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The Devils won a hockey game last night against a good LA Kings team, but, given where the team is at, I think the bigger news of the day was the signing of Joseph Blandisi.
Blandisi is the captain of the Barrie Colts (OHL), and is the 4th leading scorer in the OHL. Through 39 games he has 30 goals and 40 assists (it was 30/39 the other day; must have been a scoring change) and is as big of a reason as any that he Colts sit 2nd in the Eastern Conference.
He was drafted by Colorado in the 6th round of 2012, but went unsigned last year due to some injury/illness concerns that at the time appeared to be pretty serious. He's obviously moved on from that, and is doing pretty well for himself this season.
Blandisi is a very good skater who sees the ice exceptionally well, and he is an excellent passer. He also possesses a sneaky-good shot and has great hands. He is good in his own zone, and is a regular on Barrie's penalty kill. Like Adam Henrique, Blandisi is a big time threat on the PK, as he has scored seven short handed goals in 39 games this season.
At 6'0', 192lbs he's not the biggest guy in stature, but he doesn't shy away from physicality. He's often the No. 1 target for opposing teams, and takes a beating on a nightly basis, but he can play with an edge and dish it out a little bit at times, too.
A lot of people are hesitant to give Blandisi too much credit for his production because he centers Brendan Lemieux (29 goals in 34 games) and Kevin Labanc (OHL's 5th leading point getter), but the offense runs through Blandisi at both even-strength and on the power play.
Blandisi will finish this season in Barrie before turning pro next year. If the Colts are out of the playoffs early (doubtful) and Albany is still playing he could go up on an ATO for a taste of pro hockey.
Could Blandisi be a top-6 guy at the NHL level? Possibly. A more reasonable expectation would be a middle-6 player.
While there's no guarantee he'll pan out, I think it's quite possible he becomes an NHL regular, and he instantly becomes one of the top forwards in New Jersey's system.
For a team with little talent up front, taking a shot on a highly skilled player like Blandisi is certainly worth a shot.
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