New Jersey
New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Where Are They Now? Defensemen Edition
Prospect analysis takes a bit of guesswork. So, sometimes to predict the future it’s helpful to reflect back on the past. Today we take a look at five former defensemen prospects for the Devils and what happened in their careers.
Adrian Foster
In short
Never made the NHL but did play for Grizzlys Wolfsburg in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, which is a fantastic name for a hockey club.
In long
Scott Cruikshank of the Calgary Herald sums up the problem with Adrian Foster’s career.
As a 16-year-old with the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, he collected 32 points in only 18 appearances. But slamming into an unforgiving post one night, the fearless forward cracked his right hip.
Mechanics thrown off, body out of whack, the other hip suffered. Then came abdominal troubles and subsequent operations — one side, then on the other.
Nevertheless, New Jersey was sold.
Sold they were. The Devils selected Foster in the first round (28th overall) selection in the 2001 NHL entry draft, a bit of a reach at the time, due to his injury history. Unfortunately, for Foster and the Devils, the defenseman’s injury woes did not end there. The article continues.
buoyed by a clean bill of health after a stretch in the American Hockey League — concussions spoiled more winters.
Then in a single 60-game stretch — spread over three hobble-filled seasons — Foster suffered two high-ankle sprains, a broken foot, a broken ankle.
Somewhere amidst all that hobbling, Foster skated in 205 AHL games before finishing his career in a two-game stint plus eight playoff contests in 2015-16 for the Stony Plain Eagles of the Chinook Hockey League.
Matthew Corrente
In short
Bad shoulder, but finished NHL career with exactly twice as many penalty minutes (68) as he had games played (34).
In long
Drafted by the Devils in the first round (30th overall) in 2006, there was considerable hype amongst Devils faithful in Corrente at the time. Development came slow, as it often does for physical defenders, but Corrente filled in with the big club in limited minutes during the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons. Unable to stick in the Devils lineup, by the time Corrente was entering his prime, injuries proved to be the final nail in the coffin of his career, culminating with a season-ending shoulder injury in 2012. This was after missing much of the previous season with another shoulder injury in 2011. After the shoulder surgery in 2012, Corrente played two more seasons bouncing around the AHL before bowing out after a demotion to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL in 2015-2016.
Brandon Burlon
In short
Once put up 27 points in 30 games in one strong season for the Oilers, the Stavanger Oilers of Norway’s Fjordkraftligaen.
In long
The Devils 2nd round pick (52nd overall) in 2008, Brandon Burlon always seemed to be on the fringe of conversation, but always outshined by the next shiny new defensive prospect added to the system. Surpassed by players such as Reece Scarlett who once finished 11th on this site’s Top 25 Under 25, who like Burlon, never got the call, the 2nd rounder did give the Albany Devils five respectable seasons of defensive hockey, even breaking out with 36 points one year. Burlon would finish his playing career in 2019-20 after bouncing around Europe in Germany, Sweden, Norway and the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. Per LinkedIn, Burlon is now a site operations manager for TMG Builders, a Canadian condominium building company.
Alexander Urbom
In short
Upset many Devils fans when the Washington Capitals claimed him off waivers. Was reclaimed by the Devils twenty games later. Never played in the NHL again.
In long
Urbom showed a lot of promise early on for a defenseman drafted in the third round, especially on a team that had few legit prospects in the early 2010s. (For example, Urbom finished 5th in the ILWT Top 25 Under 25 in 2012). Urbom earned cups of coffee with the Devils in three consecutive seasons starting in 2010-11 before he was claimed by the Washington Capitals at the beginning of the 2013-2014 season. This upset many Devils fans, who thought Urbom had a future. The large defender played 20 games for the Capitals that year, the most of his career, before being reclaimed by the Devils and stashed in Albany. That would be Urbom’s last stint of North American hockey, bouncing around the KHL, SHL and some lesser leagues later in his career, which ended in a short playoff run with EC Salzburg of the ICEHL in 2020-21.
Jeremy Davies
In short
A 7th round pick who after earning some hype with a stellar college career, became part of the P.K. Subban trade and played in 23 NHL games to date.
In long
The Nashville Predators actually got more usage out of Jeremy Davies than they did the more-established defender in the deal, Steven Santini. Davies suited up 22 games for the Predators over two seasons, while Santini only played two games in Nashville before signing with the St. Louis Blues. Davies’s career is still ongoing and overall, despite his limited call-ups, the 7th rounder must be considered a successful pick as most players drafted there do not make it to the NHL.
