New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Week 16

With a tough three-in-three schedule for the Albany Devils, they fared quite well. It was a busy week for all of the prospects, so keep reading for updates and stats on each New Jersey prospect.

Albany Notes:

• The Devils had another three-in-three weekend, and it was a successful one.
• On Friday, the Devils had an incredible 8-3 victory over the Utica Comets. Seven different Devils scored and the eight goals tied the Albany franchise record. Joe Whitney scored twice while Mike Sislo, Mattias Tedenby, Mike Hoeffel, Harri Pesonen, Rod Pelley, and Kelly Zajac each had one. Keith Kinkaid got his 15^th victory this season with 31 saves.
• In the second game of the weekend, the Devils defeated the Adirondack Phantoms 4-1. Rod Pelley, Kelly Zajac, Artem Demkov and Tim Sestito scored the goals. Dan Kelley had his fourth multi-point game of the season while playing in his 200^th career AHL game with two assists. Keith Kinkaid got the win in his fourth straight start and faced 22 shots.
• In their third game in as many nights, the Devils fell to the Hershey Bears in the shootout. They had the lead through the first two periods, but took too many penalties and fell 4-3. Scott Wedgewood was in net and made 32 saves - a season high. Rod Pelley, Mike Sislo, and Tim Sestito all found the back of the net.
• Mike Sislo was sent back down to Albany after a solid stint in New Jersey. He had two goals and an assist in his first three games back in the AHL.
• Cam Janssen was also sent to the AHL this week to make room for Damien Brunner on the NHL roster.
• Reid Boucher was sent back down to Albany yesterday. He had two goals and four assists in his 22 NHL games. This was most likely to get him down in time to play in Albany during the Olympic break among other things. If the Devils want to have Gelinas or Merrill play in the AHL during the Olympic break, they will have to be sent down by Friday evening.
• Riley Boychuk and Harry Young were sent back to the Elmira Jackals in the ECHL.
• Kelly Zajac has been making an impact on the Albany Devils this season. Last year he played just 14 games and had four points in that span. In 2013-2014, he has 23 points (6g, 17a) in 33 games and is fourth on the team in scoring.
• Rod Pelley had three goals over the three-in-three.

Other Notes:

• Graham Black had three goals and two assists in four games. He now has 62 points in 46 games this season.
• Ben Thomson had a four goal week with five points overall. In his 21 games with the North Bay Battalion, Thomson has 19 points (11g, 8a).

Prospect of the Week:

Ben Thomson is the star this week. He has been a major factor for the North Bay Battalion, who were struggling mightily before he got there. They are now second in the Central Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference in the OHL with a 23-17-4-2 record. As noted above, his point total has increased greatly since the trade, so it has been great for both parties.

Were you satisfied with the Albany Devils' 2-0-1 record in the three-in-three weekend? What do you think about the transactions sending Sislo, Janssen, and Boucher back to the AHL? Who do you think is the next player to be called up to the NHL? Please discuss your thoughts in the comments section below. As always, thanks for reading!