The New Jersey Devils placed several players on waivers. It will be interesting to see if they claim a goalie.
In a hectic day of waivers, the New Jersey Devils have contributed five players of their own. The organization has made Brandon Gignac, Josh Jacobs, Nick Merkley, Ben Street, and Colton White available.
https://www.nj.com/devils/2021/01/devils-begin-preparation-for-roster-cuts-place-5-players-on-waivers.html
The only (and biggest) surprise here is Merkley, who had been having a fantastic training camp.
Merkley, who was considered to be a top prospect in the 2015 class, was sent to the Devils by the Arizona Coyotes as part of the Taylor Hall trade last season.
Merkley, who is 23 years old, had been playing so well at this year’s camp that seeing him make the team wouldn’t have come as a surprise to many, especially because the Devils are a young team that will likely miss the 2021 playoffs.
Something else to like about Merkley is his versatility- he can play both as a right winger and a center- but the Devils would’ve likely used him as a winger since that’s one of their most glaring needs.
Devils fans are going to hope that Merkley is able to clear waivers. Having him clear and then be sent down to the AHL with the possibility of him eventually being recalled would be ideal here.
The Devils have placed multiple players on waivers, yes, but it’ll be interesting to see who they claim for themselves, especially in terms of goaltending.
On Saturday Corey Crawford, who was expected to be MacKenzie Blackwood’s backup for the 2021 season, announced his retirement and now the Devils have an issue that needs to be resolved quite soon.
If they can find someone they deem to be a viable backup on waivers, they’ll likely make a move.
