Andrew Gross

NorthJersey

So what is the correct formula for the Devils?

There’s no question there will be a surplus of younger prospects competing for roster spots come September, that much was clear during the team’s week-long development camp, which concluded on Saturday with a spirited and encouraging full scrimmage.

But no matter how big the mandate is from general manager Ray Shero, coach John Hynes and the Devils’ brass for the organization to become younger and faster, there still needs to be a roster balance between NHL rookies or second-year players and those with a little more experience.

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So, what is the right number?

“That’s a great question,” assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald said on Saturday after camp concluded. “I don’t know what that magic number is, I really don’t. I don’t think you can have six guys that have played less than X amount of games in your lineup. The proper way to develop is to surround them with a good support system. Maybe we add a free agent or two but I do know one thing: We have only six, one-way deals up front in forwards. That should be a big message for everybody that there is opportunity here.

“We’re now in a situation where we’ve got to really see what kids can actually play in the NHl and offer them opportunities to make our team,” Fitzgerald added. “We have that, especially up front with guys like (Blake) Coleman, (Blake) Pietila, (Joseph) Blandisi, (Nick) Lappin, (John) Quenneville. They are obviously going to have a chance to make our team. That’s how you grow NHL players, you have to give them an opportunity but they have to take advantage.”

That, of course, is not the complete list of young forwards that will come to training camp hoping to earn an opening day roster spot. No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier, Michael McLeod, the 12th overall pick in 2016, Blake Speers, Miles Wood, Pavel Zacha, the sixth overall pick in 2015, are also in that mix of young forwards vying for a spot.

Obviously, they’re not all going to be on the Devils roster for the Oct. 7 season opener against the Avalanche at Prudential Center.

“We’re going to have a good mix of older guys but not that old, young vets, and some young guys,” Fitzgerald said. “It was a big signing for us to bring in a guy like Brian Boyle who has the experience of being a leader and can help along some of these kids and some of the bumps they’re going through at the NHL level.”

And while much of the attention, thanks to the recent No. 1 picks the organization has made, has been among the forward group, the defense corps certainly is a point of emphasis in terms of needing an upgrade.

“Yeah, I think that’s always a goal to improve on the back end,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve got guys. (Steven) Santini is going to have a chance to stick on our team. We signed Mike Kapla out of UMass-Lowell this year so we’re intent on allowing him the opportunity. We bring over the big Russia defenseman (Yaroslav) Dyblenko, the same thing, they see opportunity and that’s why he signed with us. Every guy in New Jersey has to play up to their capabilities for us to have any chance to be successful. We feel like we’ve got terrific people on the back end, we just need to continue to grow and grow the depth.”

Dyblenko, like Yohann Auvitu of France last season, has a chance to be a European import to make the roster. Dyblenko, 23, has played four-plus seasons in the KHL and, during development camp, showed a good defensive presence in front of his own crease. He has size at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds and, as Fitzgerald said, he showed some “snarl.”

“He’s a competitive kid, that’s the biggest thing that stood out to our scouts,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s what we’re looking for. We’re looking for competitive players. I did see the competitiveness. He’s a simple puck mover. They say on the back end, less is more. Forwards want the puck, just get it them. Don’t complicate things. Just get it to them. That’s what he is, but some snarl at the net front. I think we saw that in some battle drills on Tuesday, almost to the point where we had to say, settle down, it’s only Day 1.”

Another Russian at development camp was fourth-round pick Nikita Pougaev, a 6-6, 217-pound forward who has played two seasons in the Western Hockey League.

Popugaev was said to have first-round talent but slipped because of concerns regarding his consistency. He did show in camp he’s got good, soft hands, can skate well and, obviously, has good size.

The Devils, obviously, are hoping Popugaev turns out to be one of the steals in the draft.

“I think so,” Fitzgerald said. “I think we know what he can do, know what he can’t do. It’s our job to help him figure out the can’ts and the little things in the game. The consistency, the pace, things that were consistently written about him that he lacked at times. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s got good hands and he can shoot the puck. So, yeah, that’s our hope, that fourth-rounder like that fell through the cracks and we were fortunate enough to select him at that time. We felt that this was a no-brainer.

“He’s a great kid, he speaks English, he just understands what we’re trying to do here,” Fitzgerald added. “John, I think, said it best. We’re looking for drivers, guys who self start, that they don’t need somebody to push their buttons to get them going, that they’re passionate about the game and I think we all saw a locker room full of them this week.”

Briefly, on other topcis:

Fitzgerald said he was impressed with the performance of camp tryouts Nicolas Guay and Bobo Carpenter but there are no plans to sign either at this time.

Asked who else stood out during the week, Fitzgerald brought up Finnish forward Aarne Talvitie, a sixth-round pick in June, and defenseman Jeremy Davies, a seventh-round pick in 2016.

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