Ranking the Entire Devils' Pipeline: No. 24 - No. 20
Part three of my comprehensive Devils' pipeline ranking.
The time has come — my comprehensive rankings of the entire Devils’ pipeline. Most minor league and European leagues have already finished or are wrapping up their seasons shortly, so I figured now would be as good a time as any.
For this ranking, I’m taking into account every player in the Devils’ system 25 years old and younger, much like I do with the biweekly prospect updates.
In this, I will be rating players’ individual skills on a 1-10 scale, with skaters being judged on their skating, hockey sense, puck skills, shot, defensive awareness, and physicality/size. Goaltenders will be judged on their athleticism, mobility, positioning, and puck tracking. I’ll also have film examples on occasion to illustrate my points/the prospects’ skillsets.
I’ll also be including NHL comparables, though it’s very important to note that the players I list there are simply stylistically similar — the caliber of skill is obviously not synonymous here, especially at the lower parts of the ranking.
With all that in mind, let’s get into it!
For part one (No. 34 - No. 30), click here.
For part two (No. 29 - No. 25), click here.
No. 24: Samu Salminen (C/LW)
3rd Round, 2021 (68th Overall) — 40 Games Played | 10 Goals | 15 Assists | 25 Total Points — Univ. of Denver (NCAA)
At the time of the draft back in 2021, Salminen was an excellent pick with a reasonably high ceiling. His smarts were among the best in the draft class and he’d been killing it in the U20 Sm-sarja. That continued for another year, where he was above a point-per-game player in that league, though it was a bit of a concern that he hadn’t made the move up to Liiga yet. Once he joined the NCAA, his production really took a dip, and he hasn’t quite reached that potential.
Skating: 3/10
Salminen has shown flashes of good speed and acceleration in a straight line, but his consistency is lacking and generally a concern. I also don’t think his lateral mobility is impressive. Weak edges prevent him from performing the movements he wants to perform. To me, it’s the weakest part of his offensive toolkit.
Hockey Sense: 6/10
Salminen has always been touted as a heady player, and though the point totals are pretty unimpressive, that does hold true. He has a general awareness of where his teammates are on the ice at all times and is able to find them with some nifty passing plays at times. He has good vision, scanning the ice well enough to find open teammates on nearly every extended possession. Salminen can anticipate the flow of play a step or two ahead, with and without the puck, and put himself in a good position accordingly. I’ve always been impressed by his IQ.
His hockey sense has particularly shown in the last couple of seasons as a power-play puck distributor, knowing how to draw in defenders in order to generate space for his teammates. When Salminen doesn’t have the puck on the man advantage, he puts himself in prime scoring areas without drawing attention from coverage.
Puck Skills: 3/10
Salminen entered his draft year with the ideology that he could do more with the puck than he really could, but that’s come down to Earth (and rightfully so) in his time in the NCAA. He’ll still occasionally try more than his hands can actually do, turning the puck over in the process, but he has come pretty far in this regard. The thought process behind the dekes is generally the right one, but the hands just don’t match.
The odd thing is that extremely rarely, everything seems to click for a moment in Salminen’s puck-skills game. 95% of the time his brain is operating at a level his hands can’t perform at, but 5% of the time, you get moments like this:
Shot: 5/10
Whereas his shot was a strength a few years ago and he was really dialed in as a dual threat offensively, Salminen’s shot hasn’t taken any steps forward and I don’t consider it quite as menacing anymore. I don’t think it’s bad by any means, but I’d have liked to see more growth over the seasons. His wrist shot is the best of the bunch, with a relatively quick and deceptive release that will, on occasion, beat goaltenders from distance as well as in the slot.
Salminen’s one-timer is rarely used, and I’ve only really seen him pull out a backhand on breakaways, to which he’s used it in an attempt to bury it in the five-hole. He’s going to need to develop a bigger arsenal to make it. His hand-eye coordination is a strength, though, being able to tip and deflect pucks accurately from both immediately in front of the net and in stride from distance.