Final Thoughts
Now it is time to tell us what you think. Should I do more articles like this as summer rolls on? Give me your thoughts in the comments below.
New Jersey
Husband of slain New Jersey mom begs for help in newly released 911 call | Fox News Video
Former homicide detective Brian Foley joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to provide analysis on Conor Hanlon’s 911 call after finding his wife, Brooke, stabbed to death.
Former homicide detective Brian Foley provides expert insights into the newly released 911 call from Conor Hanlon, whose wife, New Jersey therapist Brooke Hanlon, was found stabbed to death. Foley analyzes the husband’s emotional state and the police’s approach, noting the case’s ‘suspicious’ designation 13 minutes into the call.
A young firefighter died two weeks after being badly hurt in a crash while responding to a fire call, according to the Malaga Fire Company.
Robert (Bobby) Reider, 23, was driving north along Delsea Drive while trying to get to the scene of fire on Saturday, June 27 when his car went off the road, officials said.
When first responders got to the scene of the crash, they found Reider trapped in his car and worked to remove him.
Reider was then taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he was treated for severe and traumatic injuries.
Weeks later, on July 10 around 4:30 a.m., Reider died from his injuries while still in the hospital.
The Malaga Fire Company says that Reider joined their team in 2018 when he was just 16 as a junior firefighter.
He then went on to earn a certificate at Fire 1 at the Salem County Fire Academy in 2022.
New Jersey
NJ Legislators Are Considering a Bill That Could Ban Tesla Robotaxis Due to Their Tech Choice
New Jersey lawmakers are deliberating on a law that would create a three-year autonomous vehicle pilot program in the state, but Tesla might be banned from participating altogether over a technical choice made by the Texas-based carmaker for its self-driving vehicles.
The bill, officially known as S1677, would establish autonomous vehicle testing requirements with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. One of these proposed requirements is that autonomous vehicle operators use camera-based technology and two additional forms of sensor tech, such as lidar or radar. Of course, Tesla’s autonomous vehicle technology is purely camera-based, meaning the brand could be banned from testing in New Jersey.
The text of the bill is fairly straightforward, requiring prospective autonomous operators to submit a “law enforcement interaction plan” and detail redundant safety systems, crash-avoidance technology, and data recording capabilities. The specific language that would ban Tesla’s system requires autonomous operators to “be equipped with crash-avoidance systems, including a camera system and two distinct sensing modalities that are capable of detecting and tracking obstacles in the event of failure of the camera system.” The bill also favors keeping traditional steering wheel and pedal controls available. While initial testing would be completed with human safety operators, the bill would allow fully autonomous operation once certain metrics, such as 50,000 crash-free miles, are met.
The decision to require both camera- and sensor-based technology is not a coincidence, according to The Verge. “This is not anti-Tesla. I’m pro-New Jersey safety,” Democratic state senator Andrew Zwicker, the bill’s primary sponsor and a physicist by trade, said to The Verge. “At this point, I don’t think the evidence is sufficient that a single sensor with software can handle situations that humans can.”
Tesla is, unsurprisingly, upset about this development, and the company is fighting back. The automaker’s public policy platform, Engage Tesla, features a call to action for Tesla owners to contact members of the New Jersey Legislature to oppose the bill, with the plea claiming the autonomous vehicle testing program is the opposite of progress, and saying that Tesla would be legally barred from testing in the Garden State. Statistics about roadway death rates in New Jersey and denying freedom of movement for elderly populations are also included.
“Rather than prioritizing real safety outcomes and performance, the bill specifically bans Tesla from the New Jersey market,” the site reads. “Every arbitrary roadblock is a delay for the people who need this life-changing technology most. Legislation that bans Tesla’s proven AV technology from the market is not caution — it’s anti-competitive favoritism that will cause New Jersey to fall behind while other states move forward.”
The bill, introduced on January 16, is currently under consideration by the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The bill’s language closely mirrors talking points from the nonprofit SAVE-US, which is lobbying for stronger oversight of autonomous vehicle testing. New Jersey is not the only state pondering additional autonomous testing regulation; New York legislators are working on similar legislation. Just yesterday, federal safety regulators called out autonomous vehicle operators like Waymo for interfering with first responders.
A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022 and Road & Track in 2024. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a BMW 318i E30 street parked in his Queens community.
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