Top prospects for New Jersey Devils

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the top five prospects for the New Jersey Devils, according to NHL.com.

1. Anton Silayev, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 10 pick in 2024 NHL Draft
2023-24 season: Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL): 63 GP, 3-8-11

The 18-year-old left-handed shot (6-foot-7, 211 pounds) offers great mobility for a player his size and is considered an excellent physical presence, something the Devils desperately needed in their prospect pipeline. Silayev scored the most points by an under-18 player in Kontintenal Hockey League history and also had 74 blocked shots and 98 hits as a KHL rookie. He is coached by Hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov and is signed with Torpedo through the 2025-26 season.

"He's an aggressive, strong skating defenseman who has already shown at a young age that he can prioritize defending in a physical manner," New Jersey assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon said. "This looks like a player who's committed to that style of defense, which this team is going to benefit from down the road."

Projected NHL arrival: 2026-27

2. Seamus Casey, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 46 pick in 2022 NHL Draft
2023-24 season: University of Michigan (NCAA): 40 GP, 7-38-45

The 20-year-old right-handed shot (5-9, 162) led Michigan defensemen and ranked third among NCAA defensemen in points, earned All-Big Ten First Team honors, was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament and NCAA All-Regional teams, and was a finalist for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He also was named an American Hockey Coaches Association/CCM All-American.

"We're very excited for him to start in Utica (American Hockey League)," MacKinnon said. "The plan will be to quarterback our power play and play a lot of minutes. Obviously, there's going to be an adjustment for him to the physical size of the opposition and playing against men versus just college. But I think he'll adapt quickly. He's shown himself to be very competitive and very smart. I think after there's an adjustment period he should and we're hoping he'll kind of take over that role as our offensive and transitional right-shot defenseman down there."

Projected NHL arrival: 2026-27

3. Lenni Hameenaho, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 58 pick in 2023 NHL Draft
2023-24 season: Assat (FIN): 46 GP, 14-17-31

The 19-year-old right-handed shot (6-0, 173) had 12 points (four goals, eight points) in six playoff games to help Assat's Under-20 team to the U20 SM-sarja championship last season. Hameenaho is expected to play one more season with Assat in Finland's top men's league.

"We're super excited about Lenni; if their season ends earlier, we'd like to bring him right over to get some experience in Utica," MacKinnon said. "He's got size, hands, and an inside mentality where he can possess the puck and make plays. I think he's going to be able to complement our core drivers up front. We can't wait to get our hands on him."

Projected NHL arrival: 2025-26

4. Chase Stillman, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 29 pick in 2021 NHL Draft
2023-24 season: Utica (AHL): 54 GP, 14-10-24

The 21-year-old right wing (6-1, 185) is a versatile playmaker and a strong candidate to play a middle-six role while earning some time on the power play. He's expected to participate in training camp and likely will begin the season with Utica but is a candidate for an early call-up if needed.

"Chase is a guy who's very sincere about how he goes about his business. He's a hard-working kid," Utica coach Kevin Dineen said. "He's had some injury challenges and that's part of the package when you play the game the way he does. There aren't many confrontations he shies away from, so that's going to be part of the package for him to be an impactful player."

Projected NHL arrival: 2025-26

5. Arseni Gritsyuk, F

How acquired: Selected with the No. 129 pick in 2019 NHL Draft
2023-24 season: SKA St. Petersburg (KHL): 50 GP, 19-19-38

The 23-year-old right wing has been a work in progress but became a more polished performer after a move from Omsk to SKA, where he averaged 15:15 of ice time last season. Gritsyuk (5-11, 174) also had six points (four goals, two assists) and averaged 16:43 in 10 KHL playoff games. He's under contract for one more season in Russia.

"He's a talented, skilled guy, and he wants to come over and play in the NHL," MacKinnon said. "I know his mindset is he wants to play in the NHL, so we just have to see if that's how it's going to be able to work out a year from now."

Projected NHL arrival: 2025-26