John Quenneville Gives New Jersey Devils’ Fans Something To Be Excited About
By Nick Villano
After questions about when New Jersey Devils prospect John Quenneville will finally be called up, he is back on the team’s roster. He could give fans something to look forward to next year.
The New Jersey Devils season is nothing more than a hard look into what the team can do next season. The rosters moves are finally starting to prove that after Andrew Gross of The Record announced prospect John Quenneville was joining the roster.
Quenneville leads the Albany Devils with 41 points in 53 games. He’s show a scoring touch on the powerplay, earning him a spot in practice on the second team along with Adam Henrique and Pavel Zacha. It could show fans exactly why to be excited for what the team has in store.
Quenneville was a controversial pick at number 30 in 2014 (a pick the Devils were lucky to have after the NHL gifted it to them). Fans were hoping the team would choose Brandon Lemieux when he fell to them. While both men have a lot to show, the Devils look like they made the right choice, at least initially.
The Devils have 14 games left until the offseason officially begins. During that time, top brass will evaluate what they have in the locker room. To do that, they need to see their prospects play on the NHL level.
Quenneville can show he belongs at the big show. He had a very brief stint with the team back in December. He only register 25 shifts over two games. There isn’t much coaches and executives can evaluate in just 17 minutes of ice time.
Now, Quenneville can prove more. After a successful season in the minors, he can lock down a spot on next year’s opening day roster.
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If he proves he can be a third-line center, that could give the Devils flexibility to move some pieces around. With Travis Zajac and Zacha in the fold, the team could move Henrique to wing for good. That could help him develop more of an offensive game beyond what he’s already proven.
Quenneville may not do anything over the end of the season, proving he needs more seasoning. What’s best about this move is the Devils have nothing to lose. If he proves that he belongs in the NHL, then it’s all positive. If not, then the team can make their offseason moves with that in mind.
Either way, this breathes life into the Devils final stretch. Quenneville gives the fans something to be excited about for the first time in months. The team has something to watch, despite a playoff spot being out of reach.