New Jersey Devils Pipeline Shows Promise & Pleasant Surprises

It’s easy to overreact to preseason hockey, especially a prospect game that doesn’t have many implications in the big picture. That’s the type of game the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders played on Sunday afternoon at the RWJ Barnabas Health Hockey House.

That said, the surprise of the game was that the Devils kept up with the Islanders. The Islanders have multiple elite prospects in their system, some of whom will be on the NHL roster at the start of the season.

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Devils Fall in First Rookie Scrimmage as Cole Eiserman Scores OT WinnerOn Sunday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders met inside RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House in Newark, New Jersey, for the first game action of the season.

The Devils went toe to toe with the Islanders and had a 4-3 lead in the final minute before losing it in overtime. The game, while an exhibition, shined a bright light on the Devils’ farm system, which has some pleasant surprises in it.

The Devils found the back of the net four times, with Mikael Diotte and Matyas Melovsky particularly stepping up. Diotte is a depth defenseman who got the Devils on the board, while Melovsky found the back of the net twice.

The hope for the Devils is that both players develop into NHLers. For Melovsky, he’s starting to hit his stride as a 22-year-old forward who has found a scoring touch. This season, he’ll make his impact in the American Hockey League but down the road, he’s someone who can fight for a bottom-six spot.

The big name, however, in the Devils’ system and on the ice Sunday afternoon was Anton Silaev. He’s not a scoring defenseman but showed flashes on the defensive end and made his biggest mark with a hit in the first period. “He’s got everything to uh to 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,” Mikael Diotte noted after the game on what the young defenseman must do to make it to the NHL.

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The most impressive part about the Devils pipeline wasn’t on display in the Sunday game. It’s what’s happening in Utica with their AHL affiliate. First-time general manager Sunny Mehta brought in Braden Birch as the AHL GM, and the new-look front office brought in multiple borderline NHLers. It included players like Riley Tufte, Declan Chisholm, Amadeus Lombardi, and Ben Steeves.

These players aren’t prospects per se. However, they can fill in if the injuries pile up, and the Devils won’t experience a major drop-off. They’ll also become the veterans and mentors for the prospects who are on their way to the NHL.

It’s something that gives Utica Comets head coach Ryan Parent optimism. He’s entering his second full season behind the AHL bench and is finally getting a boost from the front office. “We talked about the organizational depth, and it’s not just the guys that are in New Jersey. It’s in Utica as well,” Parent noted after the prospect game, adding, “It just creates a lot of depth, and it surrounds everybody. It makes our team better and surrounds our prospects. So, we can get the most out of developing those guys.”

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The Devils weren’t expected to improve their farm system overnight. It takes time to draft and develop. That said, bringing in the vets and changing the culture at the AHL level are how an NHL team moves the needle and makes progress.

Parent said it best when trying to read into these games, even though he was talking about Silaev. “It’s a small sample size for us so far.” It’s only one exhibition game, and the 84-game season is still around the corner and more telling about this team.

The Islanders also switched goaltenders halfway through the game, swapping Josh Kotai for Burke Hood. It’s no coincidence that all four of the Devils’ goals came after the change. In games like these, it’s always important to adjust for inflation.

It’s also worth adding that the Devils struggled defensively. Aside from allowing five goals to lose the game in overtime, they allowed the Islanders’ prospects to find open looks in the net and bury second chances in the net front.

All that being said, the game left a strong impression. The Devils, who aren’t known for their prospect pool, might have a few players to keep an eye on, even if they spend next season in the AHL.

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