It was always expected that 20-year-old Anton Silayev would transistion his game to North America for the 2026-27 season, and on Monday morning, New Jersey Devils general manager Sunny Mehta made it a reality by announcing the club signed the towering defenseman to a three-year, entry-level contract.
After he put pen to paper, Silayev and some of his family members celebrated the youngster’s latest achievement by taking a boat out and spending time on the water.
BIG deal? Yeah, we'd say so.
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) June 1, 2026
We've signed Anton Silayev to a three-year, entry-level contract.
📰: https://t.co/vDihjFjFeCpic.twitter.com/z5gT3F25N4
Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing in at 210 pounds, Silayev completed the 2025-26 season with Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He appeared in 61 regular-season games, collecting three points (one goal, two assists). Playing in a limited role under head coach Alexei Isakov, the defenseman gained experience and understanding that his future self will be grateful for.
Under his former head coach, Igor Larionov, Silayev played around 18 minutes per game. This past season, under new head coach Alexei Isakov, his ice time dropped, sometimes dipping below 10 minutes. Understandably, the decreased role and limited opportunities influenced the defenseman’s confidence.
It also provided a valuable lesson.
It is not the amount of ice time given, but how impactful a player can prove to be within the minutes provided. By the time the playoffs began, Silayev’s ice time did improve, and he collected two assists in 10 playoff games. He ended the season playing for Nizhny Novgorod’s junior team in the MHL playoffs, picking up two assists in four games.
Drafted 10th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, the youngster has always been compared to Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman.
“He is 6-7, great size, but you quickly see his agility and footwork for that size, among the best you see at that age,” said Devils chief scout Mark Dennehy to NJD.TV after selecting Silayev. “He is mobile for his size with great defensive range. He is a pest to play against. He plays with a mean streak. Good shot, good hands.”
But direct comparissons aren’t always fair, are they? Especially given the amount of work in front of Silayev as he begins this chapter of his professional career.
There are two major components that Silayev will need to work on upon his arrival this summer. The first is the game itself. He needs to understand the mentality of a North American coach compared to that of a KHL head coach. His agent believes that Silayev, having played under Larionov, a former Devils player and Hockey Hall of Famer, will be an advantage in this regard, as he shared that North American mentality. In that same vein, the left-shot defenseman will need to learn the mindset and perspective of the rest of the coaching staff, management, trainers, and his new teammates.
Learning and improving his English remains a priority, and there is a belief he will pick it up quickly. Thankfully, there is a support team in place to help make the rookie’s transistion as smooth as possible. While his agent is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, his business partner, Peter Wallen, is within driving distance of New Jersey.
In addition to learning the dynamics of the people within the Devils organization, there is also the expanded 84-game NHL schedule.
“It is 84 games that you have to play 100% every night, every period, every shift,” Silayev’s agent shared. “I would say the first 10 games, you play on your emotions because you are in a new league, and everything is different and new.
“After those 10 games, it becomes routine, and you have to have the desire to come to the hockey rink and be ready for practice and for the game. It is very important,” he continued. “This is the stuff we explain to him, and he knows. There is a bunch of work to do.”
When he arrives, and training camp begins, one of the biggest questions is if he will start the season in New Jersey or with the Utica Comets, the organization’s American Hockey League (AHL) team. With an influx of defensemen at both levels, it seems Mehta and Comets’ general manager Braden Birch will have work to do to make everyone fit.
As it currently stands, New Jersey’s blue line includes Dennis Cholowski, Brenden Dillon, Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes, Johnathan Kovacevic, Simon Nemec, Brett Pesce, and Jonas Siegenthaler. In Utica, several defensemen are already under contract for 2026-27, including Seamus Casey, Mikaël Diotte, Ethan Edwards, and Jeremy Hanzel. It is worth noting that the latter spent last season in the ECHL with the Adirondack Thunder. Additionally, Topias Vilén and Calen Addison are restricted free agents, while Colton White is an unrestricted free agent.
Similar to last season, when winger Arseny Gritsyuk transitioned his game here, the Devils organization doesn’t quite know what they have with Silayev until they see him here in North America, and then they can understand exactly where he is at relative to NHL hockey.
Silayev is currently working on his work permit and will aim to arrive well before training camp begins to get acquainted with the city and what life away from the rink looks like, so that his focus will be 100 percent on hockey and the Devils when the 2026-26 season gets underway.
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