Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2026 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes evaluations on nearly 500 prospects, runs from March 9 to April 8.
The Devils’ pool lacks a top prospect up front, but they have a star goalie (as well as another who is intriguing), multiple legit D prospects and some peripheral forwards who could play games.
2025 prospect pool rank: No. 17 (change: -5)
Tier 1
1. Mikhail Yegorov, G, 20, Boston University (No. 49, 2024)
Yegorov is a freak athlete who wowed some people at the combine in advance of the draft and has high-end attributes. He’s a 6-foot-5 goaltender with raw, natural athleticism that presents itself in his ability to go post-to-post or low-to-high. He also has good hands, and he reads and anticipates the play smartly. He started his post-draft season by returning to the USHL with the Lancers, a team in disarray that often got shelled with shots. After posting a .912 save percentage across 19 games and just three wins to show for it, Yegorov accelerated his commitment to Boston University and joined the Terriers for the second half (where he was excellent early and into the Beanpot, and really made a world of difference for that team, elevating its ceiling and backstopping BU into the Frozen Four). Yegorov was one of the stories of the college hockey season (the five goals he gave up in the final were the most he’d surrendered after joining the Terriers). He and BU haven’t followed it up with the same level of play in his sophomore year, but the talent is all there. He’s a big, long, lean goalie who should get stronger, is quick on his feet and in and out of his butterfly with clear technical skills as well. With the right patience, there’s some serious untapped potential in Yegorov’s game still, too. He has starter upside.
2. Anton Silayev, LHD, 19, Nizhny Novgorod (No. 10, 2024)
Silayev is a unicorn 6-foot-7 defenseman who surprised some people with a hot start offensively in the KHL in his draft year and rose to the top of the 2024 class playing legitimate minutes for one of the KHL’s better teams for most of the year (including in the playoffs) — an extremely rare feat for a 17-year-old. His 11 points in 63 games broke the league’s under-18 scoring record (Vladimir Tarasenko had 10 points and Kirill Kaprizov and Evgeny Kuznetsov each had eight at the same age). He played on the power play, consistently registered multiple shots per game and even played both sides. The last two seasons haven’t kept climbing along that meteoric trajectory at the same pace, though, and there’s not as much offense as we saw early on in his draft year for a stretch (largely due to average smarts). He’s still averaging only about 14 minutes per game, and while it’s his third KHL season, we have to remember he’s just 19. I do think it’s important that he makes the move to North America when his contract expires at the end of May. Silayev remains a unique prospect with a high defensive ceiling, but he hasn’t progressed over a period of time.
He’s an excellent skater who walks the line with ease, drops back onto his heels comfortably and pushes forward to either carry pucks up ice, close gaps or disrupt a carrier with an active stick. He has more steps to take in his decision-making on the puck (I find he’s a little too trigger-happy — he actually shows good poise and comfort when he doesn’t rush), his shot (which he gets off in volume and does a good job putting on target, but will definitely need to add power as he gets stronger and works on it) and his ability to really impose himself with his size even more than he already does (which he really learned to do in his draft year, leading Torpedo in hits). He’s disruptive in zone defense and hard to beat off the rush because of his length. There’s still plenty of room for continued growth and development within his game. I see the appeal of Silayev and the projection. His upside is high, especially if he can develop his offensive game further and maintain his mobility as he gets heavier.
3. Seamus Casey, RHD, 22, Utica/New Jersey (No. 46, 2022)
Casey, the 27th-ranked prospect on my 2022 draft board when he went 46th, had a bit of an up-and-down draft season, with a strong start and finish briefly overcast by some struggles in the middle, which prompted some scouts to question his top-two-round merits and his decision-making. I really liked the Devils taking a swing on him in the second round, though, and he sure looked like a top-two-round guy as a freshman and sophomore at Michigan, where he shined as a real catalyst from the back end with the puck and in distribution, finishing third among all NCAA D in scoring behind only Zeev Buium and Lane Hutson with 45 points in 40 games in his second and last year there. He got off to a great start to his pro career as well, impressing me in Buffalo at the Devils’ rookie tournament (he has impressed both years there) and building on that to win an NHL job, quickly score his first few NHL goals, and then immediately become a top offensive defenseman in the AHL before a December upper-body injury sidelined him and slowed down his momentum. He hasn’t been able to re-establish himself on the Devils’ crowded blue line this year, but has continued to produce and play 20-plus minutes per game in the AHL. I think he’d be in the NHL with a different team, and I wonder about a change of scenery.
