In this this post we look at five Devils prospects who rose their stocks the most this past season.
David Rozsival
A late birthday when drafted in the 5th round of last year’s NHL entry draft, David Rozsival is still only 18-years-old. That did not stop the 6’1 right winger from turning heads this season for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. After a slow start, Rozsival exploded with ten goals in ten games during the height of his growth, finishing his rookie USHL campaign with 23 goals and 37 points in 57 games.
Rozsival has the skill set to be a useful bottom six forward someday and is known for his knack for cycling, forechecking, and applying pressure in all three zones. While Rozsival’s road to the NHL is still long and full of potential speed bumps and pratfalls, his D+1 season was a large step in the right direction.
Daniil Orlov
Daniil Orlov has been on my personal radar as a potential mid-draft steal for awhile and this season has turned many more observers into believers. The 22-year-old KHL defenseman’s point production has nearly doubled each KHL season from seven points in 2023-24 to 15 points in 2024-2025 to 10 goals and 28 points this past year. Orlov has always been known for his skating and defensive play, but the rise in production has raised his projection to a PNHLe of 54 in Dobber’s model, projecting him as a potential second pairing defender in his prime. The Devils will have to wait a little while longer to bring Orlov over as his contract with Spartak expires at the end of the 2027-28 season.
Veeti Louhivaara
Louhivaara jumped around quite a bit this past season starting the season for the JYP U20 team, flashing a 2.52 GAA and .917 SV% in nine games. After an eight game stint in the Mestis, Louhivaara came over to North America to backstop the Chicago Steel of the USHL under the tutelage of Scott Gomez.
The move paid off. Louhivaara quickly earned a name for himself in the high-scoring USHL, finishing the season with a 12-6-4 record, 2.86 GAA, and .905 SV%, even earning goaltender of the week honors shortly after his arrival. Louhivaara’s play was good enough to earn a brief tryout with the Utica Comets at the end of the season to get a taste for the professional hockey life before his commitment to UCONN next year.
Louhivaara still has a long road to the NHL and remains behind Mikhail Yegorov and Jakub Malek on the Devils goaltender prospect depth chart, but a strong season in UCONN could change the conversation quickly. For those wanting to read more on Louhivaara, the Devils published this piece last month about the goalie’s decision to come over to North America early. It’s worth a look.
Topias Vilen
A fifth round pick in the 2021 NHL entry draft, Topias Vilen earned a North American contract after a nine goal, seventeen point tear in the Liiga in 2022-23. Since then Vilen has been steadily showing progress, earning the Utica Comet’s team award for most-improved player last season and the award for best defender this year. Vilen’s production is not going to wow anybody, but it is steady, and the Finnish defenseman is capable of playing in all situations, even earning power play time after Seamus Casey’s season-ending injury. Vilen’s 27 points this year was his AHL high, and second on the Comets blueline only to veteran former NHLer Calen Addison.
Vilen did not look out of place during his brief call-up at the end of the season and at 23, will likely be heading into camp as part of the conversation for the potential seventh defender spot on the Devils roster.
Chase Cheslock
Chase Cheslock broke out in a big way this season for St. Thomas of the NCAA. When the 6’3 right-handed defender was drafted in the 5th round by the Devils in 2023, Elite Prospects noted his “scary” defensive presence around the crease. This season, Cheslock added some offense to his mix, pocketing 24 points in 38 games. A former captain of his Rogers high school team and the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, Cheslock is a favorite to earn the honors again should he play his senior year for St. Thomas.
Personally, I hope the Devils sign Cheslock this summer. A team cannot have too many large, defensive, right-handed defensemen with capable puck-moving skills in their system and Cheslock seems like a guy destined for a pro career. Whether that pro career includes a niche role in the NHL one day remains to be seen.
Your Take
What do you think? Did I miss someone you think should be on this list? Post your comments below.