Defensive Awareness: 6.5/10
Salminen has transformed his game into primarily being a defensively minded player. With the University of Denver, he has turned into a top penalty killer and player in defensive situations, and for good reason. He is one of the top faceoff guys in the league (nearly 58% in the dot) and positions himself quite well in the defensive zone. He is annoying and active in pursuit of puck carriers, occasionally generating turnovers for himself, and doesn't shy away from getting in shooting lanes or engaging in board battles.
Physicality/Size: 4/10
Salminen is not overly physical, relying more on his stickwork on the defensive side of things despite his sturdy 6’2, 205-pound stature. He doesn’t often use power moves to get around defensemen and isn’t as active on the forecheck as I’d like to see. He relies more on his off-puck instincts in this regard
NHL Comparable: Nico Sturm
NHL Ceiling: 4th Line Center
NHL Likelihood: Unlikely
He had an incredibly encouraging 2021-22 season in the U20 SM-sarja, but since his move to the NCAA, he has largely been unable to score points in a faster-paced environment. That would be more concerning if he weren’t an all-situations, defensively minded center who can win faceoffs in clutch situations, but it still makes me think he’s probably not going to make it to the NHL.
No. 23: Josh Filmon (LW/RW)
6th Round, 2022 (166th Overall) — 54 Games Played | 17 Goals | 12 Assists | 29 Total Points | Adirondack Thunder (ECHL)
Josh Filmon got Devils fans excited in his D+1 season, one in which he scored 47 goals in 65 WHL games and earned himself a spotlight from Amanda Stein talking about how much hype he’d been generating within the organization. He’s fallen off dramatically, though, and doesn’t look the part of the sixth-round steal he was making things out to be at first. He took a step backward in the WHL in 2023-24, scoring half the goals and fewer points, and hasn’t made things work at the AHL, either, leading him to be relegated to the ECHL (where he also hasn’t dominated).
Skating: 2.5/10
Filmon has ugly mechanics from a skating standpoint. He still has little ankle flexion when moving, preventing him from generating nearly as much power as you’d want to see from a player of his stature. As he fills out — which he still desperately needs to do — this should, in theory, become less of an issue. If he puts on 20-30 pounds, he’ll be able to generate power more naturally and completely change his skating game, but until then it’s a legitimate worry. His straight-line speed is lacking, as is his acceleration, because he doesn’t shift weight onto the ball of his foot while skating, preventing him from putting as much force into the ice as you’d want to see. His edgework is unimpressive as well.
Hockey Sense: 4/10
From an offensive standpoint, Filmon has a decently high hockey IQ from within the zone. His off-puck movements are strong — whereas some players are content to find their spots and stick to them, Filmon doesn’t stop moving in the offensive zone, deceiving defenders into thinking he’s in one spot while he sneaks to another. This is particularly useful in front of the net; whereas defenders expect him to be parked directly in front like the stereotypical netfront guy, Filmon will slink a bit to the side, putting himself in prime scoring position for easy tap-ins that appear with cross-crease puck movement.
Where Filmon lacks is in his transitional and rush hockey sense. He’s not much of a playmaker on the rush, looking off teammates who are in a much better position to score in favor of even low-danger chances for himself. He’ll do just about anything to not be the playdriver on his line, too, which is a concern. This causes him to disappear for much of the time, fading into the background of the game and leaving you guessing as to whether or not he even played.
Puck Skills: 5/10
While his shot is his best asset (more on that in a short while), Filmon does possess a decent collection of dekes that he can pull out to make things happen one-on-one. He does his best work off-puck but has flash-in-the-pan moments that make fans and scouts yearn for more. Filmon likes to fake moves with his head and eyes to push defenders in one direction before drawing the puck back and going the opposite way, which has worked wonders for him in both the CHL and ECHL. I hope that when he really fills out, which will drastically improve the power he’s able to generate skating-wise, he transforms his game into leaning more into being the puck carrier because he can do some exciting things at his full speed already.
Shot: 6/10
Filmon does have an excellent shot, and that has been clear throughout his career. He is an expert in using the momentum of a pass and very rarely needs to compose the puck on his stick before ripping it. His wrist shot is definitely already NHL-level — quickly released and accurate — and his one-timer is an asset to boot. He has okay hand-eye coordination, which is probably something he’s going to want to improve on considering his penchant for becoming the netfront presence, though if he continues to play the way he already does (sneaking into open ice on the side of the net for easy put-ins), this is less of an issue to me.
