PROSPECT WATCH: Keeping an Eye on Devils Prospects

While we wait for a start date for the 2020-21 NHL season, several of the club's younger players and prospects have been loaned to clubs overseas who have had the ability and safety measures to open up their seasons. Having players on the ice, ahead of a long-awaited training camp, allows these younger players to continue developing in a professional environment.
Every week in our Verizon Prospect Watch we'll take a look at these players and prospects and how they're contributing to their clubs. This week we play catch up on several weeks' worth of games played to bring everyone up to date.

In Russia

Shakir Mukhamadullin
One of the latest additions to the Devils mix is Shakir Mukhamadullin who has steadily been a part of the lineup for Ufa. Since the start of the 2020-21 KHL season, Mukhamadullin has appeared in 24 of Ufa's 25 games, and his seven points (2g, 5a) in those 24 games put him in the team's top 10 in scoring. He and teammate Philip Larsen (10 pts) are the only two defensemen in the Top 10.

In addition to his current KHL play, Mukhamadullin has been named to Russia's World Junior camp roster and has recently been named an assistant captain of the Russian team competing in Europe's Karjala Cup in Finland.
Mikhail Maltsev
Maltsev is coming off his first year playing in North America, joining the Binghamton Devils for 2019-20, and has been loaned to his former KHL club, SKA St. Petersburg. Before playing in North America, Maltsev grew up playing in the St. Petersburg system since his U17 days.
Maltsev has appeared in four games with SKA and has one assist while he has a 61 percent success rate at the faceoff dot.
Yegor Sharangovic
On loan with Dinamo Minsk, Yegor Sharangovich is making big waves in Russia. He has returned to play with his hometown team and has had a remarkable run since joining the team in mid-July.
The centerman is the leading goal scorer on his team with 10 goals in 21 games and sits comfortably in the Top 10 in all KHL goal scoring at six.
At 22-years-old, Sharangovich is the youngest player in the KHL's top 10 in goals.

Minsk's next game is November 11th against Sibir.
Danill Misyul
Misyul continues to play in Russia in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl system. Misyul has played 17 KHL games, in which the defenseman has two assists and six penalty minutes.
Lokomotiv returns to gameplay on November 10th against Barys.
Yegor Zaitsev
Zaitsev has played 20 games with Dynamo Moskova registering two assists.
Arseni Gritsyuk
Arseni Gritsyuk joins Mukhamadullin as a Devils draft pick invited to Russia's World Junior camp.
The 19-year-old has played in three leagues so far this season, with stints in Russia's top league, the KHL, the MHL, Russia's minor-league system, and two games in their Major-Junior league, the VHL.
With Avangard Omsk, his KHL club, the left-winger has played six games. He has yet to register a point at the KHL level but has nine (4g, 5a) in six games with Omskie Yastreby in the MHL.
He has also appeared in two VHL games with Metallurg Novokuznetsk, contributing one assist.
Gritsyuk is currently playing in the MHL with Omskie with their next game scheduled for November 4th.

In Sweden

Alexander Holtz
After being drafted seventh overall this past October, Alexander Holtz has been on a tear in the Swedish Hockey League as an 18-year-old in Sweden's top league playing with Djurgårdens IF. Touted for his shot, considered one of, if not the best, in this year's draft, Holtz has been using it to accumulate four goals and two assists in his opening eight games.
Tweet from @NJDevils: Don't worry, Swedish Hockey League. We'll make sure he stops terrorizing you soon enough.pic.twitter.com/QgQvNEtG7S
His six points are just one off the team leader, Sebastian Strandberg, while his four goals are tied for the team lead with left-winger Dick Axelsson.
Holtz is currently with the national team, preparing for the World Juniors. He's practicing on the top line and is on the first wave of the power play.
Jesper Boqvist
On loan with Timra IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan league, Jesper Boqvist has been a welcomed member and has been, given the Swedish reports, a boost to a struggling power play. His first goal of the season was a power-play marker on October 14th.
In his first two games, he averaged more than 12 minutes TOI and contributed three assists. Overall, Boqvist has seven points in nine games, with one goal and six assists.

Timra next play on November 4th against Mora.
Nikola Pasic
Nikola Pasic is suiting up with Linköping HC. He has one goal in eight games, in Sweden's top league.
Linkoping will next play on November 10th against Skellefteå AIK before Pasic faces off against Holtz's Djurgardens on November 12th.
Fabian Zetterlund
In his first four games with AIK in the HockeyAllsvenskan league, Zetterlund has one goal and two assists.

In Canada

Dawson Mercer

Although the Quebec Major Junior League is partially paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Q had already begun their 2020-21 season before the latest paused, initiated by provincial 'Red Zone' restrictions against gatherings.
Up until the current pause, Mercer was off to a hot start as the second leading point scorer on the team with four goals and two assists in four games played. His seven points sit behind Hendrix Lapierre and Christophe Farmer's eight. Mercer's four goals are tied for the team lead with Farmer.
Mercer and the Sagueneens returned to play on November 3rd in a rescheduled game against Rimouski. Right back into the action, Mercer picked up his third assist of the season in Chicoutimi's 4-2 win.

In Finland

Janne Kuokkanen
Janne Kuokkanen has returned on loan to his Liiga team, Kärpät. In his first eight games, he has one goal and two assists, for 11th in team scoring. Defenseman Libor Sulak also has three points and sits in 10th but has scored one more goal than Kuokkanen.
This is the first time Kuokkanen has played in his home country's league since the 2015-16 season before he moved to North America after being drafted in the first round in 2016.
Karpat's next two games are on November 4th against HPK and November 6th against SaiPa.
Nick Merkley
Merkley is fresh off of signing a new contract with the Devils, a one-year, two-way deal, and has been loaned to Assat in the Finnish league. This is the first time that Merkley is playing overseas in his career and he's entered the league with a bang. In his first 12 games with Assat, Merkley has four goals and five assists. His nine points rank third among forwards and fourth overall on the roster. Merkley has been playing on Assats' first line.

Eetu Päkkilä
Playing with Ilves in Liiga, Pakkila has two goals and two assists in eight games played. His point total is ranked 12th on the team and just two points out of the top 10.

In Switzerland

Ben Baumgartner
Drafted with the 161st pick in 2020, Baumgartner continues to play with his team, Davos, in Switzerland. He has two goals in five games.

In Czech Republic

Jaromir Pytlik
Drafted 99th overall in 2020, Jaromir Pytlik continues to play in his home country, the Czech Republic with the U20 national team. Through six games, Pytlik has six points (2g, 4a) as the team's point leader.

In Slovakia

Marian Studenic
Studenic is back in his native Slovakia, on loan with HC Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia's highest league. Playing on the second line, Studenic has three goals and a single assist in five games played.