The New Jersey Devils had an active offseason where they focused on upgrading its top six depth and their depth on defense. They used the NHL Draft, trades, and free agency signings to make it happen. The Devils also re-signed key restricted free agents (RFAs) which either add to their bottom six depth or help their affiliate, the Utica Comets continue to be a force in the American Hockey League.
As of now, the Devils look much better than last season on paper and have a boosted prospect pool that is already very deep. With this, there is going to be a lot of competition for roster spots this upcoming training camp where a lot of prospects have a chance to make the opening night roster. Out of all of those players, Tyce Thompson is somebody fans should keep an eye on as a potential prospect that will crack the opening night roster.
Tyce Thompson, the Devils’ fourth-round pick from 2019, is a speedy and skillful forward who is not afraid to be physical despite his smaller size. He can be versatile since he can play center and wing. In addition, Thompson has been a standout in most of the levels of hockey he has played ever since his draft year.
During his time with Providence College, Thompson was either well over a point per game or right at it for two of his three seasons there. At the AHL level, he was underwhelming during his first 11 games with the Binghamton Devils (the season before they moved to Utica). To be fair, he had a season-ending injury.
His next season with the Utica Comets, despite being shortened to his injury from last season, showed significant growth where he was just under a point per game pace and displayed his physicality, intensity, and skill. In between, he had very small stints with the Devils where he barely appeared on the score sheet but did make his presence felt.
Thompson showed a lot of growth despite the major obstacles he faced last year. He displayed that at the recent development camp scrimmage where his aggressive play made high-end prospects like Simon Nemec make a few mistakes. It continues to show that he is a hard worker, has the determination to get better, and never takes his foot off the gas. All of this can make a case that Tyce Thompson has a chance to make the starting lineup this fall.
The big issue for Thompson though is the fact that there are other forwards that are looking to make that jump to the Devils’ roster. This includes Alexander Holtz, Nolan Foote, and Fabian Zetterlund. In addition, the Devils already have a plethora of bottom-six players like Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, Miles Wood, and Jesper Boqvist. All of these players listed are good players and it will be a tough fight for Thompson to make the roster over one or all of them. However, with the amount of progress he has made as of late, it will not be surprising that he can take a roster spot from one of these players if he continues to make strides and impress at training camp.
Overall, Tyce Thompson is a dark horse to make the Devils’ starting lineup this fall due to his fantastic progress despite his injury, his intensity despite his smaller size, and his overall skill. If he does take a roster spot, he can be a key component. If the cards are played right, Thompson can be a similar player to former Devil Blake Coleman.
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What do you think about Tyce Thompson’s chances at making the Devils’ roster? Do you think he is either a dark horse, a clear-cut player to make the starting roster, or has no chance to make the starting roster at all? Feel free to leave a comment below and let’s get a discussion going.