New Jersey Devils: 5 Things to Watch at Training Camp
With the New Jersey Devils set to report to training camp tomorrow it’s time to take a good hard look at the roster. I’ll take a look at 5 things you should keep an eye on throughout camp.
There are certain players that are obviously locks to be on the roster for the Devils this year. Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Kyle Palmieri, Marcus Johansson, Pavel Zacha, Brian Boyle, Andy Greene, Damon Severson, John Moore, and the goalies Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid.
I’ve gone through my projections for 4th line, 3rd defensive pair, and 3rd line. You have an idea of who I expect to make the NHL roster, but lets take a look at who and what to watch for at camp.
First Line Center
Nick Villano wrote about how the Travis Zajac injury shouldn’t force Nico Hischier into a top six role. I completely agree. I think all top-nine center roles should be decided throughout training camp competition.
The Devils have three very good options to fill the first-line center role. Nico Hischier, Adam Henrique, and Pavel Zacha should all get a decent amount of time to see who is the best fit. I’ll be rooting for Hischier personally.
Henrique spent some time with Hall and Palmieri last year, but it didn’t go well. Zacha spent most of last year on the wing and posted modest numbers. All three should have plenty of opportunities to show what they can do in the 1st line role.
Nico Hischier
I know this is obvious but he should get a ton of media attention at camp. His speed and overall skating ability showed at the prospect tournament, but he never made it onto the score sheet. It will benefit the Devils to showcase Hischier and give him a legitimate opportunity at a top-six role.
Recently number-one overall picks have been locks to make NHL opening day rosters, and I would imagine Nico stays with New Jersey this year. The Devils have said he’ll play center at the NHL level. It’s just about where. Brian Boyle seems like a lock for the 4th line, but the other 3 center positions are wide open.
Drew Stafford
Drew Stafford was a very late signing. At one-year for $800,000 bringing in Stafford is a low-risk high-reward move.
It seems there are two versions of Stafford, and the question is which one will the Devils get. In 2015-16 Stafford posted 21 goals and 17 assists with Winnipeg in 78 games. In 2016-17 he had 4 goals and 9 assists in 58 games with Winnipeg then added 4 goals and 4 assists in 18 games after being dealt to Boston.
If the Boston version of Drew Stafford shows up to camp, he could see a 2nd line role. That would be a huge boost to a team lacking right wing talent.
If Winnipeg Drew Stafford shows up, he’ll likely find himself in a 3rd or 4th line role as veteran RW depth.
Young Defensemen
Steven Santini, Will Butcher, Mirco Mueller, Michael Kapla, and Yaroslav Dyblenko will all be competing for spots with New Jersey this year. Andy Greene, John Moore, and Damon Severson are the only locks defensively for the Devils with Ben Lovejoy likely also finding a role.
Santini performed well in his 38 games with the Devils last year, and I like him in a top-four role this year. Butcher was paired with Santini at prospects camp and showed exactly what he brings to the table. He’s a puck mover with good skating ability.
Kapla spent 5 games with the Devils last year after signing, and performed decently at prospect camp. However, he’s relatively unknown other than that.
As for Dyblenko and Mueller, both are completely unknown. Mueller is a former 1st round pick who the Devils acquired from San Jose and then protected in the expansion draft. He’s spent a majority of his time in the AHL. This will be the first time in 2 years he gets a legitimate shot to make an NHL club.
Dyblenko is coming over from the KHL. He looked good at prospect camp, but only time will tell if he can handle NHL level talent.
Cory Schneider
Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images
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The Devils have plenty of question marks up and down the lineup. Cory Schneider is 31 years old and coming off the worst year of his career. In order for this team to not be competing for a top 5 pick Schneider is going to have to regain his form.
Bringing in Roland Melanson should provide familiarity and will hopefully help get him where he needs to be. Schneider is the most important piece of this Devils team and this is a huge season for him. The Devils need to find out if last year was a fluke, or if he’s truly regressing.
Summary
This is an exciting year for New Jersey. There’s a lot of youth and they brought in a ton of talent throughout the off-season.
What are you excited to see and who will you be watching as training camp opens up tomorrow?