Devils Development Camp Recap: Ethan Edwards, Josh Filmon, & Topias Vilen

Devils Development Camp Recap: Ethan Edwards, Josh Filmon, & Topias Vilen

all right I have talked about the Stanley Cup Final the draft free agency but now it’s time to talk about the stars of tomorrow what do I mean by that it’s time to break down development Camp the next few episodes I need to show the young guys some love lots of breakdown in today’s episode of lock on Devils buckle up everybody you’re locked on Devils your daily podcast on the New Jersey Devils part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day hi this is Bryce Salvador and you’re locked on devil Matthew oh Steven stepped up nail got the what a shot the Devils win the Stanley C all righty now what is up New Jersey welcome back to lockon podcast here on locked on network I’m your host College hockey public play announcer Dell R Puck pitchforks and also part-time credential meia member Trey Matthews let’s talk about the New Jersey Devils development Camp from last week I know I’m a little late to it but as you guys know I had the chance to cover the NHL draft from Las Vegas Nevada and I’ve been saying heavily on this show that things were just moving full speed and a lot of stuff was piling on one another because because we had the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final then the NHL draft free agency also opened up and on top of that the Devils decided to host their development Camp starting July 1 for media to attend and I had to make a decision did I want to cover development camp or the draft and it was a no-brainer for me I wanted to go to Sin City Las Vegas Nevada to witness the NHL draft take place from inside the Vegas spear I really did want to cover development camp but unfortunately just based on how the scheduling worked itself out there was just no way that I could make my way to New Jersey from Las Vegas I was going to Tire myself out and remember like I said free agency happened within that time span I had to make myself available for some of these players press conferences it was just a wild two weeks if you were covering the Devils or any other team for that matter because it seemed like scheduling was also another issue for some of the other teams in the league but digressing a little bit now that everything has slowed down I want to talk about development Camp because you get the chance to see some undiscovered Talent OR Talent that’s already been drafted or some players that maybe are looking for some sort of redemption or maybe just players that are just trying to get their foot into the NHL door a lot of people don’t really have strong opinions on development camp and quite honestly I’m no exception but I still want to talk about some of these prospects because some of them might be a gem some of them might be Diamonds in the Rough or some of them might be highly touted including Anton salv who made his appearance at development camp and if you’re wondering why Lenny Hino did not participate in development camp this year it’s because he was required to do his military service in today’s episode I’m going to do something similar to what I did last year when I was covering development Camp from the RWJ Barnabas Health hockey house I will give some background information on a specific Prospect and then I’m going to play their media availability I apologize that it’s not going to be as authentic as last year because as you guys know I normally just film my own video with my own microphone ask my own questions but just based on how everything panned out I got to make do with what I got and luckily I have some great people over in the New Jersey Devils organization will play those sound bites throughout the course of the episode all right first up Ethan Edwards a left-handed defenseman from the University of Michigan he was drafted in the fourth round 120th overall in 2020 as you guys know I love my Michigan Wolverines maybe I’m just a little biased because both my parents attended that University but the Wolverines have put together themselves a pretty damn good hockey team all right Ethan Edwards did not participate in last year’s development Camp due to injury he was in attendance but he didn’t participate in any activities but here’s the background information on Mr Ethan Edwards it’s Edward skating and high activity rate that informs so much of his value he’s so aggressive carrying the puck up in transition and he tirelessly Works to support the puck in the offensive zone the same is true of the way that Edwards defends whether it’s in the neutral zone or defensive Zone he closes in on Puck carriers and plays with decisiveness courtesy of elite prospects 2020 NHL draft guy this past season for the Wolverines he was one of their alternate captains as we all know the Wolverines saw themselves in the Frozen Four once again Edwards appeared in 21 games he had three goals seven assists for a grand total of 10 points as opposed to his teammate Shamus Casey it seems like Edwards focuses more on defense and not so much offense but that’s not a bad thing because sometimes you need some defensive mind defenseman in order to have a successful hockey team here’s Edwards media availability check it out Ethan University of Michigan