On the Eve of the Season | 10 TAKEAWAYS

I think we're all ready for something more normal.
Whatever that may look like.
It has been a long time since the Devils saw an opponent that wasn't the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. That's all about to change with the opening of the season just days away and the Chicago Blackhawks coming to town.
When was the last time the Devils played the Blackhawks? Dec. 23, 2019. Almost a full two years ago. It will be so refreshing for everyone, and I'm sure especially so for the players and coaches.
And just as someone who loves the game of hockey, it will be great to see Jonathan Toews return to the Chicago lineup. The league is only better with him in it.
So without further ado, let's wrap up training camp with this edition of 10 Takeaways, presented by Ticketmaster.

1.

I understand the disappointment in seeing Alex Holtz not making the
roster for opening night.
I'm sure there's no one more disappointed than he is, especially after a strong training camp. But the decision also makes an abundance of sense. In Utica, Holtz will play dominant minutes. He'll factor in in the top-6 on a regular basis, that's the type of player he is and that's where he needs to be. So, in looking at what the NHL roster is looking like, there's not that immediate fit for the 19-year-old.
There are also plenty of players from the 2020 first-round who are still making their way into the NHL. In Montreal, defenseman Kaiden Guhle was sent down on Monday to his junior team; Jack Quinn, drafted by Buffalo one spot after Holtz, will start the season in the American Hockey League (AHL); and it appears as though so will Marco Rossi, drafted two spots after Holtz by Minnesota.
"We've seen the progress from last year to this year," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "I think if we have a guy like him that's playing 20 minutes a game, we've seen in the past where that can really help get a young player to the level he needs to be at."
With Utica, Holtz is going to get a ton of ice-time, in every possible scenario. It's going to benefit everyone in the long run.
Tweet from @NJDevils: That���s my best friend. #NJDevils | @investorsbank pic.twitter.com/57NWKzTjjC

2.

From the moment Dawson Mercer stepped foot on the ice for the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, you could tell he was a kid on a mission. The 19-year-old, fresh off his first NHL training camp,
has made the opening night roster
. The thing that has struck me the most about Dawson is his smarts, his awareness in every single scenario he's been put in. It feels like he has this instinct to know exactly where to be, whether it's creating a lane for his linemate, or being available for the incoming pass. He's fearless too. We've talked a lot about him over the past few weeks, but that's because he's put himself in the position to be noticed, to turn heads, and to make others believe in his abilities just as much as he believes in himself.
Tweet from @NJDevils: Guess who made it... pic.twitter.com/sJW3E11aHz

3.

If you listen to Dawson's interviews, you might notice a different kind of accent, a different accent even from the one people tend to point out as 'Canadian.' That's because Dawson is from Newfoundland, where the dialect and accent have been long influenced by both England and southeastern Ireland. The dialect is full of phrases that you might have to look up to understand, but it's awfully charming.
For example, let's say you were ever to meet Dawson and he were to say 'Whaddayat?' Dawson is asking you 'how's it going?'.
Now I promise you every time you hear Dawson in an interview, you're going to be able to hear his accent, and you might find yourself looking up a couple of expressions.

4.

Even though Mercer comes from a town of just 4,838 people, he isn't the first person from Cole Harbour to make his way to the NHL. Former Red Wing and Stanley Cup winner Dan Cleary is also from the small town.

5.

Over the years of working in this business, sometimes you just get used to the generic answer, no matter how hard you try and coax something out of a player, to give you a little bit of spice. I get it, I respect it, and I'm thrilled when I'm able to get beyond the "we need to get pucks deep."
That's why when I heard that Jimmy Vesey was
signing a one-year, one-way contract
with the Devils on Sunday I was delighted. Because for whatever reason, Vesey came to camp with a degree of honesty that he did not cloud in clichés.
"To be honest, before the first practice I had some nerves.

," he admitted. "I don't have a contract so I'm playing for my life. It was the first day on the ice, first official day of practice. I wanted to get off to a good start."
"Since I left New York, I feel like I've been lost in the shuffle so to speak," he said. "I don't think I've played for a head coach that was necessarily too familiar with me.
"It's a tough situation when you're not producing the way you want to. It sucks to be honest being in limbo everyday going to the rink. Am I in the lineup? Am I out of the lineup? Am I'm playing five minutes or am I going to play 12? Tough situation."
It allowed us to peer into his actual thoughts, and understand further how satisfying, and perhaps even more so the relief he must have felt putting pen to paper.
Tweet from @NJDevils: The fight continues on. https://t.co/pPWRli1xnS

6.

I listen to a lot of sports radio, particularly from my friends back home in Canada where hockey is the No. 1 topic. It's frustrating sometimes because I feel there's a lot of people underestimating the strides that this team took last year (on an individual basis) but also what the potential for this season can be. It feels like the Devils at times are a bit of an after-thought. And while the team is young, yes, I truly believe this team will take the league by surprise.

7.

I haven't asked him about it yet, but I am truly in awe when watching Dougie Hamilton skate… mainly because the guy has better posture while skating than most people do when they're trying to have good posture just sitting in a chair.

8.

Look, this job doesn't come without its hazardous moments. Where I sit during practice when the team is skating in the main bowl is pretty much a danger zone. The door to my left is frequently left open as guys hit the ice to warm up and I need to keep my head up when I hear those pucks pinging off the posts. Chances are, that bad boy is deflecting in my direction.
Anyways, the honors of first person whose shot deflected and smacked me in the leg goes to Yegor Sharangovich, who was mightily apologetic and did feel really bad.
I kept the puck and I'm going to have him sign it.

9.

Things that will be weird come February… Cheering against, at least for now, Nico Hischier. Nico is the first Devil to be named to an Olympic team roster. Switzerland named their first three players, with little surprise that the Devils captain is on that initial list. I'd imagine he won't be the only Devil to head to the Olympics. I have no insider knowledge, but I would imagine Jonas Siegenthaler will also be on the Swiss team, Tomas Tatar should suit up for Slovakia, Marián Studenič as well.
The American's have a lengthy list of players to choose from and I do wonder where Jack Hughes might fit in. An excellent start from the 20-year-old could certainly put him in contention.
And if Mackenzie Blackwood's
vaccination status changes
, I'd be hard-pressed not to think he'd get a long look from Hockey Canada, if at the very least to be the third goaltender on the roster.
It will be fun to follow this side story leading up to the final roster reveals.
And I promise I'll be cheering for any Devil players team, so long as they're not competing against Canada.

10.

Can we get this season going already?! Only a few short days away! It's ironic that I started this article by expressing excitement in facing the Blackhawks to start, a team the Devils last played in 2019.
I just had a quick glance of the rest of the month,
of the seven games in October, three are against teams we saw a ton of last season (Washington, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh), but bring on Seattle in just the second game of the year! How about Calgary on the 26th? Can you believe it will be the first time that Blake Coleman returns to Prudential Center? He was traded over a year and a half ago! Let's get this season started!