The message to Filmon is clear and he knows where his focus needs to be.
Size and Strength.
For New Jersey Devils prospect Josh Filmon, it always comes back to the same old criticism.
"Over my life, the NHL Combine, NHL Draft, you know, over the years, if I ever asked, 'Hey, what do you think I need to improve upon?' It's always to get bigger and stronger," said the 19-year-old, who is listed as 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds.
That could explain why Filmon fell to the sixth round in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, where the Devils selected him with the 166th overall pick. Back then, if you can believe it, he was even smaller.
"He is much weaker and easier to knock off the puck than most guys at this level due to his slight frame," wrote Western Hockey League scout Evan Pace at the time. "Still, he can put his body on the line and make hits when needed as he generates enough speed and has good balance on his skates."
Despite his lack of size, Filmon led the WHL's Swift Current Broncos with 47 goals — 21 more goals than the second-highest goal scorer on the team —and 75 points in 64 games last season. But he put up even more impressive numbers in the weeks since the season ended, when he gained 15 pounds of much-needed weight on his rail-thin body.
"I'd say the thing that everybody's kind of knocked on me for, for the last six years, has just been my size. I've been working really hard this summer to just put on size and get stronger."
"It's coming. Just took a while."
When Filmon spoke with select media members after his on-ice session on July 10, he had an energy that was contagious and a smile that never faltered. When asked what he was most looking forward to improve upon this week, he was quick with his response.
"This is something that I can totally control with my work ethic in the gym and my nutrition," he said. "They've got a great staff here, so that helps a lot. The other thing is I got some allergies to nuts and fish, which, if you want to put on weight, a lot of people tell you to eat handfuls and nuts and stuff like that. Our nutritionist here actually has a nut allergy, too, so that's pretty helpful because she's been through it before."
The good news is there is still time for Filmon to fill out. As he spoke about his career trajectory, he stated that he will return to the WHL for one more season and would try and turn pro the following year, whether that's with the Devils or Utica Comets of the American Hockey League.
One thing that he is excited about this week is the three-on-three scrimmage that will take place on Wednesday, July 12 at 5:30 P.M. Black and Red season ticket members can not only watch Filmon and the rest of the camp participants but meet them at the autograph session that will follow the scrimmage.