Introduction
On May 6th, 2021, the New Jersey Devils iced a forward core with the average age of just 21.8. That’s younger than some college lineups. Well, with all of this youth in the lineup there were a lot of rookies. The Devils were actually tied for first in the NHL in rookies who played more than one game. The team they were tied with was the Chicago Blackhawks, both teams had 11. While the Devils had 11 rookies, this series is going to cover 12 players. In this two part series, we’re going to be looking at and ranking from worst to best every Devils rookie.
Before we start I want to mention that forward Michael McLeod had technically played enough games coming into the season to not be a rookie. However, this was his first season as a full time NHLer so I’m counting it. A shoutout to Jesper Boqvist, another player who didn’t qualify as a rookie, but is being left off this list. Now, with that short explanation out of the way, let’s get right into the rankings with #12.
#12 – Colton White
Statistics – 2 GP, 0G, 0A, 0PTS, 14:16 TOI/GP
Yeah, I bet you forgot that Colton White got some games in this season too. He played in a very sheltered role, but when he was out there he played fine enough. I just didn’t quite see enough of him to put him anywhere on this list but last.
#11 – Tyce Thompson
Statistics – 7GP, 0G, 1A, 1PT, 8:43 TOI/GP
Thompson was the hot new player for like two games and then he simmered out and was reasonably sent down to the minors. You could definitely tell when you watched him play that Thompson wasn’t quite ready. However, this doesn’t mean he can’t be ready to make the full time jump to the NHL this fall. His advanced metrics were actually good at five-on-five, a 54.65 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) and 61.04 expected goals percentage (xG%) are certainly nothing to ignore.
Tyce has all the right tools to be a successful NHL middle-six forward, he just has to get a little bit stronger to help put them all together.
#10 – Kevin Bahl
Statistics – 7GP, 0G, 2A, 2PTS, 16:55 TOI/GP
I am of the, what I’ve found to be unpopular opinion, that the Bahl experiment didn’t go well. Bahl was in a similar situation to Thompson where he has the tools to be a full time NHLer someday, he just has to learn how to put them all together. Unlike Tyce though, Bahl plays a position that’s a lot more difficult and a lot more punishing.
Bahl has the size and he has the skill, but he takes too long with his decision making and his possession metrics were terrible this season. A 41.18 CF% and a 34.03 xG% are not acceptable numbers. I will give Bahl the benefit of the doubt though that a majority of his ice time was with the one defenseman that was worst in Matt Tennyson.
#9 – Nolan Foote
Statistics – 6GP, 1G, 1A, 2PTS, 9:41 TOI/GP
Nolan Foote this season in the NHL is what I like to call invisible. Everything with him was fine. From his advanced metrics to his primary stats to his hands and skating. This all leads to a player that you sometimes, a lot of the time forget that’s playing.
Like the last two guys he showed flashes of a future NHLer. Going back and watching his two points is proof of that. I think that the difference between Foote and the other guys I’ve talked about is that Nolan showed that he has the assets to not only make the NHL, but possibly thrive in it. It also seems like if he can improve on his strength along the wall and his speed a little, he could end up being a surprise pick to make the roster this fall. Look for us those are both things he said he was aiming to improve in the summer.
#8 – Marian Studenic
Statistics – 8GP, 1G, 1A, 2PTS, 10:47 TOI/GP
Marian Studenic was a bit of a surprise. He has a pretty nice shot, good hands, and a knack for turning defense into offense. While his numbers definitely don’t pop out at you, the eye-test told me not to write off Studenic when it comes time for training camp next season. Although it will be tough with a lot of young wingers also fighting for those spots.
#7 – Nick Merkley
Statistics – 27GP, 2G, 8A, 10PTS, 11:30 TOI/GP
Merkley is a guy I probably wouldn’t have had this high before the year, but production wise he was solid this season. He was ahead of a lot of big guys on this team in even strength points per 60 minutes (P/60).
For me though, and probably for the coaches he has to be better with the smaller things. Whenever someone came back from injury or the team wanted to call up a prospect, Merkley was always the first guy out for this reason. When watching him he will make great moves in the neutral and offensive zone but then will make a confusing play which would leaf to a great chance or goal for the other team.
It may sound like I don’t like Merkley that much, but that’s not true. He has great offensive instincts and is a solid playmaker, he’s just got to sure up on the little things to secure his spot in the lineup in the upcoming season.
Conclusion
While today we looked at a lot of players who could be NHL regulars, there’s still six more players on this list. A lot of them have already proven themselves to be regulars in the NHL.
Come back for part two of this two part series soon. That article will contain who I have in my top five and at number one.
All stats are via. NHL and naturalstattrick.