last year you were able to come back in January what did you see out that second half of the college season with your game and your development yeah just coming back from injury was was a was tough um but happy uh happy I got through that and then going into the playoffs really found my game found my stride and um luckily we got to make a push at the end of the season so uh we came together as a team and and uh got to the Rosen four so kind of maximized the amount of games I could play uh which was really nice when you say you found your game found your stride what specifically did you find I think just not playing a game for n close to nine months was was tough you kind of lose a little bit of your habits a little bit of uh a little bit just pieces to your game so I think piecing everything back together was was the key thing for me uh throughout the first five six weeks of uh my return when you’ve talked to the devils in the past at development Camp last year even throughout the season what were the ma major areas they wanted you to improve and what were the major areas they were impressed with I think uh the main areas to improve is just continue to work on my defensive game uh be okay with nothing happening out there shut down their top players that’s kind of the priority for me um my two-way game comes naturally so jumping up in the play is uh kind of second nature to me so I got to sometimes tone it back but just pick my spots and then um what they like is I I just I move my feet well so just continue to skate use my feet to my advantage and then uh just compete just work all over the ice Ethan what was it like sitting out that long because of your injury and where Did you sort of see maybe the mental side of your game grow cuz I figure that’s probably what you’re working on most at that point yeah so with a shoulder you feel almost healthy uh pretty early on so you feel like you can get on the ice before you actually can the doctors’s clear you so I think that’s the hardest hardest part is just accepting that you’re not going to be out there you can’t help your team and like uh we had ups and downs throughout the first half of the Season as a team so just seeing that from the stands was so tough and not being able to do anything but uh I’m almost glad I went through it I think uh it’s a part of hockey injuries are definitely a part of the sport so uh for next hopefully there’s not a next time but uh if it was to ever happen again then uh I think I I’d be me mentally prepared what did you learn about yourself in that process I think just I don’t know consistency is huge with rehab um learning about myself I don’t know on the mental side of the game right um I don’t know I feel like honestly I I took it pretty well I had a little bit of a rough stretch like Midway through when when I thought I could be skating like I mentioned right um but mentally I feel like I was I was pretty confident in my return as when I got back and then uh throughout the process just I don’t know sticking with it down the stretch in Michigan there’s some guys out you made a pretty significant impact what did that do to your confidence I think it was just proving to myself that that making a return was was so special and to make an impact at the end of the season like like I did and the way that my game developed by the end of the season was just uh like you said buil my confidence and then going into the next season uh I hope to build on that even further going into next season a lot of turnover in Michigan have you discussed your role with the coaches at all what it’s going to be next year just continue to prove myself um I know I know my role uh I I know I’m going to put some more minut up next season so I think uh I’m I’m super excited for that and ready for the opportunity what do you see of uh Casey’s growth at Michigan this year I mean unbelievable uh his instincts his his skills are honestly I’ve never seen him before so uh the stuff he can do out there individually and then the way he he finds teammates is is so impressive U I’m so excited for him uh see what he can do next year you’ve been to multiple development camps here you’ve seen this roster change what are you seeing out this group and the intensity out there in the second on Ice practice intensity is very high um it’s very impressive a lot of big guys out there especially in the D group so I think that’ll be really cool for next year to see uh See I guess nobody’s getting to your net no one’s getting to your goalie so uh it’ll be it’ll be cool to see and then yeah like it’s a great group off the ice as well we’re uh we’re really connecting off the ice and even the Europeans and the Americans maybe a little bit of a language barrier but we’re getting through that and uh definitely bonding we still got a few more prods to break down but before we continue let me tell you about eBay Motors passion drive and patience the formula for winning championships is also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay Motors has everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level up to Peak Performance superchargers roof racks exhaust kits LED headlights and more whether you’re into speed power or style eBay Motors has got you covered with over 122 million