With the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the New Jersey Devils kept the pick and selected a huge defenseman with it. They selected defenseman Anton Silayev from Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. He shoots left, is 6'1″ and played exclusively in the KHL last season, except for 10 playoff games with his MHL team. That time in the KHL is not to be underestimated. Silayev played in 63 games, averaging 14:54 of ice time, which is quite a lot for a 17-year-old in a KHL where young players tend to have very short appearances. And, just as importantly, he only picked up 10 penalty minutes, so he knows how to properly utilize his large frame. That the Devils kept the pick is a bit of a surprise. That they were able to draft Silayev at this point is a surprise almost as big as the player himself.

James profiled Silayev earlier this month. In his recap, he noted how well he skates despite his huge stature. Silayev has smooth strides. He uses his size too, but smartly, knowing when to keep his distance and when to attack. He could be a little quicker with and without the puck, but he already has a lot of good movement mechanics. Silayev's offensive skills aren't as impressive. That needs to improve over time. But since the Devils have Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Seamus Casey in addition to Dougie Hamilton, the Devils don't really need Silayev as an offensive force. If he can be competent on offense and dominant in his own zone, many from the “People Who Matter” to the front office will be very happy.

James ended his post with the following:

If Silayev somehow makes it to the podium for the Devils, he would be my first choice. Defencemen with his skill and ability on the ice are rare, and Silayev would be a perfect addition to the more offensive defencemen on the Devils' roster in a few seasons.

While I believe the chances of Silayev still being ranked 10th are slim, to paraphrase the famous meme quote from Dumb and Dumber: “You tell me there's a chance.” Yes, there is a chance. However small it may be.

It actually happened. The 2024 NHL Draft went in a lot of different directions after the first and maybe second overall picks. After the expected selections of Macklin Celebrini and Artyom Levshunov, the draft certainly went in a few directions. Beckett Sennecke went a surprise third, Utah beat Calgary to Tij Iginla, Seattle took Berkly Catton instead of a defenseman, and Calgary took Zayne Parekh. That left the Devils with a lot of viable options for the 10th overall pick. Silayev, Sam Dickinson, and Zeev Buium were all available after one should have gone much earlier. Plus Konsta Helenius, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and Cole Eiserman. Maybe GM Tom Fitzgerald offered the 10th overall pick, but keeping him was ultimately the smart move. The Devils ended up with at least six really good candidates to choose from — and they chose one.

Any of those five other players would have been a very good choice. I'm sure some will be disappointed that the Devils didn't take Buium or Dickinson. Or Helenius to make up for the lack of centers in the system. Or Eiserman for those who believe in his chance. And some may not be happy that Silayev signed with Torpedo until 2025-26, meaning the Devils will have to wait two years before they can get him.

It doesn't bother me. Aside from Celebrini, almost everyone in this draft needs at least one, if not two or three years before they can even think about NHL hockey. Silayev is already an established starter at the KHL level. Unless he slacks off or gets injured, Silayev will likely improve both his playing time and his play at Torpedo.

Ultimately, prospects are about upside and Silayev has the potential that should satisfy pretty much everyone that matters. Those who love big and physical defenders will love Silayev. Those who want their defenders to know how to defend and not be a punishment machine will appreciate that Silayev already has that down pat. Those who prefer mobile players because skating is crucial to any role in professional hockey will be fans who know Silayev's skating is really good. Those who wanted the Devils to get good value for their draft pick should be happy that the team added a defenseman with a different style who could be a high-minute player should he reach his maximum. Again, there were other options at number ten and time will tell if Buium or Dickinson prove to be better defenders or if Helenius/Eiserman/MBN become powerful forwards. But there are a lot I liked the Devils' selection of Anton Silayev. Going back to what James wrote, it was unexpected that he would even be available to the Devils.

Now that you know what I think about the selection, feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. Also, please vote in our flash poll (ends tomorrow at 8pm) which will lead to a later post describing what you, the people who matter, think about the selection. Thanks for reading.