New Jersey Devils are No. 17 in 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings

Welcome to Scott Wheelers 2025 rankings of every NHL organizations prospects .

You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here , as we count down daily from No.

32 to No.

1.

The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan.

8 to Feb.

7.

Advertisement The Devils pool is one of the leagues quirkiest in that its led by three of the sports top young defensemen in Simon Nemec, Anton Silayev and Seamus Casey, but its quite thin everywhere else.

Those three are all high-end in different ways, though, and they give them both options and a potential conundrum because theyve also got a young recent graduate in the NHL in Luke Hughes and theyre trying to win now.

How they handle their young D vis-a-vis their aspirations to contend has already become a stressor with Nemec and itll be fascinating to see how they navigate it moving forward.

Its going to be hard for them to incorporate and get the most out of all of them.

Could they parlay one or two for a roster upgrade, or to improve their pool at forward? It feels like thats a conversation thats not going anywhere anytime soon.

2024 prospect pool rank: No.

22 (change: +5) GO DEEPER NHL prospect pool rankings 2025: Scott Wheeler evaluates all 32 farm systems 1.

Simon Nemec, RHD, 20 (Utica Comets/ New Jersey Devils ) Its no secret that I am and have been a fan of Nemec.

His introduction to the Devils organization two years ago through the summers rookie camp, the falls rookie tournament, his first preseason and then his first few weeks in the AHL was actually a bit of a bumpy one.

He struggled on the power play.

He didnt look like his usual self at five-on-five.

He was just off, after a career to that point where he had looked ready for every new challenge against professionals in Slovakia, as MVP at the Hlinka, as captain at the World Juniors, even at mens world championships.

He really hit his stride in early December of two seasons ago, though, and was Uticas best defenseman for my money in the second half of his rookie season and again to start last season before performing really admirably across his first 60 games in the NHL.

Though he hasnt been able to secure a full-time roster spot with the Devils again this season, its important to remind yourself that hes just 20 and that despite his three years in the AHL hes still the fifth youngest defenseman to have played in an NHL game this season.

Nemecs statistical profile to this point in his career, for his age, remains pretty pristine as well.

Advertisement Hes a calculated and poised three-zone defender who is capable of organizing play from the top of the zone, executing through seams in coverage at a high level and starting and leading his fair share of rushes.

Hes got good edges and four-way mobility, which he uses to manipulate and steer play through intelligent routes on and off the puck.

He also regularly flashes sneaky deception, poise and even ambition.

Though I wouldnt say hes a dynamic, game-breaking type offensively, hes plenty calm and talented.

He knows when and how to push.

The challenge Nemec has faced is that while he played a fairly polished defensive game at a very early age, his play defensively hasnt found another level beyond that and his NHL results in his own zone have been just OK.

I still expect him to become the best defenseman out of Slovakia since Zdeno Chara and a No.

2 (or high-end No.

3) guy who plays a play-driving modern game.

The game just comes easy to him when hes at his best, with everything happening in front of him and the ice tilted in his favor.

It happens so subtly, too with occasional flashes when hes really dialed in as well.

Its short little passes, quiet steering of play, little skill plays and then a big moment when the team needs him, rather than constant flashes.

His type of game is the direction the position should be going.

Now its up to him to show it consistently at the NHL level when the next opportunity comes, because I think hes capable of never looking back.

2.

Anton Silayev, LHD, 18 (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod) Silayev is a unicorn 6-foot-7 defenseman who surprised some people with a hot start offensively in the KHL last season and rose to the top of the class playing legitimate minutes for one of the KHLs better teams for most of the year (including in the playoffs) an extremely rare feat for a 17-year-old.

His 11 points in 63 games broke the leagues under-18 scoring record ( Vladimir Tarasenko had 10 points and Kirill Kaprizov and Evgeny Kuznetsov each had eight at the same age).

He played on the power play, consistently registered multiple shots per game and even played both sides.

