The Devils are staring at a roster squeeze in their bottom six, and it’s the kind of problem every team wants - up to a point. New Jersey has more NHL-caliber wingers than it has spots, which leaves the coaching staff with some tough calls as training camp winds down.
Evan Rodrigues, Dawson Mercer, Arseny Gritsyuk, Cody Glass, Connor Brown, Amadeus Lombardi, Jesper Boqvist, Stefan Noesen and Colin White are all still in the picture. That’s a crowded group for what amounts to only a few jobs, and the numbers alone make this one of the more interesting battles on the roster.
Nick Bjugstad would normally be part of the conversation too, but he is out with a long-term injury. That removes him from the current competition and leaves the Devils to sort through the remaining forwards without him.
The real pressure point is what happens with Boqvist, White and Noesen. All three are established NHL forwards, and there’s a real chance New Jersey puts all three on waivers while trying to trim the roster. White was placed on waivers on Sunday, but he remains in the mix moving forward.
Noesen stands out as the name to watch. If he ends up on waivers, he would likely draw attention because of his NHL experience and the value he brings in a bottom-six role. There’s no promise another team would claim him, but he looks like the player the Devils would have the most reason to worry about losing.
If all three make it through waivers, the lineup math gets a lot simpler. Gritsyuk, Rodrigues and Mercer could form the third line, with Lombardi, Glass and Brown on the fourth.
That setup has some clear appeal. Mercer is already proven at the NHL level, Rodrigues gives New Jersey a versatile veteran who can move around the lineup, and Gritsyuk brings the younger, more scoring-oriented element to that group.
The fourth line would carry a different feel. Lombardi is still developing, while Glass and Brown would supply the NHL experience around him. That would give the Devils a blend of youth and veteran presence without making the group overly old.
There is still another path, though, and it may come down to whether New Jersey values experience or development more in that spot. The Devils could decide Lombardi is better served beginning the year in the American Hockey League, where he could play bigger minutes, and keep Noesen or Boqvist as an extra veteran option. Still, my colleague Nate Duffett recently wrote that cutting Lombardi could be a mistake.
That decision would make more sense if the Devils are trying not to pile too much on Lombardi too soon. There’s nothing wrong with sending a young player to the AHL if the team believes regular minutes will help more than limited NHL ice time.
In the end, the fourth line is the real fork in the road. If New Jersey wants more experience, keeping Noesen or Boqvist around fits. If the goal is to get younger and give Lombardi a real shot, then the current group of him, Glass and Brown could be the answer.
In Other News...
Alexander Holtz Just Revived An Old Devils Development Debate
The Devils trimmed their roster ahead of the official deadline, putting goaltender David Rittich on waivers and claiming Remi Poirier from the Dallas Stars. But the more familiar name in the mix is Alexander Holtz, the former first-round pick New Jersey once hoped would grow into a steady scoring piece.
Holtzs situation has a way of pulling the conversation back to one of the organizations lingering development debates, because he was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights and is now on waivers after limited scoring success. For Devils fans, it is another reminder of how uncertain the path can be for a young forward who arrives with pedigree, leaves with questions, and still leaves plenty of second-guessing behind. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Opening Night Will Test A Roster That Suddenly Feels Deeper
The Devils head into opening night looking like a club that carried more than just good vibes out of camp. Their preseason showed a group playing with sharper cohesion and a clearer sense of identity, and it was the kind of stretch that made the roster feel deeper than it did a year ago. Amadeus Lombardi was among the players who turned that opportunity into something more concrete, earning a spot and adding to the sense that the pipeline under Tom Fitzgerald is starting to produce real options.
Now the challenge shifts from summer optimism to a game that counts, with the Flyers waiting to provide an early read on how much of that preseason improvement holds up. Depth can look different once the pace rises and the matchups sharpen, and opening night should say plenty about whether the Devils are simply better equipped for the grind or ready to turn that added depth into an edge right away. [Read more 🡒]
Timo Meier Faces A Huge Devils Season For One Key Reason
Timo Meier arrived in New Jersey during the 2022-23 season with a significant price tag, and the Devils have been waiting for him to fully turn that move into the kind of scoring payoff that can change a lineup. He has been close, but not quite there yet, posting 28 goals, then 26, then 24 across his three seasons with the club. For a player brought in to bring more finishing punch, the next step matters.
The encouraging part for the Devils is that the fit still looks promising. Their current lineup gives Meier a chance to work in a more favorable environment, and his advanced numbers point to the idea that there is still more offense waiting to come. If he can convert that underlying potential into production, a 30-goal season is still very much on the table. [Read more 🡒]