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this New Jersey Devils is a team that is currently trying to establish itself as a consistent Stanley Cup contender. While the team had a decent 2022-23 season, the 2023-24 season saw a step (or three) backwards. The organization took notice and made some changes, both in terms of player personnel and coaching. As the team continues to grow, they need to find lineups and pairings that mesh well together and hopefully find some combinations that work well together over the long term. Hey, this approach worked well during the Stevens, Niedermayer, and Daneko eras.
This brings me to today’s discussion and various premature predictions.
Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec look like they’re going to be big parts of the Devils’ future for quite some time. Both have already shown flashes of NHL-caliber talent despite only being in their rookie seasons. Luke plays in an offensive defenseman role, while Nemec seems to be more of a two-way defenseman. While that seems like enough of a role for them to eventually become a top tandem, I’m here today to argue against that idea and go with a different tandem if things work out.
I think that pairing Luke with Nemec would be a waste of Nemec’s offensive ability. Maybe he won’t score a lot of goals, but the vision and passing ability he showed last season are valuable. If these two were the same pair, they wouldn’t be able to play well together at the same time. So, although they might play together depending on the situation, I don’t think they will play together in the long run.
Enter the 2024 NHL Draft.
Less than a few months ago, the Devils selected top European skater Anton Silayev with the 10th pick, but they saw him downgraded in the draft. His game does lack a bit right now, which is one reason why he will continue to develop in his native Russia this season. However, some attributes are hard to ignore. The most immediate one is size: Silayev is listed at 6-foot-7 and 207 pounds, so for all of you who were hoping the Devils would add size, they did it in the draft. It’s just that the acquisition of that size isn’t available right now.
The more important factor here is the type of game he plays. Silayev’s game is based more on defense than offense, and that, in my opinion, is one of the reasons why he fits in with the Devils. The team has more talent known for offense in terms of defensive prospects and young guards. A big player who can use his size and skill to overwhelm his opponents is what the Devils need, and it may still be the case in the future if Silayev doesn’t pan out. Again, I think there was a fear that this could happen, so part of the reason Silayev didn’t perform well on draft night is because some better teams than the Devils needed forwards, but I digress here.
After making the selection, the more I thought about it, the more I felt that the Nemec/Silaev combination made more sense. If Silaev’s development does pan out, the Devils would have a left-handed and a right-handed player in the same tandem who can both play effective defense. This would also allow Nemec to jump up and use his offense when needed while having a player back to cover when needed. Nemec isn’t the biggest player, but his intelligence (which was already evident in his rookie season) combined with a player who can occupy space with his reach could form a very effective combination that doesn’t even have to be called a “defensive” combination.
It’s obviously a little early to consider this now, as Silayev still has at least another season or two before he can sign his entry-level contract, let alone play in the NHL. However, I think Silayev makes sense for the Devils because of the type of defenseman they already have in the organization. If you also take into account the handedness of him, Luke, and Nemec, Nemec/Silayev ends up being the most logical pairing. If anyone thinks I was comparing them to Stevens/Niedermayer/Daneko earlier, I want to make it clear that I am not. On the contrary, at that time, the Devils were known for their defense, and these three guys also played their roles well. It’s a different era, and the skill sets are definitely different. But for a team known for its defense, it would certainly be good (not surprising at all) for a trio to emerge and reclaim that identity. If Nemec/Silayev both develop properly, then it would be a big step in that direction.
What do you think of the potential Nemec/Silayev combination? Do you think Silayev will be a core player or will he fail to live up to his pre-draft assessment? Are there other guards on the team that you think would be a better fit? Please leave any thoughts and comments below, and thank you for reading!
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