[DevilsGM]

TRAINING CAMP OPENS

East Rutherford, NJ - As September rolls up on the citizens of New Jersey, the faithful air of optimism fills the air. Like Chicago Cubs fans, the Devils faithful are always looking forward to a new season, and a new opportunity. Some of them are even slightly delusional. "I think they could be a playoff team. They have a good mix of youth and veterans, and I'm excited," said one 25 year old fan who wanted to be called merely Joe. You would think that nearly a decade of the Rob Ryan Regime would have, like a battered spouse, given people a defensive posture. But not so in the Garden State!

"I like the look. They battled last year, and with a full year of Hannu in net, I could see them having their best season in years," said Silvio Benanotti a 37 year old mason from Union. His brother, Joey agreed. "Why not this sesaon? Revyakin is here, Mapletoft is here. Each with another year of experience. Kemp is still here thank god. It has a good vibe."

The crowd of over 400 people to watch the team take an initial skate, is proof that the fans are on board. A lot of them are here to get a glimpse of not just the #1 overall pick from last season, Evgeni Revyakin, a lock to make the team this year out of camp, but also the 8th overall pick from this summer's draft, Arnost Legarth. "He's a lot bigger than I expected. Not tall, but broad. He looks like he'll mess some people up in a corner or out front of the net," Tommy from Dumont said while watching. Legarth will likely spend the season in Albany getting ready for the big show.

Another big key to the team is goaltender Randy Watson, who spent the offseason staying in the gym, and out of the bars. "He looks great. You can just tell the difference from last year. Maybe Hannu being here has lifted some pressure, I don't know," said Kelly from New Milford. It's true, Watson isn't the top dog this year, and knows his role will be to give the 35 year old Toivonenn a few nights off here and there. After his abuse struggles last year, Watson clearly looks focused.

And then there's the largest cheering section, set aside for Owen Kemp, who had a "down" year by his own standards. The fans don't seem to care. "He's the reason I keep coming. Him, and now the team around him which will win a few more games this year. He scores, fights, and then sticks around to sign every kid's autograph. You couldn't as for a better professional. Lawrence Taylor is getting arrested regularly, and Owen just keeps quietly playing his best. It's refreshing," mentioned a guy named P-Town from Westwood.

All in all, the fans are talking themselves into the optimism of September. As they do, you can be sure there's two Japanese guys walking around muttering "They're shitty."

[DevilsGM]

REVYAKIN READY TO ROCK

East Rutherford, NJ - His first professional season was quite the success. His first ITC season is off to a tremendous start in the preseason. The New Jersey Devils top draft choice of 2018 is feeling blessed. "This is so much fun, it's really hard to believe," Evgeni Revyakin said with a sheepish laugh only a 19 year old possibly have. "I get paid to go out and have fun, and play a sport. There is nothing better."

Winning isn't a bad plan. It's something the New Jersey Devils haven't done in nearly a decade under GM Rob Ryan. The young pieces are in place, and in the lineup on the big stage of the ITC, and it's time to find out if all of the losing, and all of Ryan's drafting, will bring home the bacon. And like his Russian predecessor Alexander Ovechkin, the man they call Revvy in the locker room, for both his continuous go on the ice, as well as his youthful energy with his mouth, he's talking the talk. "I want to win. I want to be the one they rely on to win too. I was the first pick in the draft. There's no pressure to that. There's a reason for it, and I don't look at it as pressure, I look at it as my job. And I'm good at my job!"

Revvys job is to put biscuts, in baskets. And last year in 64 games in the AHL he notched 50 goals and 74 points. In just 18 games in the ITC toward the end of the year, Revyakin looked like belonged, getting 6 goals and 10 assists. "I think with some added muscle, and just better timing, he'll be the least of our concerns this season," said head coach Mike O'Connell after practice. "He has instincts that I could never teach to begin with. He has a chance to be a tremendous superstar in this league."

In the preseson, O'Connell was sure to get him into all 8 games. He did not disappoint, notching 5 goals and 8 assists, and instead of just keeping up with the speed and quickness, he was setting the bar. "And the scary part is, he's not even close to being 100% ITC ready. He has room to improve, and will get better in and around the net scoring goals, and working on rushes. Passing wise, he's pretty good right now. Sees the ice well, but from a scoring standpoint, he'll only improve," said O'Connell.

Devil fans hope the coach is right.