This season hasnt kept climbing along that meteoric trajectory at the same pace, and Im not sure theres as much offense as we saw early on last season for a stretch (largely due to average smarts), but Silayev remains an exciting and unique prospect with a high defensive ceiling.

Hes an excellent skater who walks the line with ease, drops back onto his heels comfortably and pushes forward to either carry pucks up ice, close gaps or disrupt a carrier with an active stick.

Hes got more steps to take in his decision-making on the puck (I find hes a little too trigger-happy he actually shows good poise and comfort when he doesnt rush), his shot (which he gets off in volume and does a good job putting on target, but will definitely need to add power as he gets stronger and works on it) and his ability to really impose himself with his size even more than he already does (which he really learned to do last year, leading Torpedo in hits).

He has shown some handles for a big man, hes disruptive in zone defense and hard to beat off the rush because of his length and theres plenty of room for continued growth and development within his game.

I see the appeal of Silayev and the projection.

His upside is obviously extremely high, especially if he can continue to develop his offensive game and maintain his mobility as he gets heavier.

3.

Seamus Casey, RHD, 20 ( Utica Comets/New Jersey Devils ) Casey, the 27th-ranked prospect on my 2022 draft board, had a bit of an up-and-down draft season, with a strong start and finish briefly overcast by some struggles in the middle, which prompted some scouts to question his top-two-round merits and his decision-making.

I really liked the Devils taking a swing on him in the second round, though, and he sure looked like a top-two-round guy as a freshman and sophomore at Michigan, where he shined as a real catalyst from the back end with the puck and in distribution, finishing third amongst all NCAA D in scoring last year behind only Zeev Buium and Lane Hutson with 45 points in 40 games.

He got off to a great start to his pro career as well, impressing me in Buffalo at the Devils rookie tournament and building on that to win an NHL job, quickly score his first few NHL goals, and then immediately become one of the top offensive defensemen in the AHL before a December upper-body injury sidelined him for six-to-eight weeks.

I really like a lot of his tools in isolation.

When hes on, theres an unmistakable flow to his game where the puck just moves through him to its next destination within the pace of play, whether thats a heady outlet out of a D-to-D pass or a quick carry into a cross-ice pass to allow his teammates to get open for him.

Inside the offensive zone, he can make things happen with his blend of mobility and handling (he walks the line effortlessly but he also handles the puck like a forward one-on-one).

He stops and cuts back on a dime to easily lose tracking forwards.

He skates so, so well (though better on his edges than in a straight race).

Hes just smooth with the puck, with an ability to hold and hold and hold when necessary (inside the defensive zone, he thrives escaping past pressure).

Advertisement He looks effortless out there at times, weaving in and out of coverage and mixing in delays and fakes with the puck to create space for himself or take it from others.

Hes a fabulous puck transporter through neutral ice and a tactile player inside the offensive zone, where his footwork shines through.

Hes undersized, but his feet and stick help compensate and I think hell get to a point where he makes his fair share of stops in the NHL.

He does a good job gaining inside positioning in nose-to-nose battles for pucks defensively and while hell lose some physical engagements he has shown hell engage willingly (hes never going to be the strongest player out there, though he is a good athlete).

He can also comfortably play his off-side (the left side), providing added versatility.

Hes got top-six, PP potential with the right coach/belief/opportunity.

4.

Mikhail Yegorov, G, 18 (Omaha Lancers/Boston University) I thought No.

49 was a little high for Yegorov, but hes a freak athlete and an impressive kid (I really enjoyed chatting with him in his draft year) who wowed some people at the combine in advance of the draft and has clear tools.

Hes a 6-foot-5 goaltender with raw, natural athleticism that presents itself in his ability to go post-to-post or low-to-high.

Hes also got good hands and he reads and anticipates the play smartly.

He started this season by returning to the USHL with the Lancers, a team in disarray that often got shelled with shots.

