Anton Silaev gave the New Jersey Devils’ prospect game exactly the jolt it needed.
For much of Sunday’s matchup with the New York Islanders, the action had the usual rookie-camp feel: competitive, but still a little ragged as players worked their way into game shape. Then Silaev landed a heavy hit late in the first period and changed the temperature in the building.
Seamus Casey summed it up afterward with a line that made the rounds fast: “I think the whole building felt it. Some people probably in Jersey City and Hoboken might have felt it, too.”
That was the kind of moment Silaev can bring. At his best, he looks like the Devils’ top defense prospect for a reason: a big, physical presence with the tools to become something special. But the same game also showed how far he still has to go before he’s NHL-ready.
Silaev plays like a bigger defenseman because he is one. He stands out when he’s on the ice, and he brings a bruising style that feels like a throwback to another era. The Devils have long had a name attached to that kind of player in Scott Stevens, and Silaev’s hit against the Islanders gave a quick reminder of why that style still grabs attention.
The challenge is turning that edge into something sustainable. The Devils don’t just want Silaev throwing his weight around. They want him using his size to become a reliable shutdown defenseman - the kind who blocks shots, clears the front of the net and makes life miserable for opponents in the dirty areas.
That matters because New Jersey’s current blue line picture leaves room for more of that type. Luke Hughes is expected to develop into a scoring defenseman, and the Devils may add another offensive piece down the road, with Quinn Hughes mentioned as a possibility on the horizon.
But the group also needs young stay-at-home defenders to grow alongside those players. Brett Pesce, Jonas Seigenthaler and Johnathan Kovacevic already fill that role, but all three are 29 or older.
If Silaev reaches that ceiling, the Devils’ future on defense looks a lot cleaner. A young shutdown option would let a more offensive partner take chances and attack. That kind of balance is what New Jersey is hoping to build, and Silaev is central to that plan.
For now, though, the rough edges are still there. Like many young defensemen, especially ones coming over from overseas, he can still be exposed in the net-front battles and give up looks from the high-danger areas.
That showed up against the Islanders, too. It’s part of the learning curve, and it’s a big reason he’s likely headed for a season of development with the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League.
The encouraging part for the Devils is that Silaev appears eager to absorb everything around him. Ryan Parent said after Sunday’s game, “He's really attentive.
He wants to learn. He wants feedback.
He's responsive to anything that we're telling him on the bench. So, it’s been a pleasure to be working with him,”
He’s also getting help from the right people. Seamus Casey is alongside him, and Mikael Diotte offered a simple blueprint when talking about the advice he gives the prospect: “He’s got everything to have a good career. So, just trust himself, move his feet, and use his body, and I think he'll have success for sure,”
Diotte also said, “Seeing how he progressed in the KHL and the player he became is kind of impressive. So, he was somebody I was looking for at this rookie camp,”
That’s the balance with Silaev right now: the upside is obvious, the hit power is real, and the development path is clear. The Devils have something intriguing here. They just need time to turn it into something dependable.
In Other News...
Arseny Gritsyuk Faces A Big Devils Test In Year Two
Arseny Gritsyuks first year in New Jersey was a useful first step and a reminder of how quickly opportunity can open up in the NHL. He jumped into the Devils lineup for the 2025-26 season, settled in through a series of different line combinations as injuries hit the roster, and finished with 31 points in 66 games before a season-ending injury cut things short.
Now the challenge shifts from surviving to building. Gritsyuk is expected to stay in the bottom six next season, but there is still a real path for him to take another jump if he comes back healthy and keeps developing at the pace he showed as a rookie. The Devils do not need him to carry the attack, but if his progress continues, he could become one of the more interesting internal candidates to push past the 40-point mark in 2026-27. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Prospects Offered An Early Hint Fans Will Want To See
The Devils opened their Rookie Showcase with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Islanders, but the result was only part of the story. Anton Silaev, the teams first-round pick, made a notable debut by flashing the kind of defensive play and physical edge that can quickly catch a fan bases attention, while New Jerseys group as a whole spent much of the night pushing the pace and creating offense.
Matyas Melovsky helped drive that pressure with a three-point outing, giving the Devils plenty to like even in defeat. Still, the game ended the way these early September looks often do for prospects, with flashes of promise and a reminder that the next step is turning those moments into something more consistent once the real competition begins. [Read more 🡒]