The New Jersey Devils have a heavy workload ahead of them. Training camp is right around the corner, and the preseason starts right after that. The Devils players have less than a month to prove themselves to Sheldon Keefe as he makes hard decisions about the roster. The Prospect Challenge is in the rearview mirror, as some young players had an early chance to impress, and now the staff has to look at putting together the best 23-man roster as the Devils head to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes to open the season on October 9th.
This year, the Devils don’t know exactly who is going to make their 23-man roster. Don’t get us wrong, there are about 20 players who are guaranteed a roster spot. They know for sure who five of the defensemen will be (as long as Luke Hughes signs on the dotted line), and both their goalies are in place. There’s an outside chance they go with three goalies and keep Nico Daws on the roster, but that would surprise some.
Training camp is much more fun when something is on the line. Even players like Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt come in with more intensity when other players on the roster are fighting for their livelihood. These three camp battles have our attention.
Battle #1
Simon Nemec vs. Seamus Casey
Third-line right defenseman
Simon Nemec is expected to take the third spot on the right side of the defense. After he struggled for most of last season, he was amazing in the playoffs. With the Devils facing multiple injuries on the blue line going into their first-round series with the Hurricanes, and then adding injuries to Luke Hughes, Johnny Kovacevic, and Brenden Dillon, it gave Nemec an opportunity. He took advantage of it.
Nemec scored in overtime of Game 3 to give the Devils their only win of the series. It preserved a streak that exists over their entire history, where they’ve never been swept in a playoff series. Seamus Casey also got a look in the playoffs when the injuries hit their peak, but he wasn’t nearly as impactful.
A lot can happen in an offseason. If Casey focused on his defense, then he would have a real chance to take this from Nemec. We have the former second-overall pick with a big advantage, but Casey is in this.
There’s also Dennis Cholowski and Calen Addison, but we don’t see them being much of a threat. This is a two-man race with the two top defensive prospects for the Devils duking it out.
Battle #2
Dawson Mercer vs. Paul Cotter vs. Arseniy Gritsyuk vs. Evgenii Dadonov
First-line left wing
The New Jersey Devils did not go out and get a first-line winger this offseason. At least, they didn’t in the traditional sense. They added a few players who will likely compete for a spot on the top line. Honestly, almost everyone they added will at least get a look.
We don’t see Connor Brown, their “big” money acquisition of the offseason, getting a real look with Hughes, but everyone else might. Evgenii Dadonov makes the most sense pairing with Russian rookie Arseniy Gristyuk. However, Gritsyuk himself might be on the top line with Hughes. He has the skill to play at that level.
Dawson Mercer is the favorite here. He played very well with Jack Hughes last season, and he’s someone the Devils have wanted to play in that role for a while. Some think he’s best suited to be the Devils' third-line center, but he’d play a more important role on the top line as a net-front presence for Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt.
Paul Cotter is an interesting wild card. He was someone who showed the speed to play on that top line with Hughes last season, but he didn’t have the hockey IQ to stay there. Together, Hughes and Cotter had really positive underlying numbers, but the results were bad. That shows, in part, that mistakes were made while on the ice. If they can erase those mistakes, Cotter might make sense here.
Battle #3
Arseniy Gritsyuk - Thomas Bordeleau - Brian Halonen - Kevin Rooney - Juho Lammikko - Shane Lachance
Final forward spot on roster
The final battle on this list is for the final spot on the roster. At least, the final starting spot. Many fans expect Arseniy Gritsyuk to be ready to go from day one, but there’s a chance he needs a little seasoning in the AHL. If that’s the case, the Devils could look at a few different options to fill the final spot on their roster.
Shane Lachance is coming off the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, and he was one of the players who stood out. After a successful run at Boston College, Lachance is looking to make an immediate impact on the Devils.
Brian Halonen has been with the Devils since 2022, and he has grown during his time with Utica. Last season, he had 27 goals with the Comets. If the Devils are looking for scoring from the bottom line, he’d be an interesting option.
Thomas Bordeleau is a former top prospect who hasn’t lived up to his billing. That’s why the Devils got him this offseason just by trading Shane Bowers. The versatile forward comes in with a small chance to make the team and avoid waivers, but if he has a great camp, he’s probably making the 23-man roster.
Kevin Rooney signed as a PTO a few weeks ago, and he might get a chance to add depth to the Devils' center position. If Mercer does win the job on the top line, then that fourth-line center position is wide open. Same goes for Juho Lammikko, who could provide an interesting element to the bottom line.