Joey Anderson went to the same rink in St. Paul, Minnesota that he frequented every summer for the past five or six years. However, once he hit the ice, his workouts drastically changed.

Anderson found himself training among other pro hockey players, who helped the Devils prospect prepare for his first pro season after signing with the Devils in April.

Just being around those types of skaters helped Anderson elevate his play and expectations.

"Guys want to be there. People that want to be as good as they can," Anderson said. "T.J. Oshie was a guy in the group this summer and he just came off (the Washington Capitals' Stanley) Cup win. It was a month and he was right back in the weight room, getting better. He was probably one of the most dedicated guys I saw."

Anderson went through some different and excruciating strength and conditioning work, where his trainers expected him and others to fail in some exercises. But as the summer progressed, the gains were noticeable.

When Anderson reported to the Devils prior to the Prospects Challenge, he went through some of the same physical tests the Devils gave him prior to July's development camp.

The results showed the difference. Anderson cranked out considerable improvements in his push