First of all, happy thanksgiving to all my American friends South of the border. Hopefully you all have a great day. I'm sorry about the delay in my blog today, but I was undecided if I was going to write one plus I had a dentist appointment.
In no particular order, here are six things the Devils are/should be thankful for at this point.
1. Adam Larsson. The 4th overall pick in the 2011 NHL draft has been all the Devils could have hoped for and more. At just 19 years of age, you could argue he's the Devils best defenseman.
2. Johan Hedberg. Though the Devils have been using Martin Brodeur a lot as of late, Hedberg righted the Devils ship while Brodeur was injured and struggling. With both goaltenders playing very well, the Devils have a chance to win every night.
3. Their PK unit. Saying that the Devils penalty kill has been fantastic to this point is an understatement at best. It has been phenomenal and that's why it is currently ranked 1st in the National Hockey League by over three percent.
4. Patrik Elias. He has been absolutely fantastic this season and a strong case could be made that he's been their best player to this point. I would agree with anyone who makes that case. Elias has been performing at a high level at both ends of the rink and his numbers show it.
5. The Devils shootout skills. Where would the Devils be without the shootout skills of Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, among others? Probably near the bottom of the league.
6. Adam Henrique. When the Devils found out that Jacob Josefson, like Travis Zajac would be out long-term the team's fan base went into a complete panic mode - which seemed like the right thing to do at the time. With that said Adam Henrique has really stepped up. With the solid play of those Henrique, and a few others, the Devils have not been forced to overpay for a center. Heck, when Zajac and Josefson return a case can be made that the Devils have a ton of depth at center.
Honorable mentions: Solid start to the season, Dainius Zubrus, Petr Sykora.
News and Notes
- The Devils have sent Nick Palmieri to Albany of the AHL.
- The New York Islanders have placed LW Blake Comeau on waivers. Comeau, 25, is really struggling right now; however, he is coming off a 24 goal season. I'd be surprised if he isn't claimed.
- The Nashville Predators have placed former Devil Niclas Bergfors on $125 waivers. If he is unclaimed, the two sides have agreed to terminate his contract. If I'm Lou Lamoriello, I offer him a two-way contract.
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