New Jersey Devils Roster Takeaways Ahead of 5 p.m. Deadline
The Devils' 23-man roster looks close to set ahead of today's 5 p.m. roster deadline
The New Jersey Devils will open up the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 12, against the Detroit Red Wings. But before then, they have to finalize their opening-night roster and get down to 23 players ahead of today's 5 p.m. deadline.
There shouldn’t be too many surprises at this point, but let's review the roster ahead of today's deadline.
Devils Have Few Decisions Left Up Front
The Devils pretty much have their forward group set up, but there are some decisions to make for depth spots when everyone is healthy:
Timo Meier - Nico Hischier - Dawson Mercer
Jesper Bratt - Jack Hughes - Tyler Toffoli
Ondrej Palát - Erik Haula - Alexander Holtz
Tomáš Nosek - Michael McLeod - Curtis Lazar
Nolan Foote - Chris Tierney - Nathan Bastian
Let's start with Foote. Lindy Ruff reported after practice yesterday that Foote is dealing with an upper-body injury and that there isn't a set date for him to return. This isn't all that surprising since he hasn't played or practiced with the team in over a week.
A player can't get set down to the AHL while injured, so it seems like a good bet that Foote gets placed on injured reserve to start the season. He requires waivers to get sent to the AHL, so it'll be interesting to see what the Devils decide once he's healthy.
Of note, the Comets would be over the vet limit if the Devils sent down Tierney over Foote (they might already be). So if the Devils don't want to risk losing Foote on waivers, they may have to make an AHL deal to free up a spot for Tierney.
That leaves the Devils with 14 forwards, which seems like how they'll start the regular season. Lazar had a good preseason and could be in the lineup Thursday night. But if Bastian is ready to go, he'll likely slot in on the fourth line alongside Nosek and McLeod.
The notable change in the line combos during practice was flipping Holtz and Mercer's spots. Holtz has clearly made the team, but I wouldn't worry too much about his placement yet. Ruff mentioned that there'll be moments in-game where he'll have to change things up, which we should all be accustomed to by now.
There are pros and cons to having Holtz with Palát and Haula, too. One) Haula’s unit probably won't be used as a shutdown line, meaning Holtz will get some softer minutes. On the other hand, Haula and Palát are not the best play drivers, which works against Holtz. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, but regardless, he's on the team.
Nemec Could Be Headed to Utica
The Devils' defense also looks set to go, with there being even more clarity here than up front:
Jonas Siegenthaler - Dougie Hamilton
Kevin Bahl - John Marino
Luke Hughes - Colin Miller
Brendan Smith - Simon Nemec
I know plenty of fans want to see Šimon Nemec, the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, on the opening-night roster. But based on Ruff's comments yesterday, it seems like Nemec will begin the season in Utica:
"For any young defenseman, if you have high hopes for him, it's best if you're not playing them to have them play. Have him play in situations he doesn't play in. If he's a power-play guy, have him kill penalties, playing 22-24 minutes a night."
Reading between the lines, it sounds like Nemec will be heading to Utica by the 5 p.m. deadline. That may upset some Devils fans, but there's good reason for it.
Even though Nemec played well during the preseason and showed plenty of progress, he still has things to work on. The offensive game and puck skills have improved, and he's gotten stronger on his feet, but there's room to grow defensively.
Nemec finished the preseason with an expected goals percentage of 38.8 percent, showing there's still some work to do. Of course, Luke Hughes struggled this preseason, too. But that's more reason not to start the regular season with two rookies in the lineup.
Nemec will get those 22-24 minutes a night with the Comets, will play on the penalty kill, and should get time anchoring the Comets' top power-play unit. Those roles aren't open with the Devils, so it makes sense for the big picture to have him start with the Comets.
Otherwise, there aren't any surprises with the Devils' defense. Miller is their best option for the third pair on the right side. They just need him to get more comfortable with Ruff's system.
No Debate About Devils Goaltending
There's nothing much to say about goaltending. Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid will make up the team's tandem, while Erik Källgren will be the team's No. 3, even when Keith Kinkaid returns from his injury. Kinkaid will likely start the season on IR like Foote and will require waivers once he's healthy.
Nico Daws, who had offseason hip surgery, should start the season on LTIR since he isn't due back until December. He's waivers exempt, so the Devils won't have to worry about losing him on waivers like they would Foote. The organization's goaltending depth is quite strong and should only improve once Daws returns in December.
There shouldn't be many surprises once the 5 p.m. deadline hits today. The most likely scenario is the team carrying 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders, with Nemec being the player that gets sent down. Their opening-night roster should look like this:
Meier - Hischier - Holtz
Bratt - Hughes - Toffoli
Palát - Haula - Mercer
Nosek - McLeod - Bastian
Tierney - Lazar
Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Bahl - Marino
L. Hughes - Miller/Smith
Vanecek
Schmid
Regardless of where Holtz and Mercer play, that should be one of the best forward groups in the NHL. Assuming they maintain relative health, the excitement for the 2023-24 Devils is warranted.