Defensive Awareness: 1/10
Filmon is completely unengaged from a defensive standpoint, wanting pretty much nothing to do with playing in his own end. He puck watches a lot and stands still a lot, and he has been exposed for doing so at the pro level.
Physicality/Size: 3/10
Filmon has decent height, at 6’3, but needs to put the work in to fill out at just 170 pounds. You can see that he wants to make an impact in forechecking but is literally too light to do so. He can perform power moves at times, but other times he’s checked off the puck while trying one by larger, stronger defensemen. Filling out has been touted as a necessity practically since his draft year, and it’s still the truth now.
NHL Comparable: Daniel Sprong (But Slow)
NHL Ceiling: 3rd Line Passenger Winger
NHL Likelihood: Longshot
At this point, it’s hard to project Filmon to play NHL games, even though I’d like to see it desperately. It’s extra difficult to project him simply because he doesn’t have a playstyle that would work for a fourth line or as a 13th forward — he’d need to play on the third line at minimum to be successful considering he isn’t much of a grinder or defensive specialist, and that adds an extra layer for the player who has struggled to do much of anything in even the ECHL.
No. 22: Artem Shlaine (C)
5th Round, 2020 (130th Overall) — 31 Games Played | 17 Goals | 21 Assists | 38 Total Points — Arizona State (NCAA)
I’ve been watching Artem Shlaine play this season pretty closely by proxy of moving into an NCAA scouting role with Dobber Prospects, and I can say, with confidence, that he’s having a truly odd season by most accounts. He has an uncanny ability to just… score points with Arizona State this season, which often leaves me wondering “How?” simply because, from the eye test, things aren’t all that impressive. He’d floated around the point-per-game mark in the previous two seasons with Northern Michigan University, totaling 55 points in 65 games, but has truly come into his own from a production standpoint this season.
His microstatistical profile tracks with what my personal eye test is telling me — things aren’t all that great, but he’s scoring anyway. It’s an impressive feat, to be sure.
Shlaine has dealt with some injuries this season, getting demolished in a scary hit that saw him stretchered off the ice a couple of months ago and missing a few games there. He also broke his foot just one day ago while blocking a shot, though he came back into that game and scored the game-tying goal, with a broken foot. That’s a hockey player mentality right there.
Skating: 4/10
I think Shlaine has good straight-line skating ability, with solid enough speed and acceleration to make it work at higher levels. His edgework is a bit janky, but it isn’t a true detriment to his game, either. I really don’t have that much to say about it. He uses his edgework on occasion off the rush to perform full-body direction fakes, which is fun, though I don’t think that shines through as much when his team is cycling in the zone.
Hockey Sense: 4/10
It might be a bit of a hot take around the community, but I’m not sure I like Shlaine’s hockey IQ in the offensive zone all that much. I feel as though he stands still at times, waiting for the play to come to him rather than performing proactive movement to get into a prime scoring position or supportive position for his teammates.
With the puck on his stick, he doesn't scan the ice super well, preferring to take on defenders with his skills rather than dole out nifty or difficult passes. I will say, though, that he certainly knows how to draw defenders toward him in order to create space for his teammates, even if he doesn’t necessarily always find them with a pass afterward.
Puck Skills: 6.5/10
The calling card to Shlaine’s game is his puck skills. He has a hoard of dangles to choose from when taking on defenders one-on-one or even two-on-one and can fake them out of their skates as well. This is largely where he gets his playmaking chops from, drawing defenders out of position by putting their teammates out of position with crafty dekes before sending the puck into now-open space.
Shot: 5.5/10
I really, really like Shlaine’s wrist shot, particularly from the inner slot. He can struggle with accuracy from the outer edges of the ice, but he has enough power on his shots to generate rebounds if he can keep the puck low. Again, though, from within 15 feet of the net, his wrister in particular is gorgeous, with a quick, deceptive release and blistering accuracy.
