The New Jersey Devils concluded an impressive preseason Saturday night when they topped the Rangers 3-0 to finish with a 4-1-1 record.
With their six game preseason now a thing of the past and the real deal set to begin in just four days, it's time for the Devils to make roster decisions.
No more tuneups, and really there's no more time. The Devils have to have their 23-man roster submitted by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday so they need to make some roster moves in short order.
Will Ryan Carter be signed? He came to camp on his own dime and paid for insurance to make sure he could play. Lou Lamoriello has said countless times he'd like Carter back in the fold, but has yet to do anything to suggest that is the case.
Will Jordin Tootoo make the team? He did well in possession during the preseason and was pretty effective on the forecheck. To me he proved himself worthy of a contract to play on the 4th line, but with so many other forwards in camp he may not make the squad.
Is Scott Gomez going to be a Devil again? He was hit or miss in preseason play, but he did produce some offense and the Devils are starving for as much as they can get.
What will happen with Tuomo Ruutu and/or Damien Brunner? Both of them practiced/played for the most part on a 4th scoring line. If Pete DeBoer and co. elect to go with four scoring lines maybe they can stay, but I'm not sure they're set on going that route.
The last big decision, of course, is what to do with Damon Severson. In reality there's not much room for him, but he was exceptional throughout the preseason, and may have done enough to force the team's hand and make them keep him.
The Devils have a lot of tough decisions to make, which should make for an interesting couple of days.
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