New Jersey Devils Add Tim Erixon To Try Out For Defense
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils added another potential defenseman when the team signed Tim Erixon. He could try to keep his NHL career going, but he may just be a training camp option.
New Jersey Devils fans have been clamoring for an upgrade on defense this whole offseason. Those fans were happy once the team signed top college free agent Will Butcher, but that obviously doesn’t fix their problems this year. The Devils did sign one NHL player this week.
Devils general manager Ray Shero signed Tim Erixon to a professional tryout. This wasn’t the signing many wanted, but it puts another first-round pick on the roster for training camp.
Erixon will compete for the bottom two spots on the defense, with Andy Greene, Ben Lovejoy, John Moore and Damon Severson as locks on the team. The competition was fierce before signing Erixon. Steve Santini, Mirco Mueller, Michael Kapla, Dalton Prout and Butcher were all fighting for those last two spots.
More likely than not, Erixon will be playing in the AHL if the Devils sign him to a contract. He will be there if the Devils deal with multiple injuries on the blue line.
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Erixon played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the past two seasons. He’s obviously had trouble staying on an NHL roster, playing for four teams since 2012. Erixon will likely not make it on the Opening Night roster. That doesn’t necessarily make this a bad signing.
Erixon knows his role at this point in his career. He’s pegged as a two-way defender, but only has two goals in his NHL career. His upside is just another guy on the NHL roster. But what did Shero have to lose in this signing? If the 26 year old proves he’ll never be the prospect he was when he was drafted, then the Devils can just move on.
Erixon wasn’t the player Devils fans wanted, but that won’t stop it from working out as best it can. Sure, Cody Franson would have been better for the NHL roster, but the Devils likely weren’t thinking that way.