3 New Jersey Devils who could surprisingly make the Opening Night roster
The New Jersey Devils seemingly have all 23 roster spots locked up, but we've been surprised by roster cuts before. Who could force their way on this roster with an insane training camp?
The New Jersey Devils seem like they have exactly zero roster battles in training camp. Not only is the 23-man roster seemingly set, but there’s a chance that the Devils might have too many players. With 24 players likely expecting an NHL roster spot (assuming Nathan Bastian and Nolan Foote are considered NHL players), it appears training camp is strictly a training regimen.
However, we’ve seen crazier things happen than a player putting the coaching staff and front office in a place where they have no other choice but to put them on the roster. We have to remember this is a brand-new coaching staff. Sheldon Keefe and Co. could really like a player and advocate for them, which puts Tom Fitzgerald in a bind. Would he put someone through waivers just to keep a player that Keefe wants?
There’s also the waivers situation that complicates things, and that’s where we lead to our first surprise addition.
Santeri Hatakka - D
Santeri Hatakka was pretty good last season. Many thought he earned himself a long-term NHL look. Then, the Devils went pretty crazy with the defenseman additions this offseason. Not only did they sign Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon to huge contracts, but hey re-signed Nick DeSimone and Johnatahn Kovacevic.
It makes the path to the NHL roster basically impossible for Hatakka. The Devils have eight NHL defensemen. Dougie Hamilton is fully healthy. Barring a freak injury, the Devils couldn't possibly add another blueliner. Heck, Kurtis MacDermid is a converted defenseman who could jump in if something were to happen.
However, if the Devils don't put Hatakka on the roster, they could lose him for nothing. He's no longer waiver-exempt, which means the team would have to make him available to every single NHL team before sending him to the Utica Comets. So, it could lead the Devils to just make it work with the roster, at least for the Global Series to start the season.
Brian Halonen - W
Another player who is not waiver-exempt is Brian Halonen. He was given a new contract this offseason, although both years are two-way, meaning he’s only guaranteed what is his AHL salary. He did get a relatively significant salary bump in year two of the deal ($275,000 at the AHL level, which is $100,000 more than this year), but it being a two-way deal still says what the Devils expect from Halonen.
Again, we must remind everyone that this is a different coaching staff, and Keefe has the ability to surprise everyone with his roster moves. He has fallen in love with players like Halonen in the past, and he could push for him to make the roster again.
It’s a long shot, and the Devils have similar players already expected to be on the roster. They signed Stefan Noesen, who will play a similar role. Paul Cotter will also play a similar role, but his is definitely different. Halonen is destined to be a fourth-line forward in the NHL if he makes it.
Halonen will likely at least get a call-up at some point this season, barring some insane injury luck. While it’s unlikely that he makes the trip to Prague, it’s not impossible.
Max Willman - C
Max Willman was a surprising player last season, playing 18 games despite getting exactly zero hype in the preseason. He signed as a PTO last offseason, and he at least did enough to earn himself a contract, but it seemed like this was a strictly AHL deal.
And it might have been if the Devils didn’t deal with so many injuries. Willman was called up for the first time in November, and it wasn’t really embraced by the fans. It’s not his fault. He was called up when Jack Hughes went down with an injury for the first time.
He would have two more stints with the team; one in January and another to end the season. After scoring in his NFL debut, he didn’t score for 14 games in a row. He did get two goals near the end of the season, so he finished his season with momentum.
Could he use that momentum to go into training camp? The Devils did re-sign him this offseason for a reason. They could have given him another PTO and make him earn his spot, but they gave him an NHL contract off the jump. That says something, and it could speak to Keefe when he’s building his roster. Again, unlikely, but definitely not impossible.
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