Devils' second-round risk paying early dividends in NCAA

The New Jersey Devils took a risk in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, gambling on overager Matias Vanhanen with the 37th overall pick in the draft. Sunny Mehta and company seemed ecstatic about the pick in real time, which in and of itself should have been a bullish signal on the young winger, but things look even more solid given his early play in the NCAA this season.

Vanhanen has played five games for Boston College in 2026-27, so far accumulating six points (two goals and four assists). Unsurprisingly, given his production, he has been a staple on the top line and top power-play unit for BC, playing alongside the likes of Dean Letourneau (first round, 2024) and Oscar Hemming (first round, 2026) at 5v5. It's a well-deserved spot in the lineup for the 19-year-old, who is already proving to be his school's most dynamic player with and around the puck.

The fact is, Boston College's offense largely runs through Vanhanen when he is on the ice. At 5v5, they make a concerted effort to get the puck to him, where he is able to slow the game down, scan the ice, and generate a plethora of dangerous plays. On the power play, the goal is largely the same -- funnel the puck to Vanhanen, allow him to draw in defenders and create time and space everywhere on the ice before constantly punishing the opposition with a quality look.

One New Jersey Devils prospect has been wildly outpacing his original status

Vanhanen has been relatively clinical as a shooter this season so far, scoring twice on 12 shots. This is less a product of his shot itself being threatening -- though it is a relative plus within his game -- and more so about how he's in the right place at the right time more often than not. More importantly, though, he has fed his linemate Letourneau a plethora of opportunities, giving him the ability to have about twice as many shots (31) as the next-highest BC player (Teddy Stiga, 18).

It's early. Quite early, in fact. That said, Vanhanen has been as advertised and then some, being just one of two players on BC to play at at least a point-per-game pace. As the season progresses, expect him to come into his own even more. The Devils might have hit the jackpot here.