Former New Jersey Devils 1st Rounder Released from SHL Club, Signs AHL Deal

2014 30th overall pick of the New Jersey Devils John Quenneville has been released from his Swedish Hockey League contract with Leksand and has signed an AHL contract with the Belleville Senators; AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators.

Quenneville, 26, was the final pick of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft's first round and managed to play just 42 NHL games; 33 with the New Jersey Devils and 9 with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Edmonton-native totaled 5 points before heading overseas.

The nephew of legendary head coach Joel Quenneville, John's career in Europe actually wasn't terrible. In 46 games for Zurich SC of the Swiss-A League, Quenneville scored 37 points and 57 PIMs. With Leksand this season, he managed 12 points in 19 games.

Belleville currently rests on the bottom of the AHL's North Division with a 16-22-3-1 record through 42 games; 29th in the total standings. So, things are pretty consistent from the NHL club down to the AHL.

Quenneville was the final first-round draft pick under the Lou Lamoriello administration before Ray Shero took over. The 2014 first-rounder is one of six New Jersey first-round picks since 2006 to play less than 150 games in the NHL.

Couple that statistic with the fact that the Devils had two first-rounders stripped as punishment for the Ilya Kovalchuk contract debacle, and their lack of any sustainable success in the 2010s makes a lot more sense.

Luckily, things are looking up now, as the Devils sit 4th in the entire NHL with one of the youngest lineups in the entire league.

Source: Belleville Senators

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