Devils, Holtz

Devils First Rounder Alexander Holtz Cleared to Represent Sweden

The New Jersey Devils' 2020 NHL Draft class is still young, but is already banging at the door to the NHL club.

Most fans are very familiar with Dawson Mercer, the 18th overall pick scoring at a 51 point pace through his first 24 NHL games, and rightfully so.

But, there's always the seventh overall pick from 2020: Alexander Holtz.

Holtz enjoyed a cup of coffee and an NHL salary for about three weeks, as the Devils were looking to inject some life into the powerplay with his right-hand shot.

After not scoring a goal (0-2--2) in six games, he was returned to Utica. His possession metrics weren't shining, either.

This isn't to say he's not having a successful season; he's the current goals leader on a dominant Utica Comets team. He'll simply have to prove that he's too good to play in the AHL and give the front office no choice but to make room for him in Newark.

Most recently, Holtz was added to Sweden's U20 roster with the Devils' permission.

Representing Sweden's U20 team, the right-winger has 12 points (6 goals) in 22 games since the 2019-2020 season.

For those unfamiliar with Alexander Holtz, he's always been an electric shooter.

Currently scoring on over 18% of his shots, it may be a little unrealistic to expect such gaudy numbers to continue over a long season. Goal scorers on the whole (with few exceptions, namely Alex Ovechkin) are streaky, and score in bunches.

This lends true to the fact that Holtz scored five goals in his first four games this season, but hasn't lit the lamp since November 24-- his first game since being sent back to the AHL.

On the whole, nobody should be reacting to five games without a goal. He's been shooting a little less, and has four assists in those games.

You can find his game-by-game statistics for the Comets at this link.

Holtz In The World Junior Championship

Holtz's team Sweden opens against Russia at the World Junior Championship on December 26th. They'll play in Group B: The United States, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Slovakia.

The rest of the roster features six 2021 first-round picks, as Holtz looks to capture Sweden's first gold medal since 2012.