Devils' Prospect Update: Prospects Reeling As Much as Devils' Playoff Hopes
Big named prospects like Arseni Gritsyuk and Seamus Casey have struggled in February.
February has been a rough month for the Devils. Finally healthy, they’ve struggled to maintain consistency in the win column, having performed so poorly that their first-rounder is now being looked at as an asset for the future rather than a trade chip for the present, looking at their prospects is as important as ever. Unfortunately, the Devils’ prospects — much like the team — have struggled this month. There’s been a decrease in production practically across the board for Devils’ prospects everywhere.
With that in mind, let’s get on to the stats…
Utica Comets (AHL)
Chase Stillman had a somewhat productive mid-February, posting four goals and an assist in seven games since February 7th. He scored a hat-trick in Utica’s victory over the Syracuse Crunch on Sunday. He raised his point-per-game rate of 0.35 to 0.41, and subsequently brought his NHLe from 14 to 17.
Graeme Clarke, however, has had a bit of a slow streak, putting up three points — two goals and an assist — in seven games played.
Santeri Hatakka, who wasn’t included in the last prospect update because he was playing with the Devils, has been pretty damn good this year for Utica. The points might not be there, sure, but he’s been an extremely sturdy player on both ends of the ice. He deserves more of an opportunity in the big leagues — he was excellent in his short tenure filling in for Brendan Smith.
