James Nichols
Scouts aside, New Jersey Devils brass didn’t get a first-hand look at prospect defenseman Anton Silayev until he arrived in Newark for development camp at RWJBarnabas Arena. It was a busy few days at the end of June between the draft and the beginning of prospect camp. Despite a whirlwind of events for Silayev in a short span of time, the first-year KHL defenseman didn’t fail to impress Devils/Utica Comets coach Kevin Dineen.
The majority of scouts leading up to Silayev’s draft year painted the 6-foot-7 defenseman as a dominant shutdown defenseman who brings speed and physicality. That had many draw a comparison between Silayev and former Boston Bruins captain and 2011 Stanley Cup Champion, Zdeno Chara.
Yet, Silayev explained he looked up to a different defenseman who he models his game after.
“When I was growing up, I watched all different players,” Silayev said to New Jersey Hockey Now. “But, when I became older and more mature, I’ve looked up to Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning.”
Silayev wasn’t the lone highly-touted Devils prospect at camp. In attendance alongside Silayev was defenseman Seamus Casey, forward Cam Squires, goaltender Jakub Malek. The organization certainly believes in those three as well.
However, when asked who Dineen was most excited to get his hands on to work with at development camp, the Devils coach referred to Silayev right away.
“Obviously our first rounder, [Anton Silayev], this year,” Dineen told New Jersey Hockey Now. “There’s a stature that you notice right away, obviously. But, to see him out on the ice and see some of his skill set, you go, ‘Okay, it’s not only his size and his shape. It’s the way he handles the puck and the way he shoots the puck.’
“Also, just a youthful enthusiasm that he carries out there in these little drills that we’ve been doing. You know, he scores a goal and there’s a little celebration. There’s, I guess, what you call lust for life. There’s just something that just really bodes well for his future. So he certainly sticks out.”
Whereas Dineen agrees with the scouts in Silayev’s defensive ability, skating, and physicality, the Devils coach explained there’s upside to Silayev’s offensive abilities as well.
“We talked about his size and his ability to skate. But, the way he shoots the puck, you know, it’s got some extra zing on it. I think he rang one off the crossbar, and it almost hit the roof here,” Dineen explained. “I was like, ‘Okay, that thing has some momentum to be able to get that high.’ So I think it just says that there’s some untapped strength in that body of his.”
Silayev might not be the offensive stalwart Hedman is. However, if memory serves, the Lightning defenseman wasn’t always a perennial 60-plus point defenseman like he is today. Last season, the Lightning captain scored 13 goals and 76 points and registered career highs in the 2021-22 season (20 goals, 85 points).
Silayev just turned 18 in April and is heading back to the KHL to complete the last two years of his contract. The Devils prospect defenseman still has plenty of time to develop his game further. According to Dineen, the next two years of Silayev’s development are crucial. Perhaps, Silayev will find his inner-Hedman and eclipse his three-goal, 11 point rookie season.
“Like you say, he was just 17 [years old] last season. Literally between 17 and 19 is such a huge difference, said Dineen. “So there’s a lot of growth, both physically and maturity, but to me, I just look at it and I say, there’s a guy that’s just really passionate about what he’s doing right now.”
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