The Chase Stillman pick is not aging well

It felt like a reach the moment it was made. A year later, things don't look much better.

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New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald raised a lot of eyebrows when he selected Chase Stillman in the 1st round of the 2021 draft.

It wasn’t that Stillman was completely devoid of skill or attractive attributes; he just didn’t have the stand-out abilities – be it skating, a lethal shot, dynamic passing, etc. – you generally target with 1st round picks.

The production was lacking as well, which is probably why public draft models didn’t think too kindly of Stillman.

Even with his bloodlines and Grit Package™, Stillman found himself ranked well outside of Round 1 across the board.

Bob McKenzie, whose list is essentially made from polling numerous NHL scouts, had Stillman slotted 42nd.

The Athletic’s draft buffs – Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler – rated Stillman 65th and 67th, respectively.

McKenzie’s list is closer to what will happen than should (it’s not a personal ranking) and yet the Stillman pick still looked like a reach; even more so when you look at some of the other players who were still on the board *cough* Logan Stankoven *cough*.

I don’t think Stillman’s future is nearly as bleak as the TopDownHockey model – I see his chance of becoming an NHLer much more than 2% – but I certainly agree with the lack of star potential. It’s very fair to question taking someone that high when the ceiling just isn’t there.

Fast forward a year and the Stillman pick looks no better than the day it was made. In fact, it may look worse.