New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Week 30

It ended as quickly as it began - the Albany Devils fell to the St. John's IceCaps in four games. While they didn't get the results they were hoping for in the playoffs, it was an extremely successful season in Albany and there are many reasons to get excited about their future. Keep reading for the final playoff stats and other notes.

Albany Notes:

• It was a difficult way to end the season as the Devils fell 4-1 to the IceCaps in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Jon Merrill scored the lone goal for the team while Keith Kinkaid made 29 saves. Albany had 40 shots on goal, but they weren't able to force a fifth game in the series.
• There were a lot of positives to take out of this season in Albany. The team finished with a franchise-best 40 wins and 93 points. They finished the season strong with a five-game winning streak when the team has struggled during the final months of the season in the past.
• The Devils were one of the youngest teams in the AHL this season. 15 of the players were in their first or second AHL season out of 35. Of those players, some were extremely impressive:
  • Reid Boucher had 22 goals during the regular season, tied for second on the team.
  • Seth Helgeson played in 75 games (tied for first on the team), and was a +12 (second on the team).
  • Kelly Zajac finished the season second in points with 44.
• Eric Gelinas sprained his ankle during the final game. Lou Lamoriello said it does not require surgery and he will be fine.
• Lamoriello was quite pleased with the season Albany had. He told Tom Gulitti,

"I thought they had an outstanding year. I thought the progress of the players and the players that we had here and then went there (was good), so in my opinion they had an outstanding year."

• Merrill, Gelinas, Sislo, Boucher, Whitney, Tim Sestito, and Cam Janssen all had the opportunity to play in the NHL last season. Lou noted that he expects more players to make the jump to the NHL level next season.

Other Notes:

o   Ben Thomson was named the OHL Player of the Week for the week ending May 4^th. He had three points in two games (1g, 2a).

o   Speaking of Thomson, he and the North Bay Battalion are currently trailing the Guelph Storm three games to one in the OHL Finals. They will try to begin their comeback on Friday night.

Prospect of the Week:

He was named Player of the Week, so it's only fitting. Ben Thomson has been huge for North Bay throughout the playoffs, and if he can stay out of the penalty box, he can help them string together a few wins and a comeback to win it all. He worked hard this season to show he could do more than fight and make big hits, and he did just that this season scoring 24goals in 43 regular season games after scoring 65 in 303 games with the Kitchener Rangers.

What did you take from the Albany Devils season? Who would you like to see make the jump to the NHL? Who are you excited to see join the team in Albany next year? Who do you think will get an entry-level contract before June 1? Please leave your thoughts and comments on the prospects below. Thanks for reading!