We will know Kevin Labanc's New Jersey Devils roster chances based on his travel plans

The New Jersey Devils continue to add to their training camp roster on Monday, announcing the signings of both Kevin Labanc and Andy Welinski. Welinski is not expected to make the roster, as he has been an AHL forward for most of his career, but Labanc is a different story. The San Jose Sharks once thought the would be part of the future fabric of the organization, and he's even signed a big contract before his contract ended this offseason.

His best season came in 2018-19 when he had 56 points at 23 years old. Most assumed he would continue to grow from there, but that was never the case. He had 33 points in the 70-game COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, and he was a paltry -33 (although +/- is a pretty pedestrian stat as it is). Things got worse, as Labanc dropped to just nine points in 46 games last season.

Labanc was pretty open about asking for a new opportunity away from San Jose. He was hoping to get traded last season, but his contract was too much of a detriment to make it work. So, he played out the string, and he was hoping for a new opportunity this offseason.

Nobody was willing to give Labanc a guaranteed contract this offseason, so the Devils decided he was worthy of a tryout. We assume other teams breached the same conversation with him. He chose the Devils, likely because of their proximity, as he calls Staten Island, New York, home. The Devils' press release also shared that he played some of his early hockey years for the New Jersey Generals and New Jersey Rockets.

Now that he’s here, it seems like he has a very small chance to make the roster. We’ve talked many times about how stuffed the Devils' roster is without PTOs. Nathan Bastian and Nolan Foote are already fighting for a roster spot. With the Luke Hughes injury lasting into the season, there's a chance the Devils play one of their five right-handed defensemen on the left side, but there's just as much a chance they play Santeri Hatakka in the lineup to start the season.

We should find out sooner rather than later. Devils radio announcer Matt Loughlin revealed during the Prospect Challenge against the Boston Bruins that the Devils plan to fly to Prague, Czechia on September 29th. So, the Devils will only play four preseason games with their NHL regulars, as they will need to be halfway across the world to play real hockey in Prague. 

That brings us to Labanc and the rest of the PTOs. The Devils need to know who is in their lineup earlier than anyone else (besides their opponent, the Buffalo Sabres). If Labanc plays well enough in training camp (which is basically two weeks) to earn a roster spot, he will be on the plane to Prague at the end of this month. 

Maybe the Devils will give him an opportunity to keep working towards an NHL shot by starting the season in the AHL, but we will know exactly what the Devils think of Labanc on September 30. If he’s in the lineup against the Rangers, there’s either more work to be done, or he’s going to have a chance to find an opportunity elsewhere. If he’s on the plane, then that’s bad news for either Nolan Foote or Nathan Bastian (or both).