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New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Fighting For Final Spot On Opening Night Roster

By Nick Villano

NEWARK, NJ - JULY 14: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jesper Boqvist (90) Skates during the New Jersey Devils Development Camp Red and White Scrimmage on July13, 2019 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - JULY 14: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jesper Boqvist (90) Skates during the New Jersey Devils Development Camp Red and White Scrimmage on July13, 2019 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The New Jersey Devils added a lot of players this offseason, filling open spots. There seems to be one spot left, and many young players going for it.

The New Jersey Devils were forced to play 25 different forwards last season due to injuries and ineffectiveness. The final spot on their opening night roster ended up going to John Quenneville, but he never really worked out, despite some early chemistry with Miles Wood and Travis Zajac. Now, he’s in Chicago. However, this season we don’t expect anywhere near those opportunities.

After the acquisition of Nikita Gusev, the Devils are likely down to one spot still available. Just look at the lines as their currently constructed.

Taylor Hall–Nico Hischier–Kyle Palmieri
Nikita Gusev-Jack Hughes-Jesper Bratt
Blake Coleman-Travis Zajac-Wayne Simmonds
Miles Wood-Pavel Zacha-???

That last right wing spot could go a number of ways. There are amazing prospects who have options overseas. The Devils signed a few prospects to come over and play with the Devils organization this season to get prepared for the NHL. Are they ready to make the jump into the NHL right away? Then, there’s about six players that got their first taste of NHL experience last season and will look to build off that this year.

It’s a really hard decision for John Hynes and Ray Shero to make. Last season, the Devils had a much easier decision to make, with Shero opening up more roster spots by letting multiple people walk in free agency while replacing them with nobody. This season, he’s added Hughes, Gusev, and Simmonds while also welcoming back Hall from injury.

This final player may not seem important on paper. A fourth-line player will have limited minutes, but this player will also get to play with a former 19-goal scorer and a former sixth-overall pick. This isn’t your normal fourth line. This could be a really good combination that steals minutes in some games. So, with all that said, who are the players looking to steal that final spot?

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