Defensive Awareness: 4/10
Despite his status as one of the top faceoff takers (and winners) in the NCAA this season, I’m not overwhelmingly impressed with Shlaine’s defensive play. You can see that he really does try and want to do well in this part of his game, but he can be caught overcommitting at times, which leaves his teammates in dire straights. He was an all-situations player this season for ASU, logging meaningful penalty-killing time, though I’m not necessarily convinced that that was the correct decision.
Physicality/Size: 3/10
Physicality is not a major part of Shlaine’s game, though he is a sturdy 6’1, 190. He can, very rarely, body a defender off of him, but he prefers operating in open space rather than getting into the dirty areas or engaging along the boards.
NHL Comparable: Morgan Frost
NHL Ceiling: 4th Line Center
NHL Likelihood: Unlikely
At this point, it’s hard to say that Shlaine will make it to The Show. He has some appealing tools — particularly his hands and wrister — but I don’t think he’s put everything together at a level high enough to warrant a pro contract. He can sign with any team now, though, so it’ll be interesting to see his next steps. I’m sure he believes in his own toolkit enough to pine for an entry-level deal.
No. 21: Chase Cheslock (RHD)
5th Round, 2023 (154th Overall) — 38 Games Played | 1 Goal | 13 Assists | 14 Total Points — Univ. of St. Thomas (NCAA)
I considered putting Cheslock lower on this list, but I like his defensive skills quite a bit. In his second season of college hockey, he has logged meaningful minutes with the University of St. Thomas and should be pushing for true 1D minutes next season with them.
Skating: 5/10
I’m actually a pretty big fan of Cheslock’s mobility. He has the straight-line ability to be active and successful in zone exits and can accelerate to his top speed pretty quickly. When operating as the puck carrier in the offensive zone, I generally like his ability to move laterally in order to put himself in areas of the zone to shoot with a screen, though when moving in transition I feel as though his edges could use some work. As a defenseman who excels in puck retrievals and crease-clearing, though, the fact that he can turn that into legitimate zone exits with the puck on his stick is encouraging.
Hockey Sense: 3/10
Cheslock’s in-zone offensive hockey sense is what you’d expect from a crease-clearing defenseman. His puck distribution generally involves giving the puck to his partner at the blue line and letting them do the heavy lifting from a playmaking standpoint, but he can, on occasion, contribute to that as well. His vision is limited, though, so at times that can look like just sending the puck down the boards and praying that one of his teammates finds it before the opposition does.
Puck Skills: 2/10
As with most defensive defensemen, Cheslock doesn’t really pose a threat when handling the puck.
Shot: 2/10
While he does get some legitimate power behind his slap shots from the point, Cheslock doesn’t use that tool very often so it’s admittedly difficult to gauge just how dangerous it can be. I would like to see him use it much, much more than he has (55 shots in 38 games). His wrist shot doesn’t move the needle at all, though I’ve liked what I’ve seen from an improvement standpoint there — he can get it through screens on occasion, which is how he scored his lone goal of the season:
Defensive Awareness: 7.5/10
The stereotypical crease-clearing defenseman practically no longer exists, but Cheslock is a testament to them still having use at high-level hockey. No Devils prospect is as apt at preventing chances around the netfront as he is, and I’m not sure there are any players on the main squad who are, either. You can tell in watching him that he has an intrinsic hatred for any opposing player who dares trespass on his net — cross-checking, stick-lifting, stick-chopping, and physical harassment are all staples within Cheslock’s game once the puck nears his goaltender.
When the play is not near to the goal, things get a bit dicier but he still finds himself at home getting in the way of shots and ensuring that no cross-crease passes go down. He can get beat off the rush but scarcely puts himself out of position when the opposition is in the cycle. When the flow of play calls for it, Cheslock is also an asset in puck retrievals, being annoying in board battles in order to get the puck back for his team.
Physicality/Size: 6.5/10
Cheslock is a pretty physical defender, particularly around the net as I said. He has a disdain for his opposition, and it shows in any sort of battle, be it in the front of the net or along the boards. He’s relatively huge, at 6’3, 205 pounds, and uses his size well to bully opponents off the puck when need be.
