P3 New Jersey Devils @ New York Rangers: Four things to watch

New Jersey will be dressing a lot of bubble players – at least up front – as they look to move to 3-0 in preseason play.

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A few things to watch as the New Jersey Devils open up a home-and-home with the New York Rangers:

Back to center

The expectation, and plan, was to use Dawson Mercer as a full-time winger this season. Things change.

With Nico Hischier sidelined due to a hamstring injury, which will be re-evaluated just a few days before the Devils open their season, Mercer has been shifted back to center.

That means he’ll take on additional defensive responsibility – and more of the heavy lifting in terms of carrying the puck – than if we were playing on the outside.

While he’s obviously not going to be skating on a line with Miles Wood or Graeme Clarke when the games count, I will be watching how he handles adjusting to being more of a facilitator and playmaker for his line.

Wood likes to be fed pucks out wide and attack the net with speed while Clarke is more of a spot up shooter. They are both shoot-first players.

It’s possible – if not likely – Mercer ends up playing with a couple of the team’s top finishers in Yegor Sharangovich and Jesper Bratt so it’s important he gets used to distributing the puck first.

Putting your Foote down