Top prospects for New Jersey Devils

NHL.com is providing in-depth prospect analysis for each of its 31 teams throughout August. Today, the top five prospects for the New Jersey Devils, according to NHL.com.

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1. Ty Smith, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 17 pick in 2018 NHL Draft
Last season: Spokane (WHL): 69 GP, 14-59-73
Smith scored the most points by a first-year, draft-eligible defenseman from the Western Hockey League since Ian White in 2001-02. The 18-year-old has excellent mobility and hockey sense and is productive 5-on-5, on the power play and penalty kill.
Smith (5-foot-11, 175 pounds), who represented Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Kamloops, British Columbia this summer, will join the Devils at the four-team Buffalo prospects challenge in September.
"Anytime you're trying out for an NHL team as an 18-year-old, you're considered a long shot to make it because this is a league of men and lots of great players," Smith said. "But if I get the invite to training camp, I'll go there and give my best effort to make the team, I guess."
Projected NHL arrival: Next season

2. Michael McLeod, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 12 pick in 2016 NHL Draft
Last season: Mississauga (OHL): 38 GP, 16-28-44; Binghamton (AHL): 6 GP, 0-1-1
McLeod (6-2, 188) had 207 points (76 goals, 131 assists) and a 61 percent face-off winning percentage (2,060-for-3,390) in 215 OHL games. Speed and creativity are his greatest assets. The 20-year-old center had one goal and three assists in seven games to help Canada win the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship. Even if McLeod doesn't earn a spot with the Devils out of training camp, he's likely to be promoted at some point this season.
"What we'd like to see more of from Michael is give-and-go hockey," Devils assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "We want him to use his speed to draw people back. He needs to trust that he can use his speed to turn pucks into areas to help teammates. You need to know when to use your gears to make plays."
Projected NHL arrival: This season

3. Joey Anderson, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 73 pick in 2016 NHL Draft
Last season: University of Minnesota Duluth (NCAA): 36 GP, 11-16-27
Anderson was United States captain when it won the bronze medal at the 2018 WJC and helped the University of Minnesota Duluth win its second NCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship. The 20-year-old right wing can play on the power play and penalty kill and is a solid net-front presence (5-11, 190).
"Management has said there are spots available and it'll come down to who comes out of [training] camp ready to go," Anderson said. "When I return in September, I want to be even better and prove how serious I am about this."
Projected NHL arrival: Next season

4. Jesper Boqvist, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 36 pick in 2017 NHL Draft
Last season: Brynas (SHL): 23 GP, 3-10-13; Brynas J20 (SuperElite): 4 GP, 0-5-5
Boqvist (6-0, 180) will play a full season for Brynas of the Swedish Hockey League. He earned time on the top power-play unit in Sweden last season, and his role is expected to expand. The 19-year-old center won the silver medal with Sweden at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.
"I have been better inside the dots and with getting to the net, but that'll come more as I get stronger after playing in the (SHL) against men," Boqvist said. "I need to get stronger; I feel I'm still working on it but it's getting better."
Projected NHL arrival: Next season

5. John Quenneville, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 30 pick in 2014 NHL Draft
Last season: New Jersey: 2 GP, 0-0-0; Binghamton (AHL): 43 GP, 14-20-34
Quenneville needs to prove he's ready for a full-time NHL role. A left-handed shot, the 22-year-old can play all three forward positions but might be best suited at wing in the NHL. Quenneville (6-1, 195) has 80 points (28 goals, 52 assists) in 101 American Hockey League games.
"I worked on my conditioning, and my fitness level [this offseason]," Quenneville said. "Like any [summer], you're rebuilding everything. I'm working on my skating, my shooting, and offensive tactics. Every player needs to work on that."
Projected NHL arrival: This season