parts for your number one ride or die you always find exactly what you’re looking for and with eBay guaranteed fit your part is guaranted to fit your ride every time or your money back because with eBay Motors you’re burning rubber not cash with all the parts you need at the price you want it’s easy to make your car the MVP and bring home huge wins keep your ride or die alive at ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusions apply eBay guaranteed fit only available to us customers okay next prospect on the docket is Josh Filman the left wing ER who is 20 years of age stands 6′ three from Winnipeg Manitoba Canada he’ll Sprint into the lane draw a Defender then hit the brakes creating a passing Lane for his teammates and space for his shot where most players plant themselves in front of the net he sneaks away from Defenders to the far post those off Puck instincts complement a projectable NHL shot especially off the pass Filman doesn’t dust off the puck using the momentum of the pass to transfer his weight wait for the shot once again courtesy of elite prospects 2022 NHL draft guide Filman was selected in the sixth round in 2022 like I said he is signed by the Devils going back a couple Seasons 2022 2023 Filman appeared in four games for the comets and he only registered one goal this past season with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL he appeared in 64 games had 27 goals 40 assists for a grand total of 67 points and he averaged a point per game during the playoffs appeared in nine playoff matchups and he recorded nine points seven goals two assists and it seems like a lot of people have good things to say about Filman and his potential I’ve been seeing it on social media I’ve been seeing on the YouTube comments section and I think there were a few articles centered around him last year during development Camp Filman has a lot of potential based on his offense similar to what Elite Prospect said about him a couple years ago good passer and knows how to open up a lane for not only himself but teammates here’s what Filman had to say during his media availability check it out let’s go over last season what were the biggest developments you saw on your own game and where do you just feel like you can keep taking those next steps um I would say I think I took strides just in becoming a little more complete um had a little more responsibility this year um being a 200t player you know killing plays in the dzone penalty killing um so I think uh yeah it was a good year for me to just kind of start fresh and and rebuild some of the Baseline stuff that’s going to help me get to Pro um in those defensive habits um and then towards the end of the year I think I I made big strides as well just figuring out how to apply my offensive skill set into that kind of scheme and uh I think I can still take take strides within my skating and just lower body strength I think it’s all going to come together and um I think just that’s going to be something I need to continue working on and make the jump to Pro talking about that jump to Pro what’s kind of your offseason plans and what are you expecting for next year where do you think you’ll be um in terms of the plans just getting stronger and faster um I got a pretty good group I’m training with right now Pro guys back home in Winnipeg so um make sure that I keep pushing myself and learning from those guys uh talking to guys who have already made the jump um and then in terms of where I think I’m going to be um obviously I have no clue the goal is just to come into camp and try and put on the best performance I can um you know there’s a new coaching staff uh here in New Jersey and and talking with the development staff my goal is just to come in U before the team goes to Prague and try and make the best impression that I can to either earn a spot or or take some feedback and go down to UA and and try and continue to develop there who are some of the pros that you work out with in Winnipeg um Seth Jarvis in Carolina is a young guy who just kind of made the jump on obviously he didn’t play in the American League he went straight to the NHL um but a guy who had a you know a different path would be like Cody glass uh he was a really high draft pick and kind of took him a little bit more time to figure it out and um make that transition to the to the NHL so two kind of different examples but really good Role Models um you know that’s just two of them I don’t know if you want me to list off all of them right now but there there’s plenty um and even just the staff that I’m working with um hasn’t been where I’ve been training the whole time right throughout their careers so they they’ve seen a lot of different stuff even in different sports so um it’s just important to be an active listener I think and and to try and take as many lessons as he can what did the NHL preseason last year teach you honestly just how big and strong and fast everybody is um you can’t really put into words that the difference it is when you’re making a jump you know say from Junior um to to that but once once you’re there it’s kind of like you have a little bit of a feeling of of how fast and strong those guys are um and then it becomes more mental Than Physical almost I think where you just