Prior to the New Jersey Devils officially starting their 2025-26 training camp, the team announced that they had brought in four players on professional tryouts. Goaltenders Georgi Romanov and Adam Scheel along with forwards Luke Glendening and former Devil Kevin Rooney were signed on September 5th. Since that time, they have yet to trim the roster even once at this point, meaning all four still seemingly have a chance to obtain a roster spot. Maybe one or two wind up as an AHL signing rather than an NHL. But how realistic is it for these players to make the team?
Well, let’s be honest right from the outset: the chances of Romanov and/or Scheel making the team are slim, even at the AHL level. The Devils have Jacob Markstrom, Jake Allen, Jakub Malek, Nico Daws and Tyler Brennan seemingly ahead of them, as all five of those players are signed. That means that one of those five (most likely Brennan) starts the season as the fifth string goalie down in the ECHL. Jeremy Brodeur is also under contract to Utica (and possibly others signed to Adirondack), meaning there are plenty of bodies in net within the organization. Unless either goalie absolutely blows management/coaching away both in practices and in games, I don’t think either goalie finds a spot on New Jersey’s depth chart. At best, they’re showcasing their skills in case of injuries or other clubs who need a goalie somewhere in their organization.
On to the forwards in Rooney and Glendening. Rooney has already has a run with the team albeit not under Sheldon Keefe. The thing with Rooney to me is that every organization has players like him, and I don’t think he’s bringing anything to the table that the Devils don’t already have. Quite simply, he’s another veteran body to fill out the ranks while getting a glimpse of other players. Glendening, meanwhile, might have a bit more utility to him. While he’s older than Rooney and his offensive skill has dried up, he’s still a solid defender and can step in and win some draws. As a matter of fact, he’s already shown that he can do so through two preseason contests. While the Devils have some of those glue guys already spread through their lineup, Glendening might find himself sticking around longer if he continues to have strong showings.
The most important date for all of these guys? This upcoming Monday, the 29th. Why is that? Because it’s the day after the Devils have split squad games, with one group playing a home game against Washington and a second traveling to play Ottawa. The Devils have enough players in camp without the four PTOs, but with veterans needed and the possibility that some of the Devils regulars do not play in either game, all four of these players could be useful in one of these games. The next day of camp will probably be when we begin to see quite a few cuts made, since at that point there’s only about a week of preseason ad two preseason games left. If any of the four are still in camp at that point, that would mean they’re probably slated to play in at least one of those final two games. That could mean as well that they’re being considered for a spot.
As of right now? I think Glendening at least has a shot to stick, especially if he continues to win faceoffs. He wouldn’t cost the Devils more than league minimum, so it’s not as if he would be eating cap that needs to be used elsewhere. At the same time, Glendening has also been a black hole on offense for the last few seasons now, so the Devils might not be inclined to have someone in that spot when so many were chastised for being that type of players for the team last season. He’s looked at least passable in the two contests he’s appeared in so far, but I would like to see how he fares against better quality of competition. I think in the end it will really depend on if the Devils feel like his skills off the puck are worth having him on the roster. The other three players, as I somewhat alluded to before, I see all being cut before rosters are finalized.
Now I’d like to hear your thoughts on the Devils PTO players; do you see any of them making the NHL team? Are there any that you think get signed to try and bolster the Utica roster? Do you think any of them are strictly here as bodies for the split squad Sunday and will be gone after that point? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!