3 Questions New Jersey Devils Should Answer Before Training Camp

Who will get a legitimate shot at the roster?

This one takes a little more leg work, but the Devils can make subtle moves to show who they have high on their list of training camp invites. Alexander Holtz is a name to really look at when it comes to this. Will he be at the prospect tournament in the middle of September? If he is, that means the Devils want to get him as many reps as possible and injury is not as much a concern as development is. Does that mean he is absolutely not in consideration of the NHL roster? No, Jack Hughes was on the 2019 Prospect Challenge roster and he was absolutely making the team. It is just something to consider.

Then, there are interesting other prospects like Dawson Mercer, Nolan Foote, and Graeme Clarke who will almost definitely be at this prospect tournament, but if they have a huge tourney they can turn some heads before training camp. The main message coming from this tournament is which overseas players the Devils will bring here to play. The team wants a closer look at some of these players, but because of when the tourney is taking place, a lot of their seasons have already started. That makes it harder for them to show they are NHL ready, and it will likely lead to them staying in Europe or Russia.

There are also veterans who will likely get a shot like Chase De Leo or Joseph Gambardella, but the likelihood they get into the NHL is very slim. Still, it will be interesting to see how Fitzgerald and head coach Lindy Ruff deal with the roster before training camp starts.