​The New Jersey Devils prospect pool has fluctuated between very good and underwhelming over the last few years. They’ve added some solid prospects and traded them away. They’ve also had some prospects age out or fall out of relevance as well. The Devils’ pipeline has some solid players, but they lack surefire bets beyond a couple of guys at the top of the pool. With the NHL off-season, we have the perfect opportunity to look at each team’s prospect pool, going in alphabetical order, which means it’s New Jersey’s turn.In our annual series, Tony Ferrari’s digging into each team’s top prospects, the strengths and weaknesses of its pipeline, an overview of its latest draft class and positional depth chart, and who could be next in line for an NHL chance.Aside from some exceptions, a player who no longer holds NHL rookie eligibility is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for the purposes of these exercises.Initial Overview Of Top ProspectsThe most impactful move for the Devils’ prospect pool was their trade of Simon Nemec, the 2021 second overall pick. Nemec has long been rumored in trade talks, and the Devils finally pulled the trigger, acquiring conditional first-round picks in the 2027 NHL draft and 2028 NHL draft (both top ten protected), a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft, and defense prospect Etienne Morin. It gave Nemec a fresh start and the Devils additional draft capital to either add to their NHL roster via trade or bolster their prospect pool over the next couple of years. The Devils’ new GM, Sunny Mehta, inherited a prospect pool that is a bit underwhelming despite not being a consistent playoff contender. They have a couple of young players on their roster, with Luke Hughes being the most integral. The youngest Hughes brother will need a bounce-back year after his play seemed to dip last season. The Devils looked lost last year, and Hughes’ game followed suit. The offensively gifted blueliner remains one of their most important building blocks moving forward. Another young player that should see a good amount of NHL time this year is Lenni Hameenaho. He’s an intelligent player who picks apart opponents as a passer and seems to understand how to connect plays. He’s exceeded his rookie eligibility, but he’s looking to establish himself as an NHLer. His versatility will help keep him in the lineup. Benjamin Kevan is a high-flying forward who has game-breaking speed. He is constantly looking to put defenders on their heels. His freshman season at Arizona State was merely fine, putting up 10 points in 34 games. He should get a bit more opportunity this year, and if he can gain some confidence attacking the net like he was in his draft year, he should be a really effective NCAA scorer and get his development back on track. Another player looking to bounce back in his sophomore season is Conrad Fondrk. His passing game is diverse and incredibly skilled, showing several interesting passing habits. Fondrk