Overview
- Silayev signed a three-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils on Monday, June 1, 2026, a move first reported by Sport-Express and carried by North American outlets.
- The 20-year-old left-shot defenseman is 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, was picked 10th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, and has spent the past three seasons with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL.
- His 2025-26 season showed a clear offensive downturn, when he recorded just three points in 61 KHL games after a 12-point season in 2024-25.
- Scouts praise Silayev’s rare size, mobility and puck-moving skill but note lapses in defensive positioning and inconsistent offense, so the Devils plan to evaluate him in the AHL and at September training camp.
- The signing is general manager Sunny Mehta’s first announced player signing and it brings another high-upside defender into New Jersey’s pipeline, a move that could ease the club’s depth needs and accelerate decisions about Silayev’s North American role.