With the 2020 season nearing a close and the NHL Draft on the horizon to bring in a new batch of prospects for New Jersey, it’s time to take a look at what I believe is the top 12 NHL ready players for the 2020-2021 team. A lot of different variables are included from how talented and skilled they are and the kind of league development these players process through.
Ty Smith
The Spokane Chiefs left-handed defensemen has been marinading in the WHL and not being rushed to New Jersey the past two seasons. As a 20-year-old, he’s banging on the potential to be in the Devils second or third line defence pairing. His two-way play has improved with him adding more muscle and being more squared to opposing players. He can be sheltered with the help of Damon Severson and Connor Carrick to help ease him into the lineup.
Colton White
Another left-handed defenseman who has had a few cups of coffee with the New Jersey Devils in brief stints. If he doesn’t make the club, he could be used in a trade to get more ice time that is feeling the burn of Kevin Bahl likely trying to take his spot. Whoever is the Devils full time GM (likely Tom Fitzgerald) will likely use him as a very reliable asset. He is a pretty mobile defensemen that can hold his own, but he has spent enough time in Binghamton gaining experience.
Nathan Bastian
Nathan Bastian is centre and winger who provides a big body who will likely replace Kevin Rooney and probably play with fellow Mississauga Steelhead Michael McLeod. Bastian is a young, tall, very physical right-handed version of former Devils centre Brian Boyle. Bastian will provide that net presence and be that very gritty player who can also play with Nick Merkley on the bottom-six forward chart. That energy, grit, physicality line will be a huge reason why the Devils win more games next season.
Nikita Okhotyuk
The left-handed defensemen from the Ottawa 67’s has proven to be a younger, more skilled version of former Devil and Ottawa Senator Anton Volchenkov. Okhotyuk is a body banger, physical defender. Okhotyuk has 16 assists out of 19 points in 36 games played. Having another Russian player on the Devils roster will be great going forward with Nikita Gusev and Okhotyuk both growing together bilingually at the NHL level and having chemistry.
Kevin Bahl
Another Ottawa 67 in mammoth defenseman Kevin Bahl. Bahl has proven for a guy in a 6’7, 240 pound frame that he can skate very well for a player, let alone a man who presents in that size. Kevin has proven to prevent a lot of goals and has also been a pretty good puck moving defensemen from the Major Junior level to the international stage at the U-20’s. He has 23 assists and 29 points in 51 games played.
Bahl is the kind of defensemen who can hip check without the need for excessive force. He’s the kind of defensemen who can box an opponent out without using much effort.
Janne Kuokkanen
The Finnish centre/winger has been on the scoreboard in the first few games since he was traded with Fredrik Claesson and Sami Vatanen. Janne got a lot of high praise by interim GM Tom Fitzgerald about the value of his skill, upside and his consistency for a former second-round pick from the 2016 Draft. It appears before the Devils make any trades and clean out the roster that Janne may be a guy who could try and replace other players who don’t seem to fit the near term. His speed, determination and the ability to retrieve pucks and score is something to be aware of.
Tyce Thompson
Tyce Thompson of the Providenc Friars NCAA D-1 team has proven to be a very solid playmaker. As cited by Chris Wassel of Dobber Prospects, “Thompson emphatically answered our question from November and now has 17 goals and 20 assists in just 25 games. He is averaging nearly 1.5 points per game in his sophomore year for Providence. New Jersey may have found a real gem here and his upside climbs by the game.”
From what I think of this assessment is that the Devils can insert a guy like him who can possibly play top-six line minutes as a centre or convert over to right-wing as a right-handed shot. Having him play a minimal of two seasons in the NCAA would allow him to spring board to the NHL level if he is given an entry-level contract before he gets to that fourth season in the NCAA. Having Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Pavel Zacha for near and long-term centremen means they can use a guy like Tyce Thompson to play on their wings.
Daniil Misyul
Daniil Misyul has proven from the KHL and international stage as a defensemen that he can be both a very fast, smooth, agile puck carrier and a very gritty defender boxing out some of the best players for Russia. Once he comes over to the New Jersey Devils with an entry-level contract, Daniil will make the very most of the time he is given, earning every minute. He’s a jack of all trades that wouldn’t surprise me if he were to take a second pairing spot from someone. The Devils won’t have to do a lot of looking when he is ready.