There’s a lot to be excited about with the talented group of rookies who reported to Devils' training camp on Wednesday.
Even after multiple key departures via graduation or trade, the organization's prospect pool still ranked fourth on The Athletic’s annual list going into the upcoming season.
Here are three prospects — other than Luke Hughes! — that the BryceSalvador.com team will be keeping an eye on at camp.
Simon Nemec, drafted by New Jersey second overall in 2022, is highly regarded as one of the best defensive prospects in the world due to his smooth skating, exceptional hockey sense, and overall combination of talent and size.
For the six-foot-one, 190-lb Slovakian, thinking the game is second nature. Nemec operates his calm, nimble hockey mind and decision-making to break the puck out with ease and confidence, whether it be by virtue of a crisp, cross-ice outlet pass or a sprint up the ice with the puck.
The 19-year-old's high-involvement style shows similarities to Devils' Dougie Hamilton in his tendency to activate into the play from the blue line or in transition when a creative opportunity presents itself on the right side of the ice.
Although an offensive-minded defenseman, Nemec plays a solid two-way game that often sees him utilize his stick to break up plays or win puck battles, rather than playing physical.
Last season with the Devils' American Hockey League affiliate Utica Comets, Nemec set AHL all-time records in both goals and points by an 18-year-old defenseman (at start of season), tallying 34 points (12 goals and 22 assists) in 65 games.
Nineteen of those points were racked up at 5v5, the most by any teenage defenseman in the history of the AHL.
Nemec was ultimately named to the inaugural AHL top prospects team after recording four points in six Calder Cup Playoff contests.
Here he is a visualization of that development by Hockey Prospecting’s side-by-side comparison with Hughes.
Five rounds after the Devils drafted Nemec, the club selected Josh Filmon 166th overall.
The left-winger’s draft value was relatively low due to his undersized, six-foot-one, 158-lb frame (which impressively increased 20 lbs. from a year prior) that scouts felt made him ‘too weak’ and ‘easy to knock off the puck.’
The 19-year-old has since posted remarkable numbers with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, silencing some of those comments for the time being.
Filmon’s 47 goals (fourth in WHL), including an unbelievable six-goal performance against the Edmonton Oil Kings, and 75 total points (28th in WHL) in 64 games was a massive step up from his draft year’s stat line (22-23-45) and earned him a title as a WHL Central First Team All-Star.
The Devils rewarded the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native with an entry-level contract and a four-game AHL stint to end the year. With the Comets, he notched an assist and gained valuable experience playing professional hockey for the first time.
Interestingly, Filmon has drawn early career trajectory comparisons to former Devils assistant coach Mark Recchi, a Hall of Fame winger who retired as one of the top scorers in NHL history.
Another prospect we want to highlight is 20-year-old, left-shot defenseman, Topias Vilen. He is emerging as a notable name within the organization for his high level of compete and steady presence in the defensive zone.
Now, a fair warning: Vilen is not going to blow your mind with record-breaking numbers or accolades. Instead, it’s his effectiveness in forcing opponents to the outside to end plays and transition his team from defense to offense that has allowed him to establish himself as a reliable shutdown defenseman.
These qualities have also earned Vilen an increased role on the Liiga Pelicans and, most impressively, had made him a top-pair defenseman for Finland at the 2023 World Junior Championships.
