A prospect game is typically uneventful. It’s competitive and a fun way to get back into the hockey season, yet the players are still getting into shape and finding their footing again. It’s how the prospect game between the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders started.
Then there was the hit by Anton Silaev at the end of the first period. It got the crowd into the game and brought some much-needed energy. Silaev’s defense partner, Seamus Casey, had quite the quote about it after the game. “I think the whole building felt it. Some people probably in Jersey City and Hoboken might have felt it, too.”
The hit was a glimpse into Silaev’s game and what he can become. The game showed what the Devils hope to develop him into. Likewise, it showed his deficiencies and where he must improve before he’s ready for the NHL.
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When he’s on the ice, he’s a noticeable presence. He’s a bigger defenseman and plays like one too. For some hockey fans, he’s a throwback to a previous era, when every team had its physical presence who was eager to set the tone with a big hit (Scott Stevens was that player for the Devils during the Stanley Cup years).
Defensemen who deliver the big hits are exciting. They also don’t last long in today’s NHL. Suspensions don’t help, but more importantly, the injuries take their toll. The Islanders, who faced the Devils on Sunday, will be quick to point to Alexander Romanov. He’s their version of Silaev and has battled injuries over the years. At 26, Romanov is already wearing down and not the same player he once was.
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It’s one reason the Devils will want Silaev to use his strength wisely. They want him to use his size and, at the same time, focus on becoming a shutdown defenseman who blocks shots and cleans up pucks in the net front.
The Devils have their scoring defenseman, or at least they hope that Luke Hughes becomes one this season. They might add another in the near future, with the possibility of a Quinn Hughes addition on the horizon.
They need more stay-at-home defensemen, specifically young ones, to build around for the future. While Brett Pesce, Jonas Seigenthaler, and Johnathan Kovacevic play that role, all three are 29 or older.
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If Silaev develops into one, it changes the Devils’ outlook. Suddenly, they have a young stay-at-home option to build around who blocks shots and forces turnovers, while his defensive pairing can play more aggressively and focus on offense. Most playmaking and offensive-minded defensemen need a shutdown defenseman playing alongside them. The Devils are hoping they can develop a few with Silaev leading the way.
Silaev, like many of the Devils’ young defensemen, will allow opponents to get into the dirty areas and the net front for scoring chances. Likewise, he’ll allow open looks in the high-danger areas, which was on display in the exhibition game against the Islanders.
It’s not a knock on him. Many defensemen struggle at his age, especially coming from overseas. It’s why Silaev will likely spend this season developing with the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League.
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The plus is that the Devils have the right players around him to help, including Seamus Casey as a defensive partner and Mikael Diotte, who understands the adjustment a rookie like Silaev is going through. “He’s got everything to have a good career. So, just trust himself, move his feet, and use his body, and I think he’ll have success for sure,” Diotte mentioned when asked about the advice he gives the Devils prospect.
Silaev has made plenty of progress already, and he’s on the right track. The key for the Devils is keeping him on that track. “He’s really attentive. He wants to learn. He wants feedback. He’s responsive to anything that we’re telling him on the bench. So, it’s been a pleasure to be working with him,” Comets head coach Ryan Parent noted after Sunday’s game.
It’s not just Parent who was excited to work with Silaev either. “Seeing how he progressed in the KHL and the player he became is kind of impressive. So, he was somebody I was looking for at this rookie camp,” Diotte added.
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