The New Jersey Devils 2019 Development Camp is in the books and there are a few things that stood out. This is what got us excited.
The New Jersey Devils just concluded their 2019 Development Camp. It was a week of on ice and off-ice activities for all of the young players looking to make a name for themselves in the National Hockey League. All of these kids hope to one day dawn that same red and black sweater in a game that matters. It all starts here.
This is the first, and likely the last, development camp for the first-overall pick Jack Hughes. He showed how much better he is than everybody else. The Devils really have a future star in Hughes. He was very impressive throughout camp. His vision, skill, and ability to shoot were what stood out the most, and he simply loves playing hockey. When you combine his intangibles with his abilities, that could become a really special player.
Jesper Boqvist showed a little bit of what he can do during this camp. He is the second-best forward prospect (behind Hughes) and he looked like it. Boqvist showed that he has a real chance to be an NHL player as soon as this season. He is such a good skater that thinking about him on a second line with Hughes and Jesper Bratt should make you excited. That could be one speedy line. He will make the team if he has a strong training camp and preseason, and he will be given every opportunity to do so.
Ty Smith was close to making the 2018-19 roster and was cut right before the team left for the NHL Global Series. He was given a long look and they decided right at the end to save him for next year. It is looking like it might have been a really smart idea because the Devils were really bad last year and he went back to the Spokane Chiefs and dominated. Now, he is ready. He has the ceiling of a number one guy and the floor of a solid number two guy as far as I can tell. This guy should be on the opening night roster.
It was nice to have a little taste of hockey in the middle of the summer. We still have a long way to go before we get to the really good stuff, so just hang in there. We all miss hockey and it will be back before you know it! It is good to see that the New Jersey Devils have so many good young players ready to make an impact here soon. Is it October yet?