New Jersey Devils In Development Camp That Should Make The Team
The New Jersey Devils have a lot of prospects that should help them improve, including four that could crack the squad on opening night.
Development camp has come and gone for the New Jersey Devils. There will be some time off now before we get to watch some players skate around in red and black sweaters. The dry part of the offseason is here, but there is still plenty to talk about.
The development camp gave a glimpse of the future of the New Jersey Devils and some of these young players will be in the NHL at some point in time. Some of them will be there on opening night. There are four guys that stood out to the point where they will be on the opening night roster as long as they’re healthy and perform well in training camp.
Jack Hughes
We won’t spend too much time on this one. Jack Hughes was the number-one overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He is the number-one hockey prospect in the world and could go on to be the next big star in the NHL. He is going to make an immediate impact on the organization and hopefully leads them to the playoffs and many deep runs.
Hughes is the best player in his age group and will make the team with ease. Not only will he make the team, but it is also fair to say he will be one of their best players right out of the gate. This is a true star in the making and the New Jersey Devils are so lucky to have him.
Jesper Boqvist
Jesper Boqvist is a forward with so much skill. He was a second-round pick in 2017, so if he makes it in this league that would mean they Devils got Boqvist and Nico Hischier in the same draft. He is a skilled player, so it would be ideal to have him play in the top six eventually if not right away.
A line of Boqvist and Hughes with Jesper Bratt would be very exciting and very fast. They would make some awesome plays together and would be so fun to watch. Based on how he performed in this camp, he is one good training camp/preseason away from being on the opening day roster.
Ty Smith
The New Jersey Devils may have the steal of the 2018 NHL Draft in Ty Smith. He was taken 17th overall and that might be a mistake by about ten other GMs. Rasmus Dahlin is the best defenseman in the draft by far and Jack’s brother Quinn Hughes isn’t too bad himself, but it is fair to say that Ty Smith will go on and be one of the best defensemen in that year’s class.
It really looked like he was going to make the team out of camp last year as he made it all the way to final cuts as a teenage defenseman. The Devils probably made the smart decision in sending him back to his junior squad where he was absolutely dominant. He was the best defenseman in his league by far. It appears he will make the squad this year and could be a very good defenseman in short order.
Nathan Bastian
Nathan Bastian is the only player on this list to have some experience in the NHL. He had a seven-game stint with the Devils in 2018-19 and was noticeable in pretty much all of them. In those seven games, he has three goals. Bastian is the type of big body that can contribute some offense in the dirty areas that every team needs.
He would look awesome in the Devils bottom-six group and fits the young player culture as he is only 21 years old. If he is crashing and banging all year long while scoring some goals and helping them win games, this could be a very good player for the New Jersey Devils going forward. I want to see him make the team.
The Devils have a chance to be a fast team in 2019-20 and could surprise some people early on, similar to how 2017-18 went. Except for this time, they need to not make it a one and done. They might not be a playoff team just yet as there are some improved teams in the Eastern Conference but they will certainly be much better.
It is no guarantee that any of these players will make it, with the exception of Jack Hughes. That doesn’t at all mean that they won’t eventually be here though. This is a process, but with how these four gentlemen played in the development camp, I would say they have a good shot at making it right now.