Sunday, the New Jersey Devils continue their seven-game preseason slate with a split squad doubleheader. They have one game at home, against the Washington Capitals, and on the road, they are set to face the Ottawa Senators in Quebec City. In the Devils’ last game on Friday, they beat the New York Islanders 4-2 on the road. The Devils are 2-1-0 during the preseason thus far, while the Capitals are 2-0-0 and the Senators are 1-1-0.
Some notable news from practice on Saturday came in the form of two prospects returning to full practice. Both Shane Lachance and Lenni Hameenaho were banged up at the Prospect Challenge in Buffalo. They took line rushes alongside Matyas Melovsky on Saturday. Lastly, Seamus Casey did not practice, but it was confirmed as a maintenance day for the young defenseman. Jackson van de Leest skated in his spot alongside Brett Pesce on Saturday.
Lines and Pairings
Devils
Head coach Sheldon Keefe noted that the lines from yesterday’s main practice would stay intact, but that the group would be split between the two games. Here are the lines from the two different groups in practice yesterday:
Group 1 –
Forwards
Gritsyuk-Hughes-Bratt
Palat-Hischier-Meier
Dadonov-Mercer-Brown
Cotter-Glass-Legare
Defense
van de Leest-Pesce
Dillon-Nemec
Vilen-Osipov
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Goalies
Markstrom
Romanov
Brodeur
Group 2 –
Forwards
Lachance-Melovsky-Hameenaho
MacDermid-Glendening-Halonen
Bordeleau-Rooney-Squires
Crookshank-Lammikko-Parent
Gruden-Hardman
Defense
Cholowski-Addison
Edwards-Strand
White-Diotte
Hanzel-Reid
Goalies
Allen
Daws
Málek
Keys to the Game
Tweaked Forward Lines
The Devils’ forward group had been skating mostly in the same combinations all preseason. However, head coach Sheldon Keefe decided to shake up the group for the upcoming games. Some interesting combinations are Gritsyuk with Hughes and Bratt along with Dadonov paired with Glass and Brown.
The Luke Dilema
The regular season is quickly approaching. Devils fans everywhere have been anxiously awaiting the news of a Luke Hughes extension. While reports have been coming in that the two sides are working on a long-term deal, it seems as if salary disagreements are getting in the way of a contract getting done.
If Hughes doesn’t start the season with a contract, who will take his spot? The obvious answer would be Seamus Casey who filled in for Hughes to start last season. While Casey impressed offensively at the NHL level, his defense was a question mark. Another option would be Casey’s former Michigan teammate Ethan Edwards. Edwards has been garnering major praise from the entire coaching staff all training camp. With his quick hands, heady playing style, and smooth skating, Edwards may get the nod.
The last player that deserves a shout is Dennis Cholowski. The former Red Wings first round pick impressed Devils management enough at the end of last season to bring him back as a seventh defenseman. It would make sense if one of Casey or Edwards fill in for Luke, but the other is sent to the minors in favor of Cholowski riding the bench at the NHL level.
Where to Watch
Both of Sunday’s games will begin at 3:00 pm ET. The home game against the Capitals will air on NHL Network. The road game against the Senators will air on TVAS2 in Canada.