The New Jersey Devils opened up training camp on Thursday and today players are hitting the ice for the first time.
Some notes on the latest news out of Devils camp:
- Just two days after signing with the team forward Jiri Tlusty is already skating on the top line alongside Travis Zajac and Mike Cammalleri. Obviously things can change and it was only a scrimmage but Tlusty is apparently a fan of the opportunity John Hynes and the coaching staff gave him.
Tlusty acknowledged it was just first day, but liked practicing with Cammalleri and Zajac. Hopes to continue with them.
— Tom Gulitti (@TGfireandice) September 18, 2015I think Hynes was smart to put Tlusty on that line. Both Cammalleri and Tlusty like to shoot but Zajac is definitely more of a passer so there will be plenty of pucks to go around. I don't think more of a shooting center like Adam Henrique would be a fit between those two.
- It's interesting that the Devils were hesitant to give Tlusty anything more than a tryout yet right off the bat they gave him a spot on the top line. I agree with the decision but if they saw him as a top-6 guy I'm not sure why they didn't offer him a contract well ahead of camp.
- It sounds like Reid Boucher is improving every day, which is certainly good news for him. There are some open roster spots and he deserves a legitimate shot to grab one of them. Hopefully he returns in time to get into at least a couple preseason games.
- The Devils have been making a lot of moves this summer that the analytic crowd has approved of. John Moore, David Schlemko, and Tlusty, among others, are all well-thought-of by those that use analytics.I speculated that Ray Shero and co. are taking advanced stats seriously, and that appears to be the case, as Sunny Mehta and the analytics department have reportedly had more say since Shero took over as GM.
Via the New York Times: "As Shero has taken over the organization’s reins, Mehta has seen a more streamlined approach. Mehta has become more involved in the decision-making process under the new administration. He watches video and compiles data to help the Devils make decisions about player acquisitions and usage."
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