NHL Comparable: Ian Cole
NHL Ceiling: 3rd Pair Defensive Defenseman
NHL Likelihood: Unlikely
I do honestly quite like Cheslock’s defensive playstyle and think that it can translate well to the big leagues, but I do think he’s going to need an upgrade in the offensive skillset he has, particularly in his shot. Big, mobile, crease-clearers don’t come around too often though, so there could be something there down the line.
No. 20: Kasper Pikkarainen (RW)
3rd Round, 2024 (85th Overall) — 2 Games Played | 1 Goal | 0 Assists | 1 Total Point — TPS U20 (U20 Sm-sarja)
Kasper Pikkarainen is an incredibly difficult player to discuss, as he only very recently returned to play after an ugly preseason injury prevented him from logging a single minute to that point. He’s the stereotypical Tom Fitzgerald forward pick, generally lacking individual skill but with decent enough production and a bruising, physical playstyle. It didn’t feel right putting him any higher or lower than right here simply because I have only watched him play in the two games he’s logged in the U20 Sm-sarja.
Skating: 2/10
Pikkarainen is an ugly skater for the most part. His stride comes at an upright position, raising his center of gravity in the process, which limits his top speed in general. His tree-trunk legs are powerful enough to boast some level of explosion, though I do feel as though that would be even more of an asset if he were to hunch over in his stride a bit more to lower his center of gravity. His upright nature lets others walk around him pretty easily and he doesn’t have the edgework aptitude to keep up at all.
Hockey Sense: 4/10
I like Pikkarainen’s playmaking chops a bit more than most, particularly from the perimeter of the ice. He sees the ice relatively well when from a standstill, which only really occurs when he isn’t receiving pressure and he has time to think. In those rare times, though, he is able to find unexpected plays that catch defenders and goaltenders off guard. He does struggle with decision-making when the pace is higher, though, looking off opportunities to pass in favor of a low-danger shot more often than you’d like to see. I wish he’d be able to slow the game down a bit more with the puck on his stick while he’s moving.
Puck Skills: 2.5/10
Pikkarainen doesn’t boast an overwhelmingly strong puckhandling ability as many of the power forwards in the NHL possess. I think his hands are a bit clunky, nor does he have more than a couple of moves to pull from. He has strong puck-carrying ability, though, but that comes more from his size and strength than his hands themselves.
Shot: 4/10
I do think Pikkarainen’s shot is better than some give credit for, with the innate ability to get it off on the rush with power. As you’d expect from a player of his size (6’3, 200), his shot is heavy and can beat goaltenders clean with its speed alone. His wrister is okay, but he projects his target a bit with a semi-drawn-out release that gives goalies time to react accordingly. If he can quicken the release there and work on changing the angles of his shots, there is a legit goal-scoring threat there, in my opinion.
Defensive Awareness: 5.5/10
Pikkarainen’s defensive positioning is generally pretty strong, and he’s an incredibly active participant in board battles. Most of that stems from his want to punish his opponents physically, but he is generally successful in those endeavors.
Physicality/Size: 8/10
There isn’t an opportunity to play the body that Pikkarainen won’t lean into. If he has a chance to perform a power move to create contact, he’ll do it. If he has a chance to check someone hard en route to a board battle, he’ll do it. If he has a chance to perform a reverse hit, he’ll do it. If he has a chance for a big open-ice collision, he’ll do it. Pikkarainen is a hard-hitting, aggressive forechecker who creates time and space for himself and his teammates by dropping defenders and outmuscling them when necessary. Again, he’s the quintessential Tom Fitzgerald draft selection.
NHL Comparable: Tanner Jeannot
NHL Ceiling: 4th Line Winger
NHL Likelihood: Unlikely
As I mentioned in his introductory blurb, it’s really hard to gauge where his game is at simply because he has barely played at all this season. Pikkarainen does have the playstyle to jump into a fourth-line role down the line, but the rest of his kit, to me, is lacking enough that I don’t believe he’ll make it very far. He could have a strong pro career in Europe, though.
I hope you enjoyed part three of the Devils’ pipeline breakdown. Stay tuned for the next edition, covering prospects No. 19 through No. 15.