[DevilsGM]

STALIN NETS 400, DEVILS STUMBLE OUT OF GATE

East Rutherford, NJ - Maybe it's a good sign for the New Jersey Devils. In the past few seasons, including last year, the Devils jumped out to good starts, at one point last year being 9 wins against 5 losses, before the wheels came off the wagon. Off to a subpar 1-3-1-1 record to start this year, maybe they're more of a "good team finding itself" type of team, than a "elevated hopes only to realize, crap we stink," kinda team. That's what the fans are banking on, as youth meets veterans out on the ice, and some very good depth players find themselves in the press box as healthy scratches.

Between Chris Durand, captain Aappo Keinonen, Charlie Stewart, Mikka Hollo and Anatoli Stalin, there are only 3 spots in the lineup, pulling 2nd or 4th line duties. That means two folks are unhappy little Devils. In the short term, coach Mike O'Connell thinks the competition is good. "Hey, play well, practice well, play more. That's the philosophy. If you wanna sit around and feel sorry for yourself, well there are 4 other guys looking to play some hockey, and not sit around waiting for Dr. Phil," said O'Connell. Long term of course, a steady lineup would be best. Right now William Sharlow is 2nd on the team in scoring, behind rookie Egeny Revyakin. So his spot on that 3rd line seems solid. Charlie Stewart, who saw the first few games from the skybox, has stepped up netting 2-2-4 in his 3 games. It's that kind of effort that'll keep you in a lineup.

Anatoli Stalin has 3 points in 5 games, his last point netting him 400 in his career. The winger with fancy moves and a hard shot, is only 28 years old, but has seen action on over 750 games with 3 different teams. The 11th overall pick of the Blue Jackets has, and continues, to have a hard time staying in the lineup. If you're a consistent 30-40 goal scorer, you can over look defensive lapses. But Stalin, hasn't cracked 30 since his first full season in NJ, in '13-'14. He's frustrating to watch, and again he's got no real role other than 4th line winger and PP specialist.

Another player lost without a spot on the top 9, is Simon Bolduc, a veteran who's pointless in 6 games this season. Acquired in the deal that sent fan favorite, and glue-guy centerman Rastislav Jelen to Vancouver, Bolduc has not made it easy for dealing the centerman that made Owen Kemp and Stalin play their best. With Sharlow and Stewart playing well, that means Bolduc is in a fight with Keinonen and Stalin for 4th line wing duites. Not the role he, nor GM Rob Ryan expected him to be in.

The other frustrating issue for O'Connell and the Devils is the goaltending and defense. Through 6 games, the team goals against average is over 4 per. Unacceptable for a team that boasts a young core, mixed with good veterans like Kyle DeRose on a 3rd pairing. Hannu Toivonen has been awful (following a long line of veteran goalies to come into NJ and stink like the Turnpike), and Randy Watson is... well, Randy Watson. Something here is amiss, and it's up to O'Connell to figure it out. Fast.

All in all, not knowing what to do with a lot of good parts, is far better than knowing exactly what to do with broken or sub-standard parts.

[DevilsGM]

RED HOT DEVILS GROWING TOGETHER

East Rutherford, NJ - It's a sound that hasn't been heard since the early days of the ITC, around the Devils locker room. Laughter. Joking. Kidding around, and sounding confident. Another sellout crowd of 19,040 at the Meadowlands had a lot to cheer about, as for the second straight game, New Jersey put up a 7-spot, reeling off their 8th victory in 10 games. Only one of those was a loss, (and a 4-4 tie with Columbus).

It's been a total team effort, with six different players registering at least 20 points. Leading the way are young and, relatively speaking old. Thirty-one year old Thomas Marcinko has 9 goals and 18 assists for 27 points, tied for the team lead with 19-year old Evgeny Revyakin, who has 15-12-27. "It's nice to have balance. These guys are so talented, and I think for the first time in years, we have balance. We have some young guys, we have some 25 year olds, and we have some good veterans like Thomas, Bolduc and Kemp who are leading by example," said head coach Mike O'Connell.

The Devils are 14-12-2-3, and have scored 11 more goals then they've let up. The defense is doing it's job, while the offense is starting to click. Of the regular 6 defenseman, only the tireless Veli Kuhanen is a minus, at -3. As a team, only 3 players are under 0, which is something that hasn't happened in years.

Owen Kemp, long playing on a 3rd line in a checking role, has been playing solid two way hockey on the top line with Revyakin and Vlastislav Studer a line designed to score goals, and prevent them at the same clip. "It's fun. It's making me feel young again," Kemp said with a toothless smile. He registered career point number 400 to go along with nearly 2000 career PIMs earlier in the week.

The lineup has been so solid, that Christophe Gawlik has missed 11 games as a healthy scratch.