In addition to the announcement that leading goal scorer Kyle Palmieri would be representing the Devils at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game in January, the Devils also sent out a press release that their second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Nikita Okhotyuk, has been signed to an entry level contract (ELC).
The contract starts with this season (2019-20).
Okhotyuk, a 19-year-old, 6-feet, 1-inch, 195-pound defenseman, “has spent the last three seasons with Ottawa in the Ontario Hockey League” according to the press release put out by the team. The press release notes that he has five assists in nine games this season for the 67’s, having just returned to the lineup from injury.
Last season, the Chelyabinsk, Russia native played in 59 games and had two goals, 15 assists (17 points), 43 penalty minutes and was a plus-30 plus/minus. In the 67’s OHL deep playoff run, going to the league finals, he had a goal and an assist (two points) in 18 games. He also played in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in 2018-19 according to the press release.
He has represented Russia at the 2018 Under-18 World Junior Championship and the 2019 Canada-Russia Series. In 2018, he captained Russia at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.
The press release also notes that he is currently teammates with Mitchell Hoelscher, Graeme Clarke and Kevin Bahl in Ottawa, which has become quite the pipeline of prospects for the Devils.