The only other absent player from the session was rookie goaltender Nico Daws, who was re-assigned to Utica of the America Hockey League. With four games left on Utica's schedule before the Calder Cup playoffs, the Devils want to get Daws back into the AHL flow with his Utica teammates to gear up for a postseason run.
Forward A.J. Greer was re-assigned to Uitca earlier in the day prior to practice.
Meanwhile, Utica defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk - who plays a tough, physical, gritty style - is being recalled and could make his NHL debut within the next few days for New Jersey.
Picture Time
Prior to Wednesday's noon practice, the team held its annual team photo at center ice at Prudential Center. While the official photo won't be released until later, we did get a behind-the-scenes look from a certain No. 7.
Bahl(in')
The Devils were forced to kill a penalty with 1:15 remaining in overtime at Seattle last Saturday. With the game on the line and crucial PK work ahead, the team turned to rookie defenseman Kevin Bahl.
"With our left D he was probably our best option at the time to kill the penalty," Ruff said. "To use that reach, most teams set up in a diamond when you're 4-on-3, so we thought he would have the best stick of all of them."
Bahl, and his teammates, got the job done. The Devils killed all 75 seconds and were able to force a shootout, though they did fall eventually in the game. Regardless, it was a big test for a young defenseman, and he passed.
"You don't know exactly if he can handle it unless you put him there," Ruff said. "We put him there and he was able to push through and succeed."
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound blueliner appeared in all five games of the club's recent five-game road trip. Bahl, 21, picked up his first-career NHL goal, first-career two-point game and four points total (1G-3A) and a plus-3 during the five-game swing.
