Anton Silaev didn’t need long to make an impression at Devils Rookie Camp. He only had to stand there.
New Jersey opened camp Saturday afternoon with practice at the RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House inside Prudential Center, and the 2024 first-round pick was impossible to miss. Selected 10th overall, the 6-foot-7 defenseman loomed over the rest of the group and immediately looked like a different kind of player.
“Big, really big,” Utica head coach Ryan Parent said. “Covers a lot of ice.
He’s really competitive. I’m excited to see him play.”
For Silaev, 20, the weekend marks the start of his first real step into North American hockey after spending his entire life in Russia. The left-shot blueliner spent the last few seasons with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League, skating under Hall of Famer Igor Larionov, before making the move across the ocean to chase the NHL dream.
“I’m very happy. It’s my dream to come to the NHL and play here,” Silaev said through translator Misha Manchik, a European scout for the team.
“I’m very excited about that. I feel good two weeks here.
I adapted very quickly, quicker than I thought. I love to be in America.”
Saturday’s session gave a first glimpse of how New Jersey plans to use him. Silaev skated alongside Seamus Casey and got work in all situations, including the power play and penalty kill.
“He’s such a good player and more importantly seems like a really great guy,” Casey said. “We’ve been having a lot of fun getting to know each other.
It’s been a blast so far. He’s super happy around the rink at all times, which is really important as the season goes on.”
The size jumps off the page, but it’s not just the frame that has people talking. Silaev brings a physical, aggressive edge and likes to lean on opponents. Even so, the skating is what separates him from the usual giant-defenseman label.
“He’s huge, he’s massive, but he’s got really good feet, really good coordination,” Parent said. “Which is going to help with the transition on the smaller ice sheet and faster tempo.”
That transition has already started, and Sunday will bring the next test. The Devils prospects host the New York Islanders prospects at 2 p.m. in the first of two rookie games, giving fans their first look at Silaev in a game setting in the United States. He is also being mentored by Devils forward and fellow Russian Arseny Gritsyuk.
“Very good practice (today). Did PK and power play.
Tomorrow is the first game. I’m excited for the game,” he said.
Even with that first North American game ahead, Silaev is not walking into completely unfamiliar territory. Through Manchik, the Devils noted that he has already played on the smaller ice surface before, since two teams in the Russian league use the same dimensions.
“He has experience playing on this size ice because two teams in the Russian league have the same size,” Manchik said. “He played there pretty often. So, he knows that.”
And while the Devils have openings on the back end, especially after the trade of defenseman Simon Nemec, Silaev’s focus is straightforward. He wants to put himself in the conversation now, not just down the line.
“Biggest success would be making the NHL team and spend most of the time here,” Manchik translated. “That would be a successful season.”
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