New Jersey Devils: 5 Predictions Coming Out Of Training Camp
By Nick Villano
Nick Merkley or Nathan Bastian ends up as an extra
The Devils will be very strategic with their lineup this season. It’s a strange season, and waivers will be prevalent. With only 23 spots on the opening-night roster, the Devils need to find space for all of their players that are no longer waiver exempt. The important prospects on the roster who no longer have waiver eligibility are Nick Merkley and Nathan Bastian.
All of McLeod, Kuokkanen, and Boqvist can be sent down without getting claimed by another team. Still, the Devils will want them in the lineup. They won’t want to lose Bastian or Merkley based on their investment in the two, but certain moves might force their hand. One will be watching the game from the owner’s box.
Merkley came over in the Taylor Hall trade, and he ended up being a forgotten piece at first. While everyone focused on the Devils’ new draft picks and defenseman Kevin Bahl, Merkley was a former 1st-round pick with a bungled development. He was once one of the Arizona Coyotes’ top prospects, but something got lost. He played well after the trade, scoring 19 points in 28 games with Binghamton and putting up two points in four games with New Jersey. He’s been decent with Assat, putting up 13 points in 19 games in the Finnish league.
Bastian was supposed to be a lock to make the roster at this point. The big-bodied winger made a huge splash on the NHL roster two seasons ago. However, last season he didn’t even get a call up. Now, he’s 23 years old and his NHL future is in doubt. The former 2nd-round pick had a better season in the AHL thanks to much better assist numbers, but he’s still at about a half of a point per game.
The Devils could probably keep them both on the 23-man roster. That is unless…