With the New Jersey Devils ending the preseason on a high note, we have a whole work week to get through before Friday’s home opener. For the most part, it seems the Devil’s roster is set, but it’s always possible a few notable decisions and potential tweaks might be made over the next few days.
As is the case with all training camps, some players stood out more than others both positively and negatively, with one such example being winger Miles Wood. Despite an encouraging second half, Wood is coming off a discouraging 2018-19 campaign. He had what can essentially be described as an uninspiring training camp. Along with taking some frustrating penalties during the preseason—a trademark feature of Wood’s game many Devils fans and writers absolutely hate—he was also outplayed by many prospects that are vying to make the opening night roster.
When Head Coach John Hynes bluntly mentioned how “guys that think they’re on the team are getting outplayed” during training camp, many believed—although he didn’t mention any specific names—one of the players he was specifically alluding to was Miles Wood.
Bringing in Wayne Simmonds, having first-year pros like Jesper Boqvist and Nikita Gusev in the mix, along with prospects arguably ready to make the jump (that have already been cut but might have been for maneuverability reasons) like Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian, there’s good reason to believe Wood has (or is) become an expendable asset.
It’s not uncommon for teams to make final touches on their rosters via trade and the way things are panning out, Wood could find himself as the odd man out in New Jersey. Should that be the case, here are some teams Miles Wood could potentially be shipped off to in the coming days.