P1 New Jersey Devils @ Montreal Canadiens: Let the games begin

Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Mackenzie Blackwood headline the roster heading to Montreal for the preseason opener.

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A few things to watch when the New Jersey Devils open their seven-game preseason schedule with a road date against the Montreal Canadiens:

note —> tonight’s game will be streamed on the team’s app

On the ropes

For many veteran players preseason is simply a time to shake the rust off and familiarize yourself with new teammates, linemates, and/or systems.

Andreas Johnsson and, to a lesser extent, Tomas Tatar are exceptions to the rule.

Johnsson, predictably, was a lot more productive in 2021-22 than his debut season with the Devils. He really cooled off following a strong start to the year, though, and didn’t contribute in many aspects of the game. Put simply, he wasn’t overly useful if the points weren’t there; and that was the case for most of the 2nd half.

With Miles Wood back healthy, and a plethora of young wingers pushing for spots, nothing is guaranteed for Johnsson. He’ll have to earn a spot.

I think Tatar’s position on the roster is more stable – he has a wealth of experience and can actually provide value without scoring – but he needs to re-establish himself with a strong camp and carve out a niche on the team.

Each of these guys should get plenty of minutes tonight alongside NHL caliber players. We’ll see how they respond.

7th D battle