If it wasn\u2019t obvious, none of the players on tryout are defenseman. That\u2019s because the Devils simply don\u2019t need any more blueliners throughout the organization, even at the American Hockey League level.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve talked about, ad nauseam, how the Devils still have voids in their lineup to fill. Well, the two forwards who were inked certainly won\u2019t fill the Tyler Toffoli-sized gap in the lineup. However, there is a path to center depth here, that will be explained a bit later.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s dive into whom the Devils are bringing to training camp.<\/p>\n
Kevin Rooney\u2014Forward
\nCompetition: Cody Glass, Kurtis MacDermid, Juho Lammikko, Thomas Bordeleau, AHL Depth, Luke Glendening<\/p>\n
Kevin Rooney<\/a> is returning to the Devils, spending the first four years of his professional hockey career in the organization, this time on a PTO. He played 95 games in the organization between ages 23 & 26, scoring 10 goals and 19 points in that span.<\/p>\n Rooney spent the following five seasons between the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames organizations, and like his time in New Jersey, filtered between the NHL and AHL.<\/p>\n Last season, Rooney played 70 games with the Flames, mostly as a fourth-line center. He scored five goals and 10 points, however, that\u2019s not what kept him in the lineup.<\/p>\n Rooney isn\u2019t the best in the face-off dot. He won 47.2% of draws, which means he lost 218 of 413 face-offs.<\/p>\n In fact, Rooney\u2019s deployment was quite scarce. He played under 10 minutes per night last season, however, specialized in one area.<\/p>\n Rooney was quite the effective penalty killer, spending the third-most minutes on the ice during a Flames PK behind Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, and third-best xGA\/60 at 7.46.<\/p>\n Rooney\u2019s competitors are the Devils depth and penalty killers. One of Rooney\u2019s drawbacks while trying out for the Devil is his speed, which ranks below the 50th percentile, according to NHL Edge.<\/p>\n If Rooney earns a contract, it\u2019ll be a two-way deal, to work in a depth role in New Jersey, or a veteran forward in Utica.<\/p>\n Luke Glendening\u2014Forward Luke Glendening, on the other hand, has a sharper set of skills than Rooney. In the 2024-25 season, Glendening scored four goals and seven points in 77 games.<\/p>\n Like Rooney, scoring won\u2019t be what earns Glendening a spot on the roster. Instead, the former Tampa Bay Lightning forward is best known for his defensive responsibility and center prowess. Playing in a full-time NHL role since the 2013-14 season, Glendening\u2019s face-off percentage has never dipped below 51.9% since 2014-15.<\/p>\n Last season, he won 57% of his draws, 502 victories out of 881. In fact, Glendening is so strong in the dot that his career average is 55.8%, and hasn\u2019t dipped below 56% in the last six seasons.<\/p>\n Face-off draws aside, Glendening was one of the Lightning\u2019s most reliable penalty killers last season, with the third-best xGA\/60 (7.68) behind only Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel.<\/p>\n Add Glendening\u2019s above average top skating speed at 22.89 (80th percentile in the NHL), and he\u2019s a perfectly fine candidate to perhaps win the fourth line center spot, if the Devils deem Cody Glass<\/a> strong enough to play 3C in a full-time capacity. Especially given that this summer\u2019s emphasis when adding players involved speed.<\/p>\n Of the four PTO players, Glendening could, and should, make the strongest case for a contract.<\/p>\n Georgi Romanov & Adam Scheel\u2014Goaltenders Neither of these goaltenders are going to push for Jacob Markstrom<\/a> or Jake Allen<\/a>\u2018s jobs.<\/p>\n Realistically, they\u2019re in training camp to provide depth services, and compete with Jakub Malek\u2014who is said to be given a chance to win the Utica Comets\u2019 job\u2014Nico Daws<\/a> who has an uncertain future given Allen\u2019s permanent stay, and Tyler Brennan.<\/p>\n The fact of the matter is, Daws ultimately won\u2019t end up on the NHL roster, barring injury, and is a candidate to be claimed on waivers.<\/p>\n They could lose him for nothing, and then the Comets have Malek, Brennan, and Jeremy Brodeur to rely on.<\/p>\n Adam Scheel is an interesting candidate. He\u2019s a career minor leaguer that has seen his fair share of inconsistencies. His numbers were poor in 19 ECHL games last season for the Utah Grizzlies, but at a high level in the AHL, he earned a respectable 2.62 GAA and .907 SV%.<\/p>\n Given the fact that the Grizzlies were 27th in the ECHL out of 29 teams, it\u2019s fair to say Scheel struggles were a result of his surroundings. Especially given the fact that he performed much better on the third-best Eagles team in the AHL.<\/p>\n Yet, the 26-year-old Scheel is going to have to outperform the 25-year-old Georgi Romanov. The Russian netminder at least has a few NHL games under his belt (10 with the San Jose Sharks<\/a>, right last season), although his AHL numbers are nothing to write home about.<\/p>\n The thing that\u2019s going to set Romanov perhaps above the rest of the competition is his raw skill. According to Sharks GM, Mike Grier, the athleticism can\u2019t be questioned. It\u2019s just a matter of if he can put it all together to get his mind moving as fast as his body.<\/p>\n \u201cGeorgi has size, moves very well around the crease and is athletic,\u201d said Sharks GM Mike Grier via San Jose Hockey Now in 2023. \u201cWe feel like he has a good package to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can teach a big goalie with good structure to work in a good, structured [defensive] system,\u201d a scout suggested to SJHN. \u201cLike Pheonix Copley in LA, Akira Schmid in New Jersey, and Adin Hill in Vegas. They won\u2019t be top of the league, but they will get you at least league-average goaltending, maybe slightly better.\u201d<\/p>\n Player advanced stats via NHL Edge<\/a> and Natural Stat Trick<\/a><\/p>\n For more\u00a0Devils news<\/a>, visit\u00a0New Jersey Hockey Now<\/a>, subscribe to our\u00a0YouTube<\/a>\u00a0and like our\u00a0Facebook page.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us on\u00a0\ud835\udd4f:<\/p>\n @NJDHockeyNow<\/a>,\u00a0@JamesNicholsNHL<\/a><\/p>\n And on Threads:<\/p>\n @JamesNicholsNHL<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\nCompetition: Cody Glass, Kurtis MacDermid, Juho Lammikko, Thomas Bordeleau, AHL Depth, Kevin Rooney<\/p>\n
\nCompetition: Nico Daws, Jakub Malek, Tyler Brennan, Jeremy Brodeur<\/p>\n![\"Get](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/NJHN-plus.png.webp.webp\")
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