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The New Jersey Devils opened training camp on Thursday, which means players, coaches, and management-types were made available to speak to the media.
Nothing groundbreaking was said but there were a few interesting quotes I wanted to touch on.
Let's start with the big one.
I speculated Marcus Johansson could be a wild card to fill Travis Zajac's spot and it appears he'll be given the opportunity to try and prove his worth down the middle. While he hasn't played center as a regular for several seasons, he does have some experience and I think he possesses the skating and smarts that you like to have in a center.
It's certainly no surprise to see Adam Henrique's name listed. He's a natural center, has scored 50 goals over the last two seasons, and has experience centering high-end wingers at the NHL-level dating back to his rookie season. He's definitely the favorite but, as I said weeks ago, that doesn't necessarily mean he will be the best option (I think Johansson may be -- time will tell).
Pavel Zacha can be a much better player than he's shown to date but he has a long way to go, in my opinion, before he can be thrown into the conversation for a No. 1 center job in the league's toughest division. The percentages didn't help his cause last season but he's coming off a 24-point campaign and was on the ice for just 15 goals at 5v5 in 70 games.
If you're wondering why Nico Hischier wasn't mentioned, there are a couple reasons:
1) The Devils have gone out of their way to keep expectations down and ensure he knows nothing will be handed to him. If they mention him as a candidate to center the top line on opening night, that's counterproductive to what they're trying to do.
2) I believe any questions about Hischier's defensive game have been overblown. In saying that, I think it's fair to say you don't want him shadowing the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nicklas Backstrom, John Tavares, and all the Metro's star centers, while still getting his feet wet in the NHL. If he's centering the top unit, he'll have to do that.
I like Johansson as much as the next guy -- maybe even more! -- but Lovejoy is over-exaggerating his talents just a tad. Realistically, Johansson will likely be a 50-55 point player with a ceiling of about 60 points and it's not as if he brings Patrice Bergeron-caliber defense to the table. He's not elite.
From a counting totals perspective, I get it. You want big numbers from your star and Hall probably has more to give. However, producing at a 60-point pace while playing on a low-event, offensively challenged team is still pretty damn good.
Hall also led the team in 5v5 points, points per game, shots per game, 5v5 Scoring Chance For%, 5v5 scoring chances per 60 minutes, and finished 2nd in Corsi For%. Hall is probably the last guy on the team who needs to elevate his game.
It sure seems like Will Butcher will be given every opportunity to make the team out of camp. Given his versatility, and ability to move the puck, he's a good bet to do so. If he shows remotely well, he'll be in the lineup when they open the season against Colorado, the team that drafted him.
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