New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Fighting For Final Spot On Opening Night Roster
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?
John Hayden
The New Jersey Devils made two trades on day two of the NHL Draft. The big one came when they traded Steve Santini, Jeremy Davies and picks for P.K. Subban. That move prompted breaking news pieces from us here at Pucks and Pitchforks and an emergency podcast from the Let’s Go Devils guys.
Then, there was the first move of the day when the Devils and Blackhawks swapped players they expected more from. John Quenneville was a player we all rooted for, but it just never worked out for him in New Jersey. He gave it his all, but some bad puck luck, injuries and eventually a clear confidence issue made it unsustainable.
The Devils got back John Hayden in return. He’s a guy that can fit a clear role, if the Devils want to go with a hard-nose grit line at the bottom. He played 54 games for the Blackhawks, but took a clear step back. He was playing in his hometown, with expectations after playing well the season prior. Then, he provided very little to Chicago last year.
He seems to be the front runner for the final spot going into camp. At least, that’s what we’re all assuming. He’s signed to a one-way deal, meaning he needs to go through waivers in order to go to the AHL. The Devils traded a former 1st-round pick for him, even if he wasn’t exactly working out. Shero likely did this with the idea he would at least make the roster, since he does have that one-way deal.
Jesper Boqvist
Jesper Boqvist is a very specific case. He’s signed to an entry-level contract, but he still has options elsewhere. He’s currently signed to a one-year deal with his SHL team as well, but does have an NHL out. He will be in Devils training camp based on everything we’ve seen. He might be the player many people want to be the final player on the roster.
Boqvist was really good playing for Brynas last year. He looked dominant in the Devils development camp, only really being outdone by Jack Hughes. Boqvist is NHL ready. The problem here is he may be NHL ready, but is he ready for the position the Devils have for him?
Like we said, the Devils have one spot open, and it’s the fourth-line right wing spot. Can Boqvist truly perform with just 8-12 minutes per night? This is a kid that will have to grow within the NHL game, and likely had to get used to everything that has to do with the North American style. The game is faster in the NHL, the players are bigger and the hits are harder. That’s not even considering playing on a completely different ice sheet.
Would it be good for Boqvist for now and the future to have him play fourth-line minutes? This might be a player better suited to get big minutes to start, especially since he’s already playing top-line minutes in a men’s league overseas. However, we’ve seen the issues that come with a young player consistently playing against lesser competition. A player of his ilk needs great competition to continue to grow. We don’t want him getting bored. Also, if he gets that last spot on the roster, he will be the first player moved up if there’s an injury.
Joey Anderson
Joey Anderson is an interesting case. He made it on to the roster pretty early last season, before a major injury knocked him out for two months. Upon his return, the Devils were a mess. They were severely depleted by injuries, and they were sellers at the deadline, meaning some of the few talented players still on the roster were sent to other teams. It wasn’t the best situation for anyone involved, but it did give Anderson a bunch of NHL experience.
He did have some good runs, including four points in the last seven games of the season. He’s not the player that would score the most points on this list, but this could be a future captain. He does a lot of the intangibles that you want from a player. He’s also a natural right wing, which is the current position of need.
This is a player that captained Team USA at the World Junior Championship tournament. He won an NCAA National Championship with Minnesota Duluth. He wins just about everywhere he goes. The Devils could use a winner on the roster, especially when there are so many assets that are unknown right now.
Anderson needs to come into camp showing that he is prepared to upgrade his play. He was fine last season for a rookie, but he has to step up his offensive game to beat out some of the other players trying to make this roster. Anderson will be playing with Wood and Zacha, two players who have had trouble finishing in the past. Anderson would need to show he can be the finisher on top of the intangibles he brings to the table.
Nathan Bastian
The New Jersey Devils didn’t get a great look at Nathan Bastian last season. He was only able to play seven games before injuries took their toll. He scored three goals in those seven games. He’s a huge body that’s really learning how to use it.
Bastian is 6’4, which would make him the tallest forward on the roster. He could easily play that Brian Boyle role. There’s already that kind of opening on this team, and that fact might be the reason the Devils give an extra look to Bastian.
Bastian won the MVP for the Binghamton Devils. He scored 18 goals in 58 games. There were some issues with his distribution, but like we said with Joey Anderson, a finisher is what’s needed for this line. If that’s absolutely what they need, then Bastian might be the right pick. He can easily be a 20 goal scorer, even with limited minutes.
There are parts of Bastian’s game that still needs a lot of work, and his injury issues have to be a concern. However, there are a lot of things he does bring. It’s hard to argue the Devils couldn’t use what he’s doing. They have just about everything else; grit, scoring, playmakers, toughness. One thing they need is size, and Bastian brings that to the table.
Would he be the perfect player to play here? Only time will tell. We liked what we saw on a limited basis was very good, but it’s extremely limited. Seven games is not something to judge a player, good or bad, on for the next season. He will have to prove himself in training camp.
Kevin Rooney
The New Jersey Devils have an interesting situation this season with Kevin Rooney. They gave him a one-way deal for the 2019-20 season, meaning sending him down to the AHL comes with the risk of losing him for nothing. However, Rooney’s best position, and really only position is center. If Rooney is going to make this roster, then Pavel Zacha will have to move to the wing.
Rooney was up and down last season. During his first stint with New Jersey was a disaster and only lasted four games. His second stint went much better when he finally played the game is ready for. He obviously played above his head in October. Now, he is playing with a little more confidence.
It seems like there are more options for Rooney than other players. He’s 26 years old, so we don’t have to worry about stunting his hockey growth. He is what he is now. Therefore, the Devils could have him be their extra forward with the team, but he doesn’t necessarily have to be in the opening-night roster.
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There’s still a good chance that Rooney builds upon last season. We saw from Blake Coleman that a player at his age can still have a career year. Rooney can make this roster and break out as a great center. There is a clear ceiling with Rooney, but his floor is likely an NHL player. He has a limited role to play, but his distribution and 200-foot game will end up being the piece the Devils think they need.