New Jersey Devils Juniors Prospect Update: Hockey is Back Edition!

Juniors Update

No spotlight this week as the season is just getting started. Let’s dive right in.

Cole Brown is off to a slightly better pace to start the season than last year when he totaled 17 goals and 25 assists (42 points) in 69 games for the then-Hamilton Bulldogs. Brown’s four points in six games may not turn too many heads but it is tied for the most on his team. It’s early yet but Brantford currently sits at the bottom of the East Division and has the third-worst (as of Sunday) record in the OHL. If the Bulldogs continue to struggle that may deflate Brown’s numbers a bit.

Cam Squires is off to a tremendous start for Cape Breton putting up 9 points in his first 7 games. Squires finished last season with 30 goals and 64 points in 67 games, so if he can maintain the 1.29 pts/g pace that would demonstrate a significant growth in his game. Squires is also scoring timely goals including this game winner in overtime.

Josh Filmon is continuing where he left off after his breakout season. While his goal totals are down slightly in this short six game sample size compared to last year, Filmon is on pace for 98 points, a big leap from his 75 points during his breakout. Filmon’s game is growing in all aspects and not all in ways that show up on the scoresheet. Check out this end to end rush and give and go.

Chase Cheslock has two points in his first six games manning the Omaha Lancers blueline this season. Sam Kasan recently wrote this piece for NHL.Com while interviewing Cheslock. In the article, Cheslock talks about what it was like being drafted by the Devils, his style of play and what he still needs to work on.

Around the Pool

• The NCAA has also started its season and Seamus Casey is off to a tremendous start with six points in his first four games.

• Speaking of hot starts, Samu Salminen also had a strong opening game scoring two goals for a 4-2 Huskies win. [UConn]
• The Utica Comets have started their season 0-1-1 producing some ugly numbers for goaltender Erik Kallgren, who has a .758 SV% and 6.35 GAA in two starts. Graeme Clarke and Cal Foote lead the prospects on the team with two points each in the first two games both tallying a goal and an assist. Chase Stillman returned from injury in time for the season opener and has recorded his first professional point for the Comets.

• Simon Nemec appears to be day to day after suffering an injury in the AHL opener.

• 2017 7th Round Pick LHD Yegor Zaitsev has found new life since joining Spartak Moscova of the KHL recording eight points in his first eighteen games. That puts Zaitsev on a twenty-nine point pace, more than double his previous high of fourteen. Although Zaitsev has aged out of the prospect pool, the Devils still hold his rights, so he is worth monitoring from time to time.
• For anyone who may have missed it earlier, Ethan Edwards will miss the first half of the season following surgery.

• Ryan Kennedy of the Hockey News put together his list of the Top 100 NCAA prospects he’s most excited to watch this season. Unsurprisingly, Seamus Casey is near the top. Artem Shlaine and Samu Salminen also made his cut. [Hockey News]
• Cam Squires scored another game-winning goal after this update was written making him the first Devils prospect to reach ten points this season in any league per Elite Prospects.

Your Take

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