New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: What to expect from Anton Silayev

Anton Silayev Day has arrived with the Devils announcing the signing of the big man’s ELC. What can Devils fans expect from the big man this season and beyond?

Drafted 10th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Anton Silayev is a 6’7″ behemoth with a surprisingly high-speed and a silky smooth skating stride, who set the record for 17-year-old players in the KHL with 11 points in 63 games in his draft year. That’s all skaters, not just defensemen. The second defender on Quant Hockey’s 17-year-old list is Zakhar Arzamastsev with 2 points in 1992. Silayev also tied the record for 18-year-old defensemen with 12 in his 18-year-old season.

Then something happened.

Igor Larionov, who had been playing Silayev an average of 17:25 a night (18:34) in playoffs, terminated his contract as the head coach of Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

Torpedo’s new coach cut Silayev’s ice time immediately, put him on the shortest of all possible leashes, and limited the big defender to 12:49 a game in mostly defensive situations. Predictably, Silayev’s production plummeted to only a goal and 2 assists in 61 contests. In the playoffs, when the games mattered the most, Silayev’s TOI increased to 16:59 and Silayev rewarded the team with 2 assists in those 10 games. By then, the writing on the wall. Silayev would sign his ELC as soon as his contract with Torpedo expired.

This season, it’s hard to say. Silayev is only 20-years-old and coming over from the KHL. He will need time to adjust and may be better served playing 20+ minutes a night in Utica to start the year, rather than third pairing minutes as a NHL rookie. Eventually, Silayev should blossom into a premier shut down defender given the amount of ground his quick, smooth stride covers to go along with his massive reach. Silayev also has a physical element to his game, amassing 117 hits and 101 blocked shots in his D+1 season under coach Igor Larionov.

Offensively, Silayev’s production is more difficult to project. Dobber’s model had Silayev at a PNHLe between 51 and 65 in his first two KHL seasons before the coaching change derailed his usage. Should Silayev ever reach those numbers, along with his size, strength, physicality, reach, and speed, it would make him one of the more valuable defensemen in the NHL, especially during the playoffs.

Silayev is a high-floor, stratospheric ceiling type player. How high Silayev goes will depend on how the Devils develop him in the years ahead. Silayev can ill afford another stunted growth season as he suffered last year in the KHL. If developed correctly, Silayev could be a cornerstone player, someone to build the defense core around. Time will tell whether he gets there.

What do you think? Post your comments below.