The Devils prospects started rookie camp with an explosive scrimmage vs Ottawa and Luke Hughes is starting the season on injured reserve. Here are some things to watch over the next three weeks.
The news broke this week that Luke Hughes hurt his shoulder during “off-season training” and will be out for the next 6-8 weeks. Not ideal news to get when the season starts in three weeks. Last year the Devils season took a massive hit when star defenseman Dougie Hamilton suffered a season ending pectoral injury just 20 games into the year so no one is going to be calm about another star blueliner being sidelined to start the year. HOWEVER, before we all panic, cry, and vomit, is important to remember that the defense is deeper this year. Brendan Dillon and Brett Pesce have been added and Simon Nemec has a full season of NHL experience under his belt. So, the Devils are more equipped this year to handle a star defensemen being out of commission for a few weeks.
This could also give an opportunity to guys like Santeri Hatakka, who played 12 games for the Devils last year, or maybe Seamus Casey, to show what they can do at the NHL level for a few weeks. Furthermore, Luke Hughes has proven, so far, to be durable. He played all 82 games in his rookie season, something his brother Jack has never been able to do, so I am remaining optimistic that Luke will come back from this and have us all jumping for joy again before toooo long. So, all that to say, everybody take a deep breath, this is not the season ending before it begins.
Speaking of jumping for joy, the Devils prospects wasted no time in getting off on the right foot. The Devils prospects are starting off training camp by playing in a prospects challenge in Buffalo along with the Senators, Sabres, and Bruins. The Devils prospects started things off by demolishing the Senators prospects 9-1. Cam Squires, a 19 year old forward picked in the fourth round in 2023, had two goals and, after a strong season in the QMJHL last year (33G, 39A in 66 games), could be a prospect to watch in this camp and over the next year or two. Squires is just 19 years old so he is ineligible to play in the AHL this year. In the likely event he is unable to earn a spot on the Devils roster, he will return to the Q for one more season. But, maybe at the end of this season, or more likely in training camp next year, Squires could make a real push to make the Devils roster.
Goalie Tyler Brennan stopped 24 of 25 shots he faced in this game. the 20 year old was picked by the Devils in the fourth round in 2022 and played 13 games last year with the Devils ECHJL affiliate in Adirondack. Brennan is also just 20 years old so still very young for a goalie. With Markstrom and Allen hopefully splitting all 82 NHL games this year Brennan will hopefully split time between the ECHL and AHL and continue to develop over the next few years. God willing, he won’t factor into the Devils in the near future, but he is someone to keep an eye on in the next few years. Allen and Markstrom aren’t exactly youngsters…
All in all, nothing to get too crazy about just yet but man it feels great to be talking about Devils hockey again. Before long, we’ll have full roster pre-season games and not long after that, the Devils will begin the season, in Prague against the Sabres. This is going to be a great season of Devils hockey and while the prospects challenge is a nice little appetizer, I can’t wait for things to really get rolling.
The Morning Skate 