On notable seasons from two of the Devils' top forward prospects

JP Gambatese dove into the seasons, and future outlooks, for Arseni Gritsyuk and Lenni Hämeenaho.

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By JP Gambatese (@JP_Gambatese)

Many of the New Jersey Devils’ prospects have had their seasons come to a close, except those in the playoffs in their respective leagues. 

With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at notable performances from notable prospects for those who understandably haven’t been keeping tabs on anything but the NHL:

Arseni Gritsyuk

Gritsyuk took yet another step forward in the KHL this season, logging some meaningful time as a top-sixer on SKA St. Petersburg.

He scored a career-high 44 points (0.898 points per game), including 17 goals, and is currently playing in the first round of the playoffs, where he has logged a goal and three assists in five games. His team is on the brink of elimination, though, so his season may be coming to a close shortly.

Gritsyuk looks like a legitimate middle-six contributor at the NHL level, and when speaking to his agent, I can confirm that he’s going to be with the Devils next season.

His shot is electric, possessing a deadly, deceptive wrister that is at its best when he is in stride or shooting from outside of the circles.

On top of that, his one-timer is heavy, generating much more power than you’d expect from a player with that little movement in his shot. He should be a mainstay as a triggerman on the second power-play unit.

I wouldn’t expect him to playmake or contribute a whole lot in transition. That isn’t nearly as important when his presumed linemates will include some combination of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier.

Gritsyuk is more than content being the second man in a rush opportunity or finding open space to shoot from while his team is on the cycle. I cannot wait to see him in the black and red next season.

Lenni Hämeenaho