got to think the game with that speed and you got to be able to see plays before they happen because you don’t have as much time you got to be um you know preactive not sorry proactive not not reactive before we move over to the next Prospect I want to tell you guys about FanDuel I love sports I love them so much I never want them to stop but as the playoffs wind down we get fewer games and sports aren’t sportsing like I want them to but with FanDuel it lets me keep the sports going whenever I want all I have to do is open up the app dream up any bets anytime I’m in the mood and this summer FanDuel is hooking up all customers with a boost or a bonus daily that’s right there’s something for everyone every day all summer long so head over to fanduel.com and start making the most out of your summer FanDuel official sports betting partner of Major League Baseball visit fanduel.com to look at the odds and please remember to always Gamble responsibly all right last prospect on the docket for today’s episode and don’t worry there’s more in store in terms of covering development Camp let’s talk about Tobias V he is a left-handed defenseman standing six foot one he was drafted in the fifth round in 2021 he is signed by the Devils here’s what The Scouting Report says on Vin he earned his fulltime with the Pelicans with a reliable presence in his own Zone leveraging sound off the puck reads stopping power and unrelenting motor to keep the opposition at Bay now that Scouting Report is from a few years ago here’s what he did just this past season first with the udica Comets he appeared in 54 games he had two goals 27 assists for a grand toll of 29 Points he also had a stint with the ader de Thunder he appeared in six games he had three goals seven assists for a grand total of 10 points here’s what vean had to say during his media availability check it out you just played your first full year with the UDA comments what was the experience like playing in the a what’s the biggest things you learned about that level of professional hockey I mean it was a lot different than I’m used of back in Finland but like I like it I like it it’s more physical but I like it where do you find that you had the best developments in your game during that season I think on my defensive side like like getting more toughness and and that kind of things in my game what else do they want to see from you maybe this offseason to work on heading into next year more strength I was gaining weight that’s it basically yeah and just looking at that UA comets team having some of the guys here what are you seeing on the competition level at development Camp so far I mean it’s we there are a lot of good guys here a lot of good players so it’s a good competition every day here uh your first year in Udo who was someone in the locker room that you really like hung out with a lot and that took under your wing I mean hack hataka that was obviously other finished person but like there was a lot of guys like Dylan who’s right now here and um there were a lot of good guys there like good group for you what’s the biggest difference between playing in Finland compared to the AHL it’s a lot more physical like I think that’s the that’s the biggest thing and the situations comes last Fon the rink is smaller so everything St fast being here today or this week what is it that you’re working on for yourself in your game that you came in thinking this is what I want to improve on the most uh I would say maybe on my defensive side of the game like box outs and stuff like that yeah I I know you mentioned hako what have you seen out of him that’s allowed him to attain success so quickly W uh what can I say I mean uh I mean there’s a lot of lot of good things on his game like obviously his skating and defensive ability that’s that’s one thing I’m I’m looking listen I know I’m a few days late and a few dollars short but I still want to give some of these prospects some love we’re definitely going to break down more prospects in the near future especially since things are winding down for the devils and I just wanted to highlight the possible future stars of tomorrow I I’m overstepping it a little bit but like I said I just wanted to give the prospect some love during their recent development Camp let me know was there a prospect you had your eye on during development camp and do you want me to break down his game in a future episode leave a comment down below if you’re watching on YouTube if you’re listening on podcast streaming service hit me up on my personal xpage app at trat 4 or the show’s xpage app at lockon Devils as for this episode that’s all the time I have for you continue to stay safe have a wonderful day New Jersey go Devils I’ll catch you guys next episode thanks for listening once again more development Camp content coming out within the next few days

I will take the next few days to discuss the New Jersey Devils Development Camp. Today’s episode will feature media availabilities from Ethan Edwards, Josh Filmon, and Topias Vilen. It’s the perfect time to revisit Dev Camp since things are starting to slow down.

Interview soundbites: Ethan Edwards, Topias Vilen, and Josh Filmon (Courtesy of the New Jersey Devils)

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