New Jersey Devils are Losing Unsigned Prospect by 5 PM

Newark, NJ – Thursday at 5 o’clock PM is the deadline for general managers to sign drafted players on their reserve lists to entry-level contracts. The New Jersey Devils are losing an unsigned prospect by 5 PM as it appears he’s moving on from the organization.

The Devils have yet to ink is forward Nikola Pasic. New Jersey drafted Pasic in 2019, 189th overall in the seventh round. Heading into his draft year, Pasic played in Sweden’s J20 SuperElit League. The Swedish forward was over a point-per-game player scoring 18 goals and 36 points in 33 games in 2018-19. He was promoted to the SHL, Sweden’s top professional league where he scored a goal and an assist in 15 games.

Pasic later played at the U19 International tournament for Team Sweden scoring a goal and four points in four games.

Since his draft year, Pasic hasn’t exactly blown the Devils brass away with his development. He’s spent most of his time in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-highest professional league, with BIK Karlskoga but more recently Södertälje SK.

2022-23 was kind to Pasic. Skating for Södertälje SK, the 22-year-old forward was just over a point-per-game player scoring 18 goals and 52 points in 51 games.

Inked in SHL next season

As one of the league’s top scorers, Pasic earned himself an SHL contract with Luela HC.

“It will be both fun and exciting to move up to Norrbotten and become part of Luleå Hockey,” Pasic told luleahockey.se. “I have had a good talk with both Bulan and Skuggan and feel that there is a good plan for my further development.”

Regardless of his success last season, the Devils likely won’t feel the effect of Pasic moving on. The Devils’ prospect pool is among the best in the NHL. Even after New Jersey traded away Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotyuk, Pasic still wouldn’t factor in as one of the Devils’ top prospects.

McKeen’s Hockey profiles Pasic as “a quick release on his wrist shot and is dangerous when shooting while moving at his top speed.”

Hockeyprospect.com describes him as “a dangler, where he uses his stickhandling to dazzle opponents and gets around them using fast hands and great balance.”

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