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.