jersey Devils are on the rise with elite young talent on the roster and some of the most impressive offensive sequences in the NHL.
Led by 24-year-old Jack Hughes and 26-year-old Nico Hischier, the Devils are well-positioned long-term down the middle, and they have shown flashes of being a truly elite team.
The team has a handful of young defenders already looking like potentially effective players. Luke Hughes, Jack’s younger brother, is one of the most gifted young offensive blueliners in the game. In his two full seasons, Hughes has had 47 and 44 points, the latter coming in just 71 games. His skating and desire to jump up in the rush to help create man-advantage situations mean he could push past the 50-point plateau as a 22-year-old next season.
Simon Nemec isn’t a rookie anymore, having spent most of the 2023-24 season in the NHL. However, after being back and forth between the AHL and NHL this past season, Nemec is still fighting for his spot in the lineup. Nemec has a high-end offensive mind, and he has also shown flashes of solid defensive play. He has just about everything you want from a top-four defenseman aside from a nasty streak. He moves the puck well on the breakout, finding outlets along the wall as well as streaking forwards cutting through the neutral zone. This will be a big season for Nemec.
Lenni Hameenaho is one of the most productive U-21 players in the Liiga over the last 25 years. He’s used his tactical play to pick apart defensive schemes. He isn’t the flashiest or fleetest of foot, but he has the answer when a defender presents him with a problem. He passes under pressure and gets into position to receive a return pass. Hameenaho will be one of the most interesting prospects to watch in training camp as he tries to match the NHL pace.
It’s been a long time coming, but 2019 fourth-rounder Arseniy Gritsyuk finally signed his entry-level contract in May, and he’s set to join the Devils for this upcoming season. The speedy forward is one of the oldest prospects covered in this Prospect Pool Overview series, because a…