NHL Prospect Watch: New Jersey Devils

In the lead-up to the 2026-27 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for every NHL team. To be included in this list, a player must be recently drafted, signed to an NHL contract, or meet the NHL’s criteria for rookie status.

Today, we’ll check in on a devilishly talented group aiming to make the jump in New Jersey.

Josh Filmon 

Six-foot-3, 170-pound winger Josh Filmon continued to climb in his second season in the pro ranks. After spending the bulk of his first professional season in the ECHL, Filmon earned a much more consistent role with the AHL’s Utica Comets, netting six points (4G-2A) and 14 penalty minutes in 31 games, with one brief sojourn in the ECHL with the Adirondack Thunder in late November and early December. New Jersey selected the Winnipeg, Man. product with the 166th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. Filmon spent four seasons with the Swift Current Broncos, tallying 189 points (99G-90A) in 212 regular-season games, highlighted by a 75-point (47G-28A) run in 2022-23 that saw him make the WHL East Division First All-Star Team.

Jeremy Hanzel

2023 WHL Champion Jeremy Hanzel seems primed to take a step forward in 2026-27. The 23-year-old defenceman finished second in points on the ECHL Thunder with 49 points (8G-41A) in 72 games, while ranking eighth among all ECHL defenders. He’s expected to start next season in the AHL ranks. The 6-foot-1, 201-pound rearguard was originally drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, but was acquired by the Nashville Predators and, later, the Devils as part of the Erik Haula trade in June 2025. Hanzel, from Coquitlam, B.C., suited for the Seattle Thunderbirds for four seasons, posting 149 points (39G-110A) in 218 regular-season contests. He was named to the 2024 WHL U.S. Division Second All-Star Team and logged WHL’s best plus/minus of the 2022-23 season with a +70 rating. Hanzel was Seattle’s top-scoring defenceman in the squad’s run to the 2023 Ed Chynoweth Cup. He put up 22 points (5G-17A) in 19 games, including three goals and four assists in the Championship Series, and added two assists in five games at the 2023 Memorial Cup.

Kasper Pikkarainen

20-year-old Finn Kasper Pikkarainen’s brief stint in North America with the Red Deer Rebels was cut short by a knee injury in 2023-24, but the 6-foot-3, 198-pound winger has since refound his form back at home. Pikkarainen netted six points (2G-4A) and 18 penalty minutes in 45 appearances with TPS in Liiga, while registering an assist in six appearances for Finland at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. New Jersey selected Pikkarainen with the 85th overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

Matias Vanhanen

After going undrafted in his first season of eligibility, 5-foot-11, 176-pound winger Matias Vanhanen jumped from Finland to Washington in hopes of catching the eye of an NHL team. Few could have predicted how massive his year would be. Vanhanen, 18, led the Everett Silvertips in regular-season scoring with 87 points (21G-66A) in 62 games, including four outings that saw him net four or more points. His mastery bled into the playoffs, where Vanhanen notched 24 points (12G-12A) to help Everett capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the first time in franchise history. Vanhanen was named a finalist for both WHL Rookie of the Year and the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player. He also stood in a class of his own at the 2026 Memorial Cup, where he nabbed eight points (4G-4A) in five contests and was named to the CHL Memorial Cup All-Star Team. Vanhanen added six assists for Finland at the 2026 World Juniors, and the dream year culminated in having New Jersey choose him with the 37th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Luke Wilfley

Englewood, Col.’s Luke Wilfley is one of the newest members of the Devils after hearing his name called 172nd overall in the sixth round of the 2026 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-1, 179-pound centreman put up 15 points (9G-6A) in 66 games in his rookie season with the Portland Winterhawks, while adding 189 faceoff wins (42.1%).  He’s expected to head to Arizona State University for 2026-27 after playing parts of two season in the Rose City.