Prospect pool impresses at 2018 Camp

When Ray Shero took over as general manager of the New Jersey Devils in May of 2015, the prospect pipeline was a trickle, at best. Four drafts, 31 selections later and a couple undrafted free agent signings later, it's gushing with talent ready to make the jump to the NHL.

There's a lot of talk about John Quenneville and Michael McLeod as first round draft picks with a lot of speed and skill and Joey Anderson, the world junior gold medalist and national champion with Minnesota Duluth who can literally do it all. Then there's Blake Speers and Brandon Gignac who both nearly made the Devils two years ago and are back to claim their stake at an NHL roster spot after learning some important lessons last year in their first professional seasons. And, of course, Ty Smith as the Devils first round draft choice this past summer, but there are four guys at camp that you might not have heard too much about that you should pay very close attention to because they could be hopping over the boards at Prudential Center sooner than you think.
Marian Studenic - 19, forward, 5th round, 2017
Studenic has spent the past two seasons in the OHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs. He's also represented his home country of Slovakia at the past two World Junior Championships. He's got great speed, vision and a reputation as a skilled playmaker more than a goalscorer, although he's been known to do that too. He will benefit from playing with guys who are as fast as he is, both on the ice and with the way he thinks and see the game one step ahead.
During this training camp, he will have to show all of that and that he's strong enough to compete physically at this level. That's not to say he needs to throw his his 6-foot, 165 pound frame around, but more that he won't be so easily pushed off the puck because it doesn't matter how good you are with the puck if you can't maintain possession and be in a position to do anything with it.
Brett Seney - 22, forward, 6th round, 2015
Seney spent the last four seasons as the scoring leader at Merrimack College and showed that he was capable of competing with older, bigger, stronger players as an undersized speed demon with offensive flair and an abundance of grit. While his speed and his skill allow him to be successful on the ice, it's his competitive nature and willingness to play bigger than his 5-foot-9, 170 pound frame that really sets him apart. He showed at the end of last season that he's capable of doing it at the AHL level when he scored three goals and five assists for eight points in 12 games with the Binghamton Devils. The question now is if he can take it one step further and do the same at the NHL level.
Beyond being physically capable of keeping up with the big boys, the biggest challenge for him might be his discipline. He has a propensity of taking stick penalties as well as getting involved in extra curricular activities after the whistle and is typically called for at least one penalty a game. For him to be useful, he needs to be on the ice and not serving an array of infractions in the penalty box.
Colby Sissons - 20, defenseman, UFA, 2016
Sissons was signed as an undrafted free agent because of the offensive potential he showed from the blueline at the Prospects Challenge as an undrafted invitee two years ago. Devils management was so impressed with what they saw, they didn't want to risk losing him to another team in the 2017 NHL Draft and offered him a contract right away. Last season, he helped the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL win the league championship notching 71 points in 72 regular season games and adding another 23 points in 26 games in the playoffs.
At rookie camp, he quarterbacked the Devils power play with poise and precision, showed a great first pass, strong positional play and the ability to jump into the rush as the fourth forward without sacrificing his defensive responsibilities. He will have to show that he can continue to do that at this level and show some grit in his game. He still has room to grow into his 6-foot-2 frame over the next couple years, but until then, he will have to make the most of what he's got to make his presence known in his own end.
Yegor Sharangovich - 20, forward, 5th round, 2018
Sharangovich played limited minutes for Dinamo Minsk of the KHL last season but brings with him a wealth of international experience having represented his home country of Belarus the past three years at the U20 world championships (twice in the top division - WJC - and last year in Division 1A) and the past two at the men's world championship as well. He's played with and against some of the best players in the world and the confidence that comes with that is evident any time he has the puck.
He has a high compete level, makes smart decisions with the puck, can slow the game down to find the right play and is creative with his playmaking. Also, at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, he is strong on his skates both in winning puck battles, especially face-offs, and maintaining possession, especially in traffic. He showed that consistently in the three games he played during the Prospects Challenge and he'll need to continue that during main camp to challenge for a spot with the Devils.
While all of these guys impressed in Buffalo last weekend, let's not forget about about the guys who weren't there that will also be pushing for roster spots - Nick Lappin, Blake Pietila, Kevin Rooney and Michale Kapla.
Shero and head coach John Hynes will have some tough decisions to make in finalizing the opening night roster in Gothenburg, Sweden against the Edmonton Oilers on October 6th and none of these prospects intend on making it any easier for them.