I really like a lot of his tools in isolation. When he’s on, there’s an unmistakable flow to his game where the puck just moves through him to its next destination within the pace of play, whether that’s a heady outlet pass, a D-to-D pass or a quick carry into a cross-ice pass to allow his teammates to get open for him. Inside the offensive zone, he can make things happen with his blend of mobility and handling (he walks the line effortlessly, but he also handles the puck like a forward one-on-one). He stops and cuts back on a dime to easily lose tracking forwards. He skates so well (though better on his edges than in a straight race). He’s just smooth with the puck, with an ability to hold and hold and hold when necessary (inside the defensive zone, he thrives escaping past pressure).
He looks effortless out there at times, weaving in and out of coverage and mixing in delays and fakes with the puck to create space for himself or take it from others. He’s a fabulous puck transporter through neutral ice and a tactile player inside the offensive zone, where his footwork shines through. He’s undersized, but his feet and stick help compensate, and I think he’ll get to a point where he makes his fair share of stops in the NHL. He does a good job gaining inside positioning in nose-to-nose battles for pucks defensively, and while he’ll lose some physical engagements, he has shown he’ll engage willingly (he’s never going to be the strongest player out there, though he is a good athlete). He can also comfortably play his off-side (the left side), providing added versatility. He has top-six, PP potential with the right coach/belief/opportunity.
Tier 2
4. Shane Lachance, LW, 22, Utica (No. 186, 2021)
After spending two seasons post-draft in the USHL while he figured out how to use his big, heavy, 6-foot-5 frame, Lachance became Youngstown’s captain and led the team to a Clark Cup. Last year, he was then named a captain again as a sophomore at BU, where he was an important player for them in back-to-back trips to the Frozen Four before turning pro. He had a respectable freshman year at BU (finding a role alongside Macklin Celebrini), but he was one of the Terriers’ most consistent forwards last year. This season, as a rookie pro, he impressed at the Devils’ rookie tournament in Buffalo, made his NHL debut, and has played 16 minutes per game in the AHL (including a prominent role on the Comets’ PP), though his production hasn’t matched his solid play for the most part.
He has a good feel around the net, a willingness to go plant himself there and a knack for getting his stick on tips, redirects and rebounds. He’s a competitor. He has always had a high hockey IQ. He protects pucks well and is good along the wall in both the defensive and offensive zone. He’s viewed as a leader. He has a more diverse game than the stereotypical wall/net-front guy, but also has the stick for that. He has a late-August birthday, which speaks to some of the runway he was given in junior to develop before going off to college as well. Lachance works hard, he supports play well, he plays off skill guys effectively and some believe he might become a solid role player at the next level. He has worked hard to get his skating to a passable level as well, though it’s never going to be an asset. He’s a well-liked player who plays with an identity, and it’s not hard to imagine him as a depth NHLer.
5. Lenni Hämeenaho, RW, 21, Utica (No. 58, 2023)
The Devils’ only top-100 pick in the 2023 draft, Hämeenaho didn’t play a single game in Finland’s junior league from his draft year in 2022-23 to last year, spending three seasons from age 17-20 playing against and succeeding against men as one of the most productive young players in Liiga and one of Ässät’s most productive players period. After finishing last year with 51 points in 58 games (tops among all under-21 players), he has made the jump to the AHL this year, where he’s playing 16-17 minutes per game and contributing on both the penalty kill and the power play for the Comets. His game doesn’t grab you with dynamic quality, but he goes to the net, gets involved, reads the play quickly and has decent skill across the board when opportunities to make plays arise.
When he has played against his peers, he has flashed one-on-one skill and confidence as well, showing more of an ability to dance defenders. He has built a successful track record at the pro level playing a very well-rounded game, but he has talent, he stays around it, he has some vision and knows how to use his linemates, he’s smart around the net and there is some soft skill to his game. I could envision him becoming a complementary winger in the NHL, but I don’t see him as either a driver, a checker or a skill guy, so I’ll be interested to see what niche/role he carves out for himself. He’s going to play games in the league, though. I’m confident of that.
