Alright, sell me on your guy folks.
I am open to any of the following: Merkely, Moynihan, Okhotyuk, Bastian, Sharangovich, or Gritsyuk.
Honestly, it's pretty much a toss-up for me among these players.
Merkely is a former late 1st rounder, though going back to the 2015 (Zacha) draft. His PPG average in the WHL actually went down each of his two post-draft seasons, though his AHL numbers have been decent. He had a goal and an assist in 4 games with NJ last year and is off to a good start with 9 points in 12 games in the Finnish Elite League (4th on his team). He's not waivers exempt, so figure there's a good chance he at least starts the season in NJ, but it's time to show he's an NHL player.
Personally, I like Moynihan a lot. He was "only" a 6th round draft pick and has just one post-draft season, putting up a very respectable 21 points (13 goals) in 34 games as a freshman at Providence College. Scott Wheeler has him projected as the 4th line RW on the USA WJC team and notes that Moynihan is "one of the more underrated players from that famed 2001 age group." I feel like he can shoot up this list next year.
Okhotyuk is so hard to get a read on, as he's more of a defensive defenseman. Played on a very strong Ottawa 67's team and saw his point total increase by 2 in 17 fewer games due to injury. He did not play in the WJC's for Russia, though they've been known to lean more towards players that stay in Russia versus those that go overseas. Seems like most of the reports on his progression since the draft are positive.
Bastian saw his points drop in his D+1 season in the OHL, though that seems to be more due to being split from McCloud and being tried out at center that season. His point totals in the AHL have steadily gotten better and I believe he was viewed as the MVP of the Binghamton Devils last season. He also looked solid in his brief stint in 2018-2019 with NJ and could fill a role as a power forward / net front presence that was vacated by players like Maroon and Simmonds. As with Merkley, Bastian is not waiver exempt this season so he also has an inside track to starting off the season in NJ.
Sharangovich was drafted as an overager and doesn't have great point totals his first two seasons in Binghamton, though I know he got hot and accumulated most of his points down the stretch last season before play was suspended. He's kept it going so far this season in the KHL and I believe is now 3rd in the league in goals, albeit in a season where many players have had to sit out at times due to COVID. If he keeps going at this pace though, he makes a strong push to make the team.
Gritsyuk has had a lot of great press lately with his play this season and, as with Moynihan, is a late round draft pick from just over a year ago so is going based largely on potential. Wheeler currently has him listed as an extra on the Russia WJC team, but I feel like there's a good chance he makes it. He even acknowledges that "I worry, though, that some of the names in my extras could creep into prominent roles at the expense of more skill, which will put a lot of pressure on Askarov and their big guns up front."
I could see ranking them in just about any combination, as I feel that they are all very close. I went with Bastian as I feel that he can carve out a role in the NHL, a little moreso than Merkley, though I can see the allure of other players that have a higher ceiling.
