Nolan Foote
This one is interesting too, but it seems like this one is leaning towards an NHL roster spot. Nolan Foote played well with the Utica Comets last season, putting up 37 points in 55 games. Tom Fitzgerald is high on the winger, calling him the “example of proper player development.” That’s high praise for Fitzgerald, who got Foote in the Blake Coleman deal. He traded away the other piece of that deal (Shakir Mukhamadullin in the Timo Meier deal), so we have to believe Fitz is rooting for Foote to succeed maybe a little more than other prospects.
Foote still has to prove himself in training camp, but he has the right people rooting for him. With the backing of his general manager, it is hard to see a world where Foote doesn’t at least get a chance to be an extra to start the year.
Foote has the right skill set to succeed at the NHL level. He can score. He has a great shot that hits the back of the net. That’s been proven in his short time in the NHL. He has five goals in 19 games. That would translate to 21-22 goals in an 82-game season.
We have to see what the Devils do in the offseason to see Foote’s fate. The Devils bottom six is largely facing free agency. The Devils made a last-minute trade for Curtis Lazar to fill one spot, but if the Devils move on from Wood, Mike McLeod, or Nathan Bastian, it would open another spot. Either way, we see Foote finding a spot on this roster.