The New Jersey Devils said goodbye to the season and with that came the final media scrums where we learn more about the team than we did in the previous 100 or so press conferences that come before and after games. Players and coaches are more apt to reveal injuries, deficiencies, and issues when there are no future press conferences to follow up with a million thoughts. That made the past two days very interesting for Devils fans and media members alike.
It started with the players. Some spoke on Tuesday, but the main players of this team spoke on Wednesday. Not only did we hear from head coach Lindy Ruff and general manager Tom Fitzgerald, but we heard from Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Mackenzie Blackwood. Those are three of the players who are considered the core of the New Jersey Devils.
A lot is going to happen between today and the start of the 2021-22 season. There is the NHL Draft, where the Devils will have a very high pick. The Seattle Kraken expansion draft will see someone leave the Devils franchise for free. Free agency hasn’t always been a big day for the Devils, but they could find a veteran or two to add to this squad. There’s also the possibility the Devils could make trades. They kept one contract retention slot just so they could help facilitate a trade in the offseason.
Still, despite so much up in the air, we learned a lot about the team now and next season in these pressers. Which quotes were the most important?