Top 20 Under-25 - 2019 Devils Edition 2019-02-04 TOP 20 UNDER 25 AN EHE SERIES Welcome to the 2019 New Jersey Devils Top 20 Under 25! Cole Bates Player Qualifications: Before we dive into the 2018-2019 Top-20 Under 25 EHE New Jersey Devils Players Ranking, let’s take a quick moment to determine the criteria upon which these players have been selected. Any player who will be 25 years-of-age or older by January 1st, 2019, has not been considered. Now, without further ado, dive into the ranking. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. 1: Mat Barzal, C, Islanders Age: 21 // Drafted: 25th overall, 2015 (NJ) Explosive, electric, need I say more? The NHL's 2018 Calder Trophy winner is taking the EHE by storm in his sophomore season. At just 21 years old, the pivot has already been handed the keys to The Devils Franchise. Barzal is in good hands under the tutelage of line-mate and legendary future hall of famer Jaromir Jagr. Now, it is up to the dynamic youngster to help turn this franchise around. Things are expected to get easier as his currently lack-luster supporting cast should improve year by year. 2: Brandon Montour, D, Ducks Age: 24 // Drafted: 123th overall, 2015 (FLA) Accquired: 20.01.2019 via TRADE: New Jersey Devils acquired Brandon Montour, Ryan Gropp, and Keegan Kanzig from the New York Rangers for Phil Myers, Stefan Matteau, Zach Trotman, Joey Keane, a 2019 3rd round pick, and 2020 2nd and 3rd round picks. Mobile smooth-skating puck-moving Blueliner has solidified himself as a legitimate top 4 defenseman capable of 23 + minutes a night. Montour is an offensive minded player who put up big numbers in the USHL and AHL. The 24 year old will be relied on heavily early, and is expected to play steady minutes while quarterbacking the Powerplay for years to come. 3: Henrik Borgstrom, C, Panthers Age: 20 // Drafted: 24th overall, 2016 (NJ) Highly touted 6ft3 Finnish Center tore up the NCAA, winning a National Championship with Denver University. Borgstrom earned himself the nickname "The Artist" due to his knack for creating highlight reel plays. Borgstrom's potential is practically limitless, and his overall package is near complete. Now its up to the 21 year old to take the next step at the pro level. The Devils may have to be a little patient with this one. 4: Conor Garland, RW, Coyotes Age: 22 // Drafted: 156th overall, 2015 (NYR) Accquired: 14.01.2019 via Trade: New York Rangers acquired Mason Appleton, Trent Frederic, Guillaume Brisebois, and a 2019 5th round pick from the New Jersey Devils for Conor Garland. Back to back prolific 128 pt, 35-plus goal seasons back in 2014-2016 didn’t immediately translate. That was before the two-time CHL points leader changed his game halfway into his second pro season. Points have come easy at every other level, but Garland has been forced to develop a net crashing, dog-on-bone mentality at the pro level. Make no mistake, Garland remains a diminutive, highly skilled, cerebral player. The NHL Rookie is 2 goals behind his team leader in 17-less games. Garland debut as an EHE Rookie in 2019-2020. 5: Casey Mittelstadt, C, Sabres Age: 19 // Drafted: 7th overall, 2017 (DAL) Accquired: 02.07.2018 via Trade: New York Rangers acquired Casey Mittelstadt and David Quenneville from the New Jersey Devils for Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Lukas Sedlak, Roland McKeown, a 2018 1st round pick, and a 2019 2nd round pick. At just 20 years old, only two years removed from High School Hockey, it is still way too early to be concerned with Casey Mittelstadt. The Devils remain patient, despite failing to meet high expectations that were placed on him heading into this season. Numbers aside, Mittelstadt’s 200 ft game has been strong. Adapting to the 82-game schedule and improving conditioning are focus points. In the meantime, Mittelstadt is having a strong season for The Devils AHL affiliate in Springfield. ------------------------------------------------------------- Other notable players: Dylan Sikura, ------------------------------------------------------------- TOP 20 UNDER 25 - AN EHE SERIES New York Rangers TOP 20 UNDER 25 San Jose Sharks TOP 20 UNDER 25