Tier 3
6. Daniil Orlov, LHD, 22, Spartak Moskva (No. 110, 2022)
Orlov, who turned 22 at the end of December, has made the jump from the MHL and VHL to the KHL the last three seasons, establishing himself as a regular defenseman at Russia’s top level last season (he played 18 minutes per game) and a top one this year (now playing 21-plus minutes per game and producing). An honorable mention for my 2022 draft board, Orlov has taken good steps for a fourth-round pick. He moves fairly well (which allows him to gap up, close out and stick with opposing carriers), he gets his shots through and sees lanes when they present themselves (I wouldn’t say he seeks them out or creates them at a high level, but he’ll find them), he outlets pucks well and he has a good stick and an athletic build. There isn’t a lot of dimension to his game, and he might top out as a top-four AHLer more than a true NHLer, but I could see him becoming a No. 7-8 D, and I think the Devils should make best efforts to get him signed and bring him to the AHL.
7. Trenten Bennett, G, 19, Owen Sound (No. 99, 2025)
I didn’t spend enough time on Bennett, a 6-foot-8 CCHL goalie and Owen Sound third-stringer, in his draft year last year. But the St. Lawrence commit played well with both Kemptville and in six OHL starts, and because of his size, NHL teams started to pay attention more and more as well, resulting in his eventual third-round selection despite a relatively small sample. This year, he started the season as Carter George’s backup in Owen Sound but has taken the net following the Kings prospect’s trade to the Soo. His sample is still small for a soon-to-be 20-year-old, but it’s about the long game with Bennett, who moves fairly well for his size and seems to have good dexterity/reflexes/hands as well. Refining some of his movement patterns and mechanics will be key, but he has tremendous size and some talent to work with. He’s worth following.
8. Conrad Fondrk, C, 18, Boston University (No. 50, 2025)
Fondrk is a very skilled player who can make plays in space and was owed a better fate in his time at the program, both in terms of production and health. He played stretches of hockey where he looked like one of the program’s best and most talented players, and the Devils weighed that against his smaller sample of that play when they used a second-round pick on him. This season as a freshman at BU was always going to be about getting back into a rhythm (he didn’t even get back on the ice until close to puck drop), so I wouldn’t read too much into his modest numbers with a Terriers team in a bit of flux. I expect him to be a top-six playmaker at the collegiate level as an upperclassman.
He has a dangerous midrange shot, individual skill/hands and good overall skating. The talent level and the ability to execute finishing plays have appeared top-end in stretches. Some thought he could have really sold himself down the stretch if he’d been able to stay healthy. There were questions, even as he led the U17s in scoring a year ago, about his B-game but I thought he’d taken big steps to round out his game in his two years at the program when I got updated viewings (he’s good in the dot, has good instincts off the puck defensively, penalty killed for them and I’ve seen him play hard even if he doesn’t involve himself physically all that much). I think if he’d played more, he could have been a late first or early second. He has made some pretty plays over the years, and he’s definitely a threat when the puck lands on his stick in the slot/with time. If he’d stayed healthy, I think he could have separated himself from an uninspiring pack at the program. He has real talent. He’s also a June birthday, so maybe he can take advantage of that runway if he can stay healthy.
9. Matyas Melovsky, C, 21, Utica (No. 171, 2024)
Melovsky was a worthwhile pick as an overager and has progressed positively since then. He was a huge part of a Baie-Comeau team that went to the QMJHL final when people didn’t expect them to, and was excellent at the World Juniors in his second crack at the draft, turning plenty of folks around the Q into fans of his game. Last season, his last in junior, he was one of the league’s more productive players as well, and his entry-level contract with the Devils was well-earned. He has had a fine rookie season in the AHL, playing 15-16 minutes per game, playing on the power play and getting spot usage on the PK.
He’s a 6-foot-1 center who played in all situations for Baie-Comeau, regularly playing 23-24 minutes per game as a forward and playing an integral role on both special teams and late in games because of his proficiency in the faceoff circle (he was one of the league’s leaders in both faceoffs taken and faceoff percentage at above 58 percent, and is at 53 percent in the AHL this year, which is strong for a young player). Melovsky’s game is all about his smarts. He knows where to be defensively, how to support his teammates off the puck offensively and how to use spacing when he has the puck in order to facilitate for his linemates. He’s a natural passer with good vision and feel for the offensive zone and a heady three-zone game. He may top out as an AHL 2C with good offensive and defensive sense, but he has some interesting layers to his game that could help him climb into the NHL call-up conversation someday.
