Silayev Possesses Unique Blend of Attributes | FEATURE

The Devils brass sat around their draft table in Las Vegas as the 2024 NHL Draft unfolded in late June. They cranked their collective necks toward the gigantic and omnipresent screen at Sphere as each prospect was being selected and their name added to the larger-than-life wall.

With each selection, the Devils staff grew more and more anxious. Because a few of their highly coveted names hadn’t been called, including Russian defenseman Anton Silayev and Finnish center Konsta Helenius.

As the No. 10 pick approached – owned by the Devils – general manager Tom Fitzgerald turned to assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon with a query.

“As players started to go off the board, I turned to Dan MacKinnon, because we liked the Finnish center as well,” Fitzgerald recalled. “I said ‘what do you think? The defenseman or the center.’ He looked at me like, ‘The defenseman is 6-7, he can skate, and he’s mean.’

“I said, ‘all right, we’ll take the D.”

That’s exactly what the Devils did. They chose that 6-foot-7, 211-pound blueliner from Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League.

In truth, the Devils had their eye on Silayev for a long time. European scout Misha Manchik is good friends with Hockey Hall of Famer and former Devil Igor Larionov, who was Silayev’s coach in the KHL. So, Manchik had a lot of great feedback on the Sarov native.

“I like that he’s physical. His shot,” Manchik said of Silayev’s best attributes. “I saw him a lot at Novgorod. I have a lot of responses for his coaches. Igor Larionov is a very good friend of mine. (Silayev) will grow and we expect him to be one of the best defensemen in the KHL.”

That’s quite an aspiration for an 18-year-old playing in a professional hockey league. But after watching how well he handled himself in the pro league last season at just 17, it doesn’t seem like a far reach.

Manchik, who acted as Silayev’s translator for this interview, saw it firsthand. And Silayev concurred. 

“It was a great experience for me to play at that level,” said Silayev, who appeared in 63 regular-season and five postseason contests in 2023-24. “I learned a lot from that experience. Now, it’s time to realize and keep in my mind, take everything I learned and be better next season.”

Silayev credits Larionov and the Russian legend’s guidance for his ability to adjust so smoothly to the pro game despite his youth and inexperience.

“He taught me a lot,” he said of Larionov, who called him immediately after he was drafted. “Most important, he taught me how to be a better player, to see the ice better, to skate better, to understand the game better, passing better. He will teach me more because he will continue to be my coach for a few more years.”

Silayev, who is under contract with Novgorod for two more seasons, is a rare blend of size and skating ability. He’s been labeled a “ballerina on the ice” by scouts for his ability to pivot, work his edge and smoothly transition on his skates. That’s a rarity for someone with such a big frame and heavy load to carry. 

But most importantly, Silayev likes to play a physical and gritty brand of hockey. Some scouts called it "nasty." And he didn’t need a coach for that.

“Being physical is more natural. I have it in my genes,” he said.

Those genes were put on display for the entire organization to see during early July’s Development Camp. Although hitting is not part of the on-ice work, Silayev’s skating was on full display, including in the 3-on-3 tournament with all the open ice.

“The camp was amazingly great. Everything is great,” he said. “I’m very impressed to (be) in the NHL locker room. It’s huge. The equipment is great. Everything is great. It’s exciting and emotional. It gives me a challenge to be better and better and prepare.”

The development coaches also gave Silayev a challenge to be better. And that included certain areas of his game and techniques used for said improvements.

“I knew I had things to work on. The coaches at the camp told me how to work on that,” he said. “Now I understand how to work on that. Now it’s time to correct my play and be better how they want me to be better.

“It’s very important to get more skills, more weight, be stronger, improve in many areas because the NHL is the highest league in the world. The best of the best. So be better.”

And when it comes to aspirations, Silayev doesn’t aim low in the least.

“Ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup,” Silayev said. “I would like to be the best defenseman in the league. I want to be a good player in an NHL system. One of my goals is to be one of the best players in the NHL and achieve best what I can.”