New Jersey Devils prospect Nick Lappin was given his first extended look in the NHL, but that is now over. It may be the last time he’s ever in New Jersey.
Nick Lappin was a player we really wanted to get an extended look this season. He was coming off a 30-goal season with the Binghamton Devils. Many thought he’d eventually make it to the New Jersey Devils after signing following his last season with Brown University in 2016.
He immediately went to the Albany Devils to hone his game. Lappin still needed to prove he could play a 60-80 game season after playing less than 40 in college. He also needed to prove he could play on the next level. That’s where we had an issue.
If the “next level” was the AHL, then Lappin is great. However, that’s not the goal. The goal is to make it to the NHL, and to score goals on that level.
Well, this season he has zero goals in 11 games. I mean, he doesn’t even have a point through 11 games in the NHL. He was having a down season as it is with only 16 goals in the minors, but one could argue that was because he was just going through the motions hoping for his chance in the NHL. He got his chance, and did nothing with it.
Lappin was sent back down to the AHL on Wednesday, ending his most recent tryout with the NHL club. It’s not even like he had bad puck luck, he was just straight up bad. He only created two high-danger chances this season. Two in 11 games. In those 11 games, he’s only taken 11 shots. If he wants to score, he needs to start taking shots. I think Wayne Gretzky had a saying about that.
Two seasons ago, Lappin was given a 43-game tryout with the Devils. It was also a lost season, but Lappin was given every chance to shine. He wasn’t great, but at least he scored four goals. It wasn’t great for him in the moment, but last year it looked like it clearly motivated him to make it back to the NHL. There just wasn’t room for him last year because the team was incredibly good and staying healthy for the most part. This year, everyone got injured and Lappin was the last one to come. When he did get the call up, he just didn’t show up.
Lappin is becoming a Group 6 free agent at the end of the season. After this most recent call up ended in disappointment, it looks like this could be the end of the road for his Devils career. He’s 26 years old, and doesn’t have a role on this team’s future.
The Devils could sign him to be an AHL player, but those spots are better served by prospects. Lappin is fine for Binghamton, but he’s better served in another organization.