10. Ben Kevan, RW, 19, Arizona State (No. 63, 2025)
Kevan, the latest Californian to get drafted, was one of the top young players in the USHL over two seasons pre-draft, playing to a point per game with Des Moines as a 16-year-old (rare for a player that age and enough to land him on the USHL’s All-Rookie Team) and just under last year. He joined Team USA for U18 worlds as well, and after starting as the extra forward, became one of their only fourth-line forwards who seemed to have the puck and create offense (something Casey Mutryn, Teddy Mutryn and Matthew Lansing each struggled with). This season has come with a steep learning curve for him at the collegiate level, however.
He has real wheels and can get out in transition and make plays at speed off the rush or rotating around the offensive zone. He has a natural release and played the point on the Buccaneers’ power play, though he doesn’t finish as much as I’d like him to. He’s quick in and out of twists and turns and stops and starts. He’s a good athlete, the skating is legit and the skill level is average (though, again, his execution and finishing aren’t always there at the end of a sequence). I do wonder about his IQ. There are times when he tunnel-visions or doesn’t see an open man when he’s playing at a high pace. Still, he can adjust to coverage, go get pucks, come up with steals and can play with pace in straight lines or in and out of cuts and crossovers. I haven’t been entirely sure what to make of him over the years, though the skating keeps him relevant.
11. Topias Vilén, LHD, 22, Utica (No. 129, 2021)
Vilén’s mature defensive presence and heads-up simplicity pushed him up levels quickly and helped him solidify himself as an AHLer after bouncing between the ECHL and the AHL early in his rookie season two years ago (after leading Finland in ice time at the World Juniors and playing 20 minutes per game for the Pelicans in Liiga with strong underlying results three seasons ago). Last year, his second in the AHL, he played playing 20 minutes per game for the Comets as well and contributed on the second unit of both special teams. This year, those minutes are down to 18-19 per game due largely to fewer opportunities on the PP, but he’s still a solid player at the AHL level for them.
His strengths are certainly defensive (defending the rush, breaking up plays), but he’ll try to activate when he can and has shown some offense across levels over the years. He’ll make the available play, he has a good first pass and he gets his shots through (a lot of his assists come from rebounds off his shots through traffic) with a low, hard-half windup slapper that he uses and a wrister that whips off his long stick. He has good posture through his skating mechanics, which helps him generate power once he gets going and defend the rush effectively when he has time to gap up (though he can lack acceleration from a standstill). I’d qualify him as a low-ceiling guy. There are a lot of folks in Finland who believe he’s going to become a solid bottom-pairing depth defenseman, and while I think a No. 8-9 call-up type is more likely, every organization needs depth, and he’s a perfectly fine version of it.
12. Mason Moe, C, 18, Minnesota (No. 90, 2025)
Moe was a top player in the Minnesota high school circuit, had a solid showing at the Hlinka, and then scored 25 goals and 52 points in 63 combined games split between the Madison Capitols’ regular season and playoffs and a half dozen games with the NTDP (including a hat trick in his debut) last year to get drafted in the third round. He has had a respectable freshman year at Minnesota, too. He started the year playing 10-12 minutes per game and is now regularly playing 16-17.
Moe is strong and sturdy, and he works hard, competes, has a good motor, finishes his checks, takes pucks to the net and uses his body well to protect pucks, stay over them and work to get into shooting positions, where he can fire it. He does need to improve in the faceoff circle, though.
Moe played most of last season on a line with the uber-talented Ryker Lee, and he played off him well, showing an ability to get open for him, get pucks for him and create some of his own looks. And while I do think he benefited from all of the plays Lee makes, I think it was mutual in certain respects as well. Moe should be a three- or four-year college player, but has some pro attributes to build around.
13. Gustav Hillstrom, C, 19, Brynas (No. 114, 2025)
Hillstrom is a heady, good-skating center who played 18 games for Brynas in the SHL last season and has bounced between the men’s team and the J20 level again this year. His lack of impact in stints with the Swedish national team hurt his exposure and notoriety in a decent Swedish class, but he had a respectable draft year domestically and has some translatable attributes. Hillstrom isn’t super skilled or super physical, but he knows where to go on the ice, he’s strong in the faceoff circle and he can play with anyone and in any situation. He has a 6-foot-2 frame that should fill out, he’s a decent skater and I like his reads and his instincts both on and especially off of the puck. I thought he was a worthwhile mid-to-late-round pick, and he should have a long pro career. He’s a long shot to make the NHL, but I felt he was worth a mention here.
