Devils 2024 NHL Draft Review
Anton Silayev headlined a New Jersey Devils 2024 draft class that had a clear size and toughness theme to it
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It's been about a week and a half since the NHL Draft took place, but since free agency followed almost immediately afterward, we didn't have much time to talk about the New Jersey Devils' 2024 draft class.
Headlined by Anton Silayev, the Devils made seven selections at the 2024 NHL Draft, and there was a clear theme to their draft class. Let's review their selections and see if there are any potential gems outside Silayev.
Silayev Headlined Devils' Selections
Even though free agency followed the draft just 48 hours later, we did talk a bit about Silayev here. Sam Dickinson and Zeev Buium were available at the time the Devils selected at 10th overall, and while I would have preferred Dickinson, I can't blame them for drafting Silayev.
First, chances are the Devils did not think Silayev would be available for them at tenth overall. Plenty of public rankings had him in the top five, and there was talk at the beginning of the season about him being in contention for the first overall pick.
That's because Silayev scored six points in his first nine games for Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo in the KHL. Given that he's 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, that'll catch the attention of NHL scouts, but his production cooled off dramatically to end the year.
Still, Silayev finished with 11 points in 63 games for Torpedo, the most for a draft-eligible prospect in the KHL since Vladimir Tarasenko. That's not nothing, and it's easy to see what the Devils like in him. His skating is excellent, and not just because he's 6-foot-7, 210 pounds. He has great mechanics, suggesting his skating could get even better.
Silayev will likely be a defensive defenseman in the NHL. Normally, I wouldn't advocate drafting such a player with the 10th overall pick, but I get the Devils' rationale. They already have Luke Hughes and Šimon Nemec in the NHL, and Seamus Casey is on the way, too. They all should be good defenders, but they don't have the shutdown potential of Silayev.
It was a need pick for the Devils, but they likely got the best player available on their board, too. It was a win-win, and though Silayev has things to work on — his puck skills/offensive game need development — I see what the Devils see in him.
Silayev is signed with Torpedo for two more years, so how he progresses in the KHL will be worth watching. If he turns into the high-end shutdown defender the Devils hope he can be, their blue line could be among the best with Hughes, Nemec, and Silayev in a couple of years.
Devils Had a Plan: Big & Mean
If you thought Silayev would be the last big boy the Devils would take in the 2024 draft, think again. The smallest player they drafted was 6-foot-2, and that came with their last pick.
After Silayev, the Devils selected goaltender Mikhail Yegorov with the second-round pick they received in the John Marino trade. Yegorov's numbers were not great this season, but he also played on one of the worst teams in the USHL (the Omaha Lancers).
It appears Yegorov will spend one more year in the USHL before heading to Boston University in 2025-26, but there's NHL potential. Per Colin Hunter of Dobber Prospects:
"Yegorov has plenty of pro-style tools: he uses his frame well to cut off angles and seal the ice down low, he has above average hands, and has great tracking abilities. However, his skating can occasionally be questionable, leaving him out of position on the odd chance."
Of course, he's 6-foot-5, something that's become quite common when the Devils draft goaltenders. Look no further to Veeti Louhivaara, who the Devils drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. I wrote Louhivaara's draft profile for The Hockey Writers, which you can read here.
Long story short, Louhivaara is another big goalie (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) with some athleticism. He has a strong glove hand and controls rebounds well, but his lateral movement needs improvement. Since he was a fifth-round pick, he'll have plenty of time to develop in Finland.
Aside from the goalies, the Devils selected some physical forwards in the later rounds. Max Graham (Round 5, 139th overall) recorded 42 points and 135 PIMs in the WHL this season, so it seems he has a future as an enforcer/tough guy.
If there's a post-Silayev skater that intrigues most from the Devils' 2024 draft class, it's Herman Träff, who they selected 91st overall in the third round. He had a solid season in Sweden, recording 13 goals and 21 points in 26 games in the J20 Nationell. He also got into eight games for Västerås IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan, totaling a goal and two assists.
A few rankings had Träff in the top 50, while Will Scouch had him in his top 32, so it seems the Devils got some value selecting him where they did. Via Elite Prospects' Draft Guide:
"Träff forechecks with pace and intensity. He hits and works to get the puck back. And he takes the puck to the net every chance he gets. When in doubt, he bets on his size and strength and mobility. Not only is he already fast for a 6-foot-3 player, but he hits most of the right notes in his posture. His knees bend at the right angle and advance past his toes and his back conserves the appropriate angle with the ice."
Träff's upside is likely that of a bottom-six power forward, but he's one worth watching as he develops in Sweden over the next couple of years.
Kasper Pikkarainen, who went six picks before Träff, is a similar type of forward. At 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, he's another bruiser who plays a physical game. He has some offensive upside, particularly his passing, but he likely projects a bottom-six power forward, too.
If there's reason to be optimistic about Pikkarainen's development, it's that he doesn't turn 18 until Aug. 7. He was one of the youngest players in the 2024 draft, so perhaps his best is yet to come.
Finally, there's Czech forward Matyas Melovsky, who the Devils selected in the sixth round, 171st overall. He had a solid year in the QMJHL, totaling 60 points in 53 regular-season games and 19 points in 17 playoff appearances. However, he's 20 years old, so you want to see better production from a double overager.
Melovsky will spend one more year in the QMJHL and then hope to turn pro for 2025-26. We'll see how his age-20 season goes in the QMJHL, but if he really pops, perhaps he has a chance at playing games.
Devils Executed Their 2024 Draft Plan
There was a clear theme to the Devils' 2024 draft class: size and toughness. Silayev easily has the most upside of their seven selections, while Yegorov could be an NHL goalie. Träff is the most intriguing of the Devils' later picks and might have an NHL future, but there wasn't anything terribly exciting about the 2024 class.
It seemed like the Devils targeted prospects who could be depth players in a few years. Given where they are as a franchise, that's fine, and it does seem like they drafted a couple of players worth monitoring outside of Silayev.
Devils 2024 Draft Grade: B+
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