With the veterans reporting to training camp this week is a great time to answer questions from New Jersey Devils fans. As always, these are real questions submitted on Twitter.
What are the chances that Graeme Clarke ends up being the guy who earns that third-line spot? @DevilsState
By allowing Tomas Tatar to leave in free agency, general manager Tom Fitzgerald left a spot in his top nine open to be filled from within the Devils’ deep prospect pool. The leading candidates to fill that role are Alexander Holtz, Nolan Foote, and Graeme Clarke. The team likely views them in that order, however, there will be an opportunity for Clarke.
Last season Clarke led the Devils’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Utica Comets in goals and showed he has the speed to compete for a spot in the NHL. Like Holtz, Clarke is still waivers exempt, making him an attractive candidate to be shuffled between Utica and Newark. Clarke does not bring the pedigree of the first-round pick Holtz and with Foote needing waivers to be sent to Utica, the Devils will make every effort to keep him in the NHL. Clarke’s showing in the recent Prospects Challenge was solid, but he didn’t jump off the screen. He will need to turn heads this preseason to make the team out of camp, but it would be very surprising if he isn’t in a Devils uniform at some point this season.
How do you think the Devils configure the two power-play units? @ZosoRisingJPLZ
This is one of the most intriguing questions heading into camp. Last season, with the help of associate coach Andrew Brunette and a healthy Dougie Hamilton, the Devils rose from 18th in the league to 13th. Head coach Lindy Ruff has said that he is putting a lot of faith in new associate coach Travis Green who was credited with designing a strong offensive system in Vancouver. The additions of Tyler Toffoli and a full season of Timo Meier should give the power play both added potency and flexibility.
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A few weeks ago I speculated on the potential units, including the possibility of using Hamilton as a one-timer shooter set up at the dot with Luke Hughes running the power play. The most likely scenario is switching Jesper Bratt to PP2 and putting Toffoli on PP1. PP1 suffered last season from a lack of right-handed shooters and Toffoli, and possibly Holtz, will solve that issue. With that in mind, the units will likely begin like this: PP1 – Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Tyler Toffoli, Timo Meier, and Dougie Hamilton; PP2 – Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, Ondrej Palat, Erik Haula, and Luke Hughes. It would not be surprising to see Holtz and John Marino on the second unit.
Does Simon Nemec stand a chance this season in the starting six on the back end with Lindy Ruff as his coach? @WetsideCricker7
One of the main reasons Fitzgerald cited for hiring Ruff was his ability to work with younger players. Despite his gruff exterior, Ruff relates well to his younger players, and they often credit his coaching and leadership for their development. That being said, Ruff is well aware of the perils of replacing two stalwart, veteran defenders with two young, green rookies. Reports out of the draft were that Ruff was inclined to prefer to only have one rookie on his back end but if Nemec forced his way onto the team, so be it.
“It’s pretty hard to have two of them,” Ruff said. “You’ve got to be careful of getting too young too fast, especially on the back end.”
Nemec showed drastic improvement over his first AHL season and continued that rise with his play in last week’s Prospects Challenge. The addition of Colin Miller gives the team some breathing room to allow Nemec to continue to develop in Utica. Should he continue to improve at the expected rate, he will likely be in Newark by the end of the season. The other consideration is that he is still eligible for his entry-level contract to slide another year should he not play more than nine games in the NHL this season. Extending that contract would provide some cap savings for the team as the Bratt, Meier, and likely Mercer contracts will kick in.
Where does Holtz start season in NJ’s depth chart and where does he end the season (NJ or Utica)? @NJDAdvocate
This summer was make-or-break time for Holtz’s career as a Devil. He was told as much in his exit interview and he seemed resolved to putting in the work to realize his potential. His ability as a shooter and playmaker is unquestioned, and he has shown that he can be dominant offensively in the AHL. All that remains now is determining if he can fit with New Jersey’s fast-paced style. Last season, he got off to a quick start scoring the team’s first goal of the season and then got mired in the scratch suite as the team rolled through long winning streaks and a team record in points.
Holtz could often be seen on the practice rink alongside a skating coach and player development coaches working after hours to find his game. The biggest help to his career may be the addition of Toffoli who immediately takes the pressure off of Holtz and will be able to take on the power play and top-six minutes. Placing Holtz on a third line alongside veteran, two-way players Palat and Haula could be a perfect fit. At this early juncture, it seems likely that Holtz will start the opener as the third-line right wing.
We all hear about Holtz, Foote, and Clarke being “ready” to join the big club, in your opinion are there any other young forwards that could leapfrog those three and steal a spot on the roster? @MikeCFromNJ
The short answer is probably not. There is really only one spot open in the top nine, and one of the named players is likely to fill it, and with five players vying for time on the fourth line it is unlikely anyone else finds room there. If you are looking for players to watch who could break through, Brian Halonen is intriguing. He scored 44 points in 47 games for Utica last year. He brings an element of grit missing in much of the Devils’ prospect pool. He has impressed the Devils staff and will be a potential injury replacement during the season. At 6-foot-0 and 200 pounds, Halonen has good size for a bottom-six winger and has shown a penchant for scoring in the AHL. Couple that with his skating ability and toughness along the walls he would be a top choice as an injury replacement during the year.
Will you finally be in the box for ice cream night? @JamesNicholsNHL
A bit of an inside joke from Jimmy from Staten Island, who covers the Devils for and curates New Jersey Hockey Now. Last season at selected games the Devils would have ice cream for the media in the press box, or at least James, Ryan Novozinsky and Mike Morreale claim there was ice cream. In the games I covered live, the ice cream machine was apparently on vacation for all of them. Hopefully, this season my luck will change and the ice cream machine will better coordinate it’s vacation time. (This is the most clear evidence that the writers are done with summer stories and ready for the on-ice activity to begin)
Who is headed to the Ring of Honor? – everyone
The Devils cryptically announced this week that they will be doubling the members of the Ring of Honor from one to two on Jan. 20, 2024. The Devils, however, have not yet revealed who will be so honored. Speculation has been rampant throughout the Devils fanbase. To more fully answer this question, the Devils writers at The Hockey Writers will be posting a series of articles arguing for whom the honor should be bestowed upon. Be on the lookout for that series dropping in the next few days.
