>1%: Brian Pinho, Tyce Thompson, Aarne Talvitie, Brian Halonen, Graeme Clarke, Nolan Foote
Some of these players had a real chance to make the roster, and other players weren’t really given much of a chance from the get go. Either way, it’s surprising that all five of these players are still here. Nolan Foote, Tyce Thompson, and Graeme Clarke are important prospects for the Devils in the grand scheme of things. Maybe the Devils wanted to get as many looks as possible at those three.
In fact, they all might need another chance to prove themselves just in the eyes of Tom Fitzgerald. None of them have impressed. In fact, some did the opposite of that. Clarke’s decision-making hasn’t been the best. He has scored a goal, but he’s also been directly at fault for a goal the other way. Foote and Thompson haven’t scored. Beyond that, Foote hasn’t taken a shot that’s hit the net. His incredible shot got the Devils excited for him when they traded Blake Coleman for him. Now he’s not even using it.
As far as the Brians go, Pinho has two career NHL games and he’s already 27. Halonen is much younger at 23 years old. He’s one of the many prospects with a ton of upside but just as many question marks. He’s coming off a season where he was a top 10 finisher for the Hobey Baker Award. He’s a decent prospect, but he still needs time to percolate in the AHL. The same goes for Aarne Talvitie, who has never looked the same since his knee injury at World Juniors.