The New Jersey Devils no longer have any stalwart forward prospects in their pipeline. However, they do have a few to be excited about, meeting, or exceeding some expectations in comparison to their draft position. After some preseason hype following some strong play, the Devils’ top two forward prospects are struggling to find offense in the American Hockey League. What gives?
READ MORE: Here’s Why Arseny Gritsyuk is Thriving With the Devils
For Shane Lachance and Lenni Hameenaho, both have garnered positive attention. The former was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers for facilitating a trade that sent Trent Frederic to Canada via the Boston Bruins. The latter was drafted in the second-round of the 2023 NHL Draft, 58th overall.
Lachance, a big-bodied forward who captained Boston University as recently as last season, showed some offensive zone prowess in the preseason. His ability to win board battles below the goal line, control the puck in the offensive zone, and earn position in front of the oppositions goaltender made for an exciting development, one that perhaps the Devils didn’t anticipate.
Hameenaho made a name for himself overseas, often wearing a gold helmet skating for Ässät in Liiga, indicating he was his teams top scorer.
Each played just one preseason game as a result of some minor injuries suffered in the prospect challenge just before veterans reported to training camp. Lachance scored a goal, Hameenaho didn’t, but both looked like they belong.
Yet, through eight AHL games, neither have registered a single point.
New Jersey Hockey Now reached out to Ben Birnell of the Daily Sentinel to get the scoop on their offensive woes.
“Well, the offense is struggling as a whole for the Utica Comets,” Birnell explained to New Jersey Hockey Now. “They’ve got 13 total goals in 8 games. As Comets captain Ryan Schmelzer said recently: when it clicks, it’ll click.”
The Comets came into 2025-26 with the hope of improving on their 2024-25 season, where they placed last in the AHLs North Division.
However, they currently reside in the same basement as they did at the end of last season.
Comets head coach, Ryan Parent, has mixed up the forward lines in search for offense. But for the most part, both have been a staple in Utica’s top-six and on the power play. Hameenaho is also a key piece of their penalty kill unit, and Lachance has taken reps on the kill as well.
“I think Hämeenaho is finding his way in the North American game a little bit,” Birnell said. “Parent mentioned Hämeenaho is a solid defensive-minded forward, including matching up against top lines for defensive purposes. As Parent has said, offense is going to take time.”
Birnell elaborated that the same can be said for Lachance.
The good news? The Devils prospects have half of the game figured out. They’re not offensive forces for Utica just yet, but their game on the other side of the puck is there.
That might not sound glamorous, but it’s certainly a leg up on some former top prospects who haven’t panned out, such as Alexander Holtz, who was an exciting prospect that couldn’t find regular NHL minutes with defensive concerns.
“Parent did say the defensive responsibility has stood out among the rookies, which I think is good to have foundationally for young guys,” Birnell concluded.
It’s a long-winded way of saying that the kids are still developing, and that’s okay. They’re being given the opportunities, and like Schmelzer said, once it clicks, perhaps they, and the Comets, take off.
