Pucks and Pitchforks
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5 Observations From New Jersey Devils Final Roster Cuts

By Nick Villano

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 07: Blake Coleman #20 of the New Jersey Devils and the rest of the bench smile after teammate Nico Hischier scored in the second period against the New York Islanders at Prudential Center on January 07, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 07: Blake Coleman #20 of the New Jersey Devils and the rest of the bench smile after teammate Nico Hischier scored in the second period against the New York Islanders at Prudential Center on January 07, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils
Nick Merkley #10 of Kelowna Rockets. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images) /

Nick Merkley Doesn’t Make The Team

Nick Merkley had a few big performances in the Devils scrimmages, which was the only place Devils fans were able to actually see the team perform. So, when it was announced that Merkley was going on waivers, a lot of fans were up in arms.

Merkley is a former 1st-round pick that came to the Devils in the Taylor Hall trade. He wasn’t one of the main pieces. Those were the draft picks and Kevin Bahl. However, he has the potential to be an NHL player in the right situation.

He showed he had a scoring ability in training camp. He was one of the young players who spent time overseas during the pause, putting up 13 points in 19 games for Assät. It showed in camp, as he seemed like he had a step on a lot of his competition.

However, the Devils didn’t see it that way. He was left off the roster, and he might make the taxi squad. If he does, at least he gets to practice with the Devils while they wait for the Binghamton/Newark Devils season to start in February. Still, it has to be a disappointment that Merkley played so well in training camp and he still didn’t make the final roster. Hopefully, there is an understanding between Merkley and Ruff as to what he needs to do to make this roster full time.

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