After ranking the top 100 NHL prospects for 2015-16, and ranking each team by organizational depth, ESPN Insider Corey Pronman ranks the top 10 prospects for each NHL team. Here is his entry for the New Jersey Devils. Extended write-ups on prospects ranked in the top 100 can be accessed here.
The Devils' system has shown some improvement recently, particularly by drafting No. 6 overall and getting Pavel Zacha. But after Zacha and Steve Santini, the system is still somewhat light in top talent and the depth is about average.
John Quenneville -- the second cousin of Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville -- isn't outstanding in any one area but does a lot well. He's an above-average skater who plays hard, can kill penalties well and has solid skill. He shows flashes of good creativity, but his offense can be inconsistent.
Stefan Matteau -- son of former NHLer Stephane Matteau -- is a hard-nosed big winger with speed and some skill, but his hockey sense has always been the question, on top of some issues off the ice. I think he'll be an NHLer, and he's quite strong already for a player so young, but while he could be a scorer, there's not a ton of upside to his game in terms of points.
Reid Boucher's strength is evident to anyone who has watched him, as he's got one of the best shots outside the NHL. But he's small, not an outstanding skater and is not good defensively. The Devils have to hope one of those areas takes a leap forward so they can make the most of his great wristers. Blake Speers is an above-average-to-plus skater who excels in tight spaces due to his agility and puck skills. A very smart two-way player, he creates a lot of chances from the side boards. He shows good effort on defense and is a decent penalty killer. His physical game and size are the obvious limitations.
Miles Wood was one of the very rare cases of a U.S. high school player making the IIHF World Junior Championship team. Scouts have described the fourth-round pick as a "big surprise" due to his speed and skill for a big forward. Pace, reads and overall decisions are the biggest areas for him to work on. With his big frame, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood doesn't leave shooters much room to find corners. He's very economical with his movements in the net, and overall, he displays a calm demeanor. His hockey IQ and butterfly technique are advanced for his age. Blackwood could be a little better on rebounds.
Blake Pietila is a solid, albeit bland prospect. He has decent bulk, good speed and works hard at both ends of the rink. He projects as a potential penalty-killing, bottom-six type of forward.
Noteworthy prospect
A quick riser during the past 12 months has been defenseman Raman Hrabarenka, who was undrafted. A 6-foot-5 skilled defenseman who has improved immensely since turning pro, he could get a little quicker and could also get a little better defensively. But overall, he's shown well versus pros.
2015-16 impact
While the Devils aren't overflowing with top prospects, you could see a number of kids competing for ice time this season. Matteau, Boucher and Hrabarenka all are certainly in the mix, as well as big, low-upside defenseman Seth Helgeson.