BLOG: Zajac on Optimism Around the Team's Performance

Travis Zajac hasn't played a game for the Devils since entering the COVID-19 Protocol list on January 28. He's only missed four games but the team won three of those and he's liked what he's seen watching from the sidelines.
"You see your team, that's hungry, that's fast, that's skilled. That's playing for each other. And I think that the biggest thing is there's a lot of unselfishness on this team," Zajac began.
"There's a lot of guys buying into a system and a role and you need that to be able to win. So just from being around these guys there's a lot of fun, but at the same time there's a buy-in to what's the coaches are trying to teach and how we want to play. And you know as long as that continues, you're going to see us, you know, continue to gain confidence and, and become a better team."
Looking up and down the Devils roster, most players are in the range of 25 years of age and younger. That plus high-end talent shows how much potential the club has, Zajac noted.
"You just look at the talent we have and the speed, scale and age group these guys are at, they're all young players and they're just gonna continue to get better and develop, and there's going to be ups and downs along the way."
What's also contributed is an overall positive attitude that Zajac sees in the camraderie on the team day in and day out.
"There's a lot of energy in the room, in the room and. You can see it. The young guys come to the rink with a smile on the face, they're ready to work. They're joking around. They don't take too much too soon. They're not taking stuff too serious."
Zajac added that the coaching staff has helped to cultivate the positive environment.
"So the coaching staff has done a great job too, of, of you know, letting them play, let them make mistakes you know, holding guys accountable when they need to, but it's, it's about giving them confidence. And now you're seeing what some of these guys are capable of."