After posting a .912 save percentage across 19 games and just three wins to show for it, Yegorov accelerated his commitment to BU and has joined the Terriers for the second half.

With the right patience, theres some serious untapped potential in Yegorovs game that could reveal itself.

The talent is there.

5.

Lenni Hameenaho, RW, 20 (Assat) The Devils only top-100 pick in the 2023 draft, Hameenaho hasnt played a single game in Finlands junior league for three years and has been one of the most productive young players in Liiga and one of Assats most productive players period.

His game doesnt grab you with dynamic quality but he goes to the net, gets involved, reads the play quickly and has decent skill across the board when opportunities to make plays arise.

When he has played against his peers, he has flashed one-on-one skill and confidence as well, showing more of an ability to dance defenders.

He has built a successful track record at the pro level playing a very well-rounded game, but hes got talent, he stays around it, hes got some vision and knows how to use his linemates, hes smart around the net and there is some soft skill to his game.

I could envision him becoming a complementary winger in the NHL, but I dont see him as either a driver, a checker or a skill guy, so Ill be interested to see what niche/role he carves out for himself.

The Devils should work to sign him and get him over to the AHL, though, without question.

6.

Herman Traff, RW, 19 (HV71/Nybro Vikings IF) Traff is a big, strong, heavy winger who can rip a puck.

He has played games at both of Swedens top two pro rungs in consecutive years as a teenager, with strong stretches of play in each.

Hes got a quick release (both leaning into one and on curl-and-drags and adjustments, pucks come off his blade hard).

He plays hard and physical hockey.

Hes got a motor and a willingness to get after it.

He plays a reliable game off the puck and could potentially be a penalty killer with the right development.

For a big man (6-foot-3 and well over 200 pounds already) hes got a decent transition game.

There are times Ive questioned his decision-making, reads and play selection, because he isnt the most cerebral player.

There are other times I want to see him bully his way to the net even more instead of relying so much on his shot.

But theres a shell of a good bottom-sixer with some scoring elements and a physical dimension.

7.

Matyas Melovsky, C, 20 (Baie-Comeau Drakkar) Melovsky was a worthwhile pick as an overager.

He was a huge part of a Baie-Comeau team that went to the Q final when people didnt expect them to and was excellent at the World Juniors a year ago.

Hes a good player who has some fans in the Q.

This season, his last in junior, he has been one of the leagues more productive players as well.

I expect him to get signed.

Hes a 6-foot-1 center who plays in all situations for Baie-Comeau, regularly playing 23-24 minutes per game as a forward and playing an integral role on both special teams and late in games because of his proficiency in the faceoff circle (hes one of the QMJHLs leaders in both faceoffs taken and faceoff percentage at above 58 percent).

Melovskys game is all about his smarts.

He knows where to be defensively, how to support his teammates off the puck offensively and how to use spacing when hes got the puck in order to facilitate for his linemates.

Hes a natural passer with good vision and feel for the offensive zone and a heady three-zone game.

Id like to see him shoot the puck more but he has also shaped his game to fit that of the leagues top pure sniper, Justin Poirier.

He may top out as a second-line AHLer with good offensive and defensive sense, but hes got some interesting layers to his game that could help him climb into the NHL call-up conversation someday.

Advertisement 8.

Cam Squires, RW, 19 (Cape Breton Eagles) Squires scored 30 goals and 70 points in 71 combined regular-season and playoff games with Cape Breton two years ago, good for third on the Eagles in the regular season and first in their four-game sweep to Halifax in the first round of the playoffs.

Last season, he followed that up by playing to just above a point per game (42 goals and 92 points in 80 combined regular-season and playoff games) as the leading scorer on a decent but low-scoring Eagles team that went on a nice playoff run in large part because he elevated his game.

He played well at the Devils rookie tournament to start this year as well and has again led the Eagles in scoring so far.

