Anton Silayev’s name is suddenly in the mix for the New Jersey Devils’ opening-night roster, but the path there is a steep one.
Arthur Staple brought the conversation back to the surface Friday afternoon in his Tri-State Hockey Report on Twitter, where he said the Devils’ 10th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft could battle for a roster spot in training camp. It’s an intriguing thought, especially with the way New Jersey’s defense is stacked up right now. But when you dig into the numbers and the roster picture, the challenge becomes obvious.
For starters, this would be Silayev’s first season on North American ice. That matters.
The transition isn’t always seamless for skaters, and the adjustment can be real. Utica Comets goalie Jakub Málek ran into that kind of issue at several points during the 2025-26 season simply because he had never played stateside before.
The pace changes. The style changes.
And there’s no guarantee Silayev walks in ready to handle that jump immediately, whether it’s in the AHL or, more ambitiously, the NHL.
There’s also the fact that his development has stalled since the draft. Some of that can be blamed on the usual KHL handling of top prospects, with poor deployment and limited chances to grow into NHL-level players.
But it’s not all on usage. His game still isn’t as refined as it needs to be, and three points in 61 games while playing 12-18 minutes a night doesn’t exactly scream finished product.
Then there’s the roster math, and that’s where things get crowded fast.
The Devils have five left-handed defensemen under one-way contracts for 2026-27, including two added this summer. Luke Hughes is obviously locked in and should be in the top-pair conversation. After him come Jonas Siegenthaler and Brenden Dillon, both of whom are making at least $3.4 million this season.
Behind that group are Declan Chisholm and Vladislav Kolyachonok, two more summer additions who are also on one-way deals. Chisholm carries a $1.6 million cap hit, while Kolyachonok’s full salary can be buried in the AHL.
So if Silayev is going to crack the roster, he’ll need to beat out at least three defensemen in camp unless there’s a trade or two to change the picture. Even with a move, he’d still have to jump at least two players on the depth chart.
That makes an opening-night job feel like a long shot, especially with his first North American season coming in 2026-27 and his puck-moving still needing work. Still, that doesn’t shut the door on him entirely. He can still make real progress, and injuries could create a call-up opportunity later in the season.
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