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5 New Jersey Devils Prospects Who Need A Shot In NHL Now That Season Is Cooked

The New Jersey Devils have a minute chance to make the playoffs, so they are basically playing for next season. These five players should get a shot in the NHL for the rest of the season.

By Nick Villano

Vegas Golden Knights v New Jersey Devils
Vegas Golden Knights v New Jersey Devils / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages
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Brian Halonen

Former Michigan Tech star Brian Halonen played his first NHL game this season. He played just under 10 minutes of 5v5 time, and he was fine. He wasn't anything special as an NHL player, but he was fine. Sometimes, the Devils could use fine. They just need a guy who is going to go out there and not give up a huge chance.

Would the Devils really do better giving someone like Tierney or Tomas Novak minutes over Halonen? He's 25 years old, so he isn't going to grow much more than he is now. That's not a bad thing, either. He has 20 points in 25 games in the AHL. If he can do half of that at the next level, he might have a long-term role in the NHL.

Halonen is playing on the Comets top line, and the Comets are technically still in the playoff race, but like the Devils, they keep losing. The Devils are looking for players who can help them next year, and Halonen has a contract decision coming up. These decisions need to be made with an idea of what he can do in the league. Tom Fitzgerald wants to upgrade this team, but first, he needs to give the people in the system a chance.

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