The New Jersey Devils put prospect Nick Lappin on waivers on Tuesday. There’s a chance now he could be poached by another team.
Earlier in the preseason, it looked like an absolute lock that Nick Lappin was going to make the New Jersey Devils somehow, someway. He scored two goals in the first game against the New York Rangers, and looked like he was the extra forward the Devils need. In fact, he was so good he was getting time on the first line with Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier.
That ended quickly. Nick Lappin was placed on waivers today to hopefully get sent down to Binghamton.
Per reports, the #NJDevils have placed Nick Lappin on waivers. No email or tweet yet from the team.
— Leo Scaglione Jr. (@LeoScaglioneJr) September 25, 2018
The problem with waivers is now every team in the league has a chance to get Lappin on their team. Lappin scored 31 goals in 53 games in the AHL last season. He could easily be a 15 goal scorer at the NHL level. Those skills would be something most teams could use.
More from Pucks and Pitchforks
- Should New Jersey Devils Try Load Management With Vitek Vanecek?
- New Jersey Devils Will Prove That Last Year Wasn’t A Fluke
- New Jersey Devils: Luke Hughes’ Playmaking Will Outshine His Mistakes
- New Jersey Devils: Chase Stillman’s Performance Causes Concern
- Can Devils Fans Separate Zach Parise Heartbreak From Achievements?
The good news is most teams don’t look towards waivers at this time of the year. They’re trying to put together their own rosters right now, and don’t want to try and figure out if a player fits over the last two games of the preseason. If they send him down, they will just lose them back to the team they took him from.
Lappin did not show anything over the last two games that would give him a reason to stay on the roster. He was also showing some issues with other parts of his game, like defense and positioning. If he stays with the Devils, he will likely be the first or second mid-season call up.
Lappin needs to work on a few things, but the 25-year-old is close to being NHL ready. Spending a few weeks in Binghamton will do him well. Hopefully, he doesn’t get taken by another team.