Hes a very intelligent player with advanced instincts on and off the puck, a great attention to detail and a mind and feel for spacing and timing on the ice.

He can shoot it in stride (hes also got a comfortable one-timer that he trusts) and has some skill.

He gets into good spots.

Hes not a pretty skater but he makes up for it in his anticipation and hes got a good stick to help him out defensively.

Hes also got some runway in front of him physically to fill out his frame and find another level.

I like his skill level and sense and he plays faster than he is.

While his play away from the puck isnt going to be a strength up levels, its also good at the junior level.

Heres one QMJHL coach on Squires: I think he can be a (Tyler) Toffoli type.

Not a pretty skater but makes up for it with anticipation offensively and defensively with a good stick or getting above early to make up for the skating.

Shoot in stride shooter first but some underrated moves at times.

Strength is where he (can) make the greatest gains and continue to play fast with poise.

9.

Daniil Karpovich, LHD, 20 (Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg) Karpovich is a tricky one because after playing in the MHL two years ago, he signed back in his native Belarus to play pro hockey at a level that was tough to project last year, and then after starting in the KHL and second-tier VHL when he made the jump back to Russia with Yekaterinburg this season he got injured in mid-October and was sidelined until January.

Now hes back and hes playing in the MHL again and because of the season spent in Belarus last year and the limited games this year I still dont feel like I have a great read on his projection.

Karpovich is still a big (6-foot-3), heavy, hard-shooting, physical defenseman who was a top D in the MHL in his draft year.

He skates well considering his 200-plus-pound frame (although his pivots and first step could use some polish), and he defends hard and trusts his reads to make firm, confident plays on both sides of the puck.

His game needs some refinement and some reps (which the injury prevented him from getting this year in order to take a step) but hes toolsy, he plays hard and physical, hes good in man-to-man coverage and along the wall/in front of the house and he has shown some offense.

With the right development plan and patience, there might be something there, but its going to take some time.

10.

Topias Vilen, LHD, 21 (Utica Comets) Vilens mature defensive presence and heads-up simplicity pushed him up levels quickly and helped him solidify himself as an AHLer after bouncing between the ECHL and the AHL early in his rookie season last year (after leading Finland in ice time at the World Juniors and playing 20 minutes per game for the Pelicans in Liiga play with strong underlying results two seasons ago).

This year, in his second in the AHL, hes now playing 20 minutes per game for the Comets as well and has played on the second unit of both special teams.

His strengths are certainly defensive (defending the rush, breaking up plays) but hell try to activate when he can and has shown some offense across levels over the years.

Hell make the available play, hes got a good first pass and he gets his shots through (a lot of his assists come from rebounds off his shots through traffic) with a low, hard-half windup slapper that he uses and a wrister that whips off his long stick.

Hes got good posture through his skating mechanics, which helps him generate power once he gets going and defend the rush effectively when hes got time to gap up (though he can lack acceleration from a standstill).

Id qualify him as a low-ceiling guy.

There are a lot of folks in Finland who believe hes going to become a solid bottom-pairing depth defenseman and while I think a No.

7-8 call-up type is more likely, hes at least relevant as a prospect.

Advertisement 11.

Daniil Orlov, LHD, 21 (Spartak Moskva) Orlov, who just turned 21 at the end of December, has made the jump from the MHL and VHL to the KHL the last two seasons, establishing himself as a regular defenseman at Russias top level (he has played just under 18 minutes per game so far this season).

An honorable mention for my 2022 draft board, Orlov has taken good steps for a fourth-round pick.

He moves fairly well (which allows him to gap up, close out and stick with opposing carriers), he gets his shots through and sees lanes when they present themselves (I wouldnt say he seeks them out or creates them), he outlets pucks well and hes got a good stick and an athletic build.

There isnt a lot of dimension to his game and he might top out as a top-four AHLer than a true NHLer, but I could see him becoming a No.

7-8.

Theres no rush, though.

12.

Ethan Edwards, LHD, 22 (University of Michigan) Edwards career has been a journey.

After rotating in and out of the Wolverines lineup a little early on his career on a deep blue line, Edwards started to settle in and find his groove again right before offseason surgery sidelined him until the new year last season (his junior year).

Now hes a senior and hes playing significant minutes (24-25 per game) for the Wolverines as he tries to make a push to earn a pro contract.

Edwards is a player who has always looked more impressive than his numbers and 5-foot-10 frame indicate.

Hes a fabulous skater with extremely impressive edgework through his crossovers, rotations and pivots, playing a tight, glued-to-your-hip gap in the neutral zone and effortlessly maneuvering inside the offensive zone.

Hes also a sneaky-physical, pesky player for his size, frequently stepping up to deliver hits or engaging physically along the wall instead of looking to win back possession with his feet and stick (which can be a bit of a blessing and a curse for smaller defenders who feel the need to involve themselves more than they sometimes have to).

Edwards is tremendous on exits and entries and does a great job creating passing and shooting lanes with his feet, but he doesnt make as many plays as he probably should.

A late birthday works in his favor as far as lost time goes and high-end mobility can take a defender a long way, but Ill be interested to see if he gets signed (either by the Devils or someone else), because its not a guarantee.

He gets full marks for his skating and aggressiveness and Ive always enjoyed watching him play, even if there may just be a mid-level pro there in the end.

13.

Chase Stillman, C/RW, 21 (Utica Comets) Ive had real concerns about whether Stillman has the on-ice intelligence and finer tools to make it (despite a strong foundation of pro tools/pro style of play) for years.

Ive also often wondered about whether hell ever develop enough offense to progress and each season seems to reaffirm those concerns a little more than the last.

Stillmans an effective enough player, but Im not sure hes talented enough to be as effective at the pro level as he was doing his thing at the junior level.

Hes physical on the forecheck.

Hes got a motor.

Hes feisty.

Hes always in the mix.

Hes strong on his feet and can make the odd play around the net.

But he lacks any dynamic quality and I find him to be too deferential with the puck (hes got fine hands and could hang onto it more than he does but seems to fall back into the chip-and-chase game as a mental thing).

He does a lot of things well and he plays an endearing style, but hes still being used as a fourth-liner in his second year in Utica, hasnt progressed much (if at all, really) since the draft, doesnt even penalty kill for the Comets and always topped out as an NHL fourth-liner for me even if he did take steps.

Its looking like they burned a first-rounder with this one.

Could I see him working his way into some games on a fourth line in his mid-20s? Maybe.

But he might also just be what he is as a depth AHLer.

14.

Kasper Pikkarainen, RW, 18 (Red Deer Rebels) Pikkarainen is a scrappy, competitive, physical player who fits a fourth-line profile, played to nearly a point per game in Finlands top junior league last year, got a taste of Liiga action and was a top-niner for the national team in his age group across all of their events.

However, after making the jump to the WHL this year, he suffered a lower-body injury after just two games and hasnt played since, essentially costing him a year of his development.

Hes strong and sturdy.

There isnt a check he wont finish.

Hes got jam and some pro qualities.

He skates well and gets after it.

Hes a tone-setter and pest.

I like him in the bumper on the power play because hes got a hard one-touch shot, he fights for rebounds and he can release from the blue paint to go get rebounds in the corner.

Hes not the smartest or most cerebral player but hes an August birthday who you hope can take advantage of his extra runway despite the lost time and develop some of his finer skills and on-ice intellect.

Hes a very low upside player but should have a good pro career and be a part of next years Finnish World Junior team.

The Tiers As always, each prospect pool ranking is broken down into team-specific tiers in order to give you a better sense of the proximity from one player or group of players to the next.

The Devils pool is divided into four tiers: 1-2, 3, 4-6, 7-14.

(Photo of Simon Nemec: Jared C.

Tilton / Getty Images).

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