The New Jersey Devils have already had some significant debuts already this season. Dawson Mercer made the team out of training camp despite starting as the third or fourth option for the third line center position. He’s been good to start, with two points in his first four games. Mason Geertsen also made his NHL debut this season with the Devils, but he’s doing it with a much different role. He’s here to beat someone up so players like Michael McLeod and Miles Wood don’t have to do it all the time. He’s also in his mid-20s, while Mercer is still a teenager.
Then, there was the NHL debut of Nico Daws on Saturday night. He was phenomenal for the Devils against the Buffalo Sabres. He stopped 24 of 25 shots after Jonathan Bernier and Mackenzie Blackwood both missed the game with an injury and Scott Wedgewood didn’t really show he could carry the load against the Capitals on Thursday. Daws stopped all five high-danger shots against him.
Which players could make their NHL debut this season?
These won’t be the only debuts we see this season. The Devils signed multiple players so they didn’t have to have too many new players as they’ve had in seasons past. Last year, they had Yegor Sharangovich, Ty Smith, Marian Studenic, Mikhail Maltsev, Nolan Foote, Tyce Thompson, (takes a breath), Kevin Bahl, Colton White, and A.J. Greer all making their NHL debut. That is nine different players who got their first minutes of NHL experience with the 2021 New Jersey Devils.
Injuries and trade forced the Devils’ hand there, and injuries have forced the Devils to watch three players make their NHL debut this season. Other players will return to the lineup eventually, but some players might earn a call up later in the season. Utica is playing well, and it could lead to new players making their NHL debut.