New Jersey Devils: I’ll Admit It, Kevin Rooney Is Better Than Advertised

Earlier this season, this writer was not very nice about New Jersey Devils forward Kevin Roney. He’s stepped up in a big way, and could be a part of the future if he keeps this up.

Kevin Rooney has been sort of an enigma for much of this season. It seems like for a long stretch head coach John Hynes just kept him in the lineup because they knew next season he was on a one-way contract and they needed to make this work for the New Jersey Devils.

The Devils first called him up in late October, very early in the season. This team was fighting off losing streaks, and worked to keep away from losing major ground early. They called Rooney up to the NHL while sending down John Quenneville, who seemed to be playing well despite going scoreless. It looks like a disaster from the get go.

Rooney spent four games in the lineup, recorded zero points and spent seven minutes in the penalty box. In those four games, he had one shot on goal in close to 30 minutes of ice time. He was sent back down, and soon named as the captain of the AHL team.

The Devils left him in Binghamton until the middle of January. It was still a questionable move at the time, but with injuries piling up it seemed like only a matter of time before Rooney was given a shot. He scored the first goal of his career in 11 games on the second game of his return, and hope was no longer lost.

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Rooney has been a staple in this lineup for months now. He’s scored six goals with three assists since January 10th. These aren’t superstar numbers, but with Rooney able to play the penalty kill, it could be enough to carve out a spot in the lineup in the future.

Rooney reminds me of Brian Gibbons last season. When Gibbons was given the last spot on the roster, this blog was not nice about it. Well, we came out and apologized, because we were wrong (at the time). We will do the same thing here. Rooney proved himself worthy of a spot on this roster.

Does that mean he deserves a guaranteed spot on next year’s team? Of course not. Just look at what happened with Gibbons. He was exiled to the Ottawa Senators after not working out with the Anaheim Ducks. He does have eight points in 13 games in the capital of the Great White North. This comes after scoring five in 44 games with Anaheim.

Rooney could flame out next year, but that likelihood is much less after his performance this season. His presence allows Mike McLeod to get another year in the minors to hone his craft. Honestly, his spot on this team has everything to do with what happens this offseason. If the Devils make a major signing, trade or draft in the top two, then Rooney’s spot is in jeopardy. If the Devils repeat their non performance of last offseason, Rooney might get an extended look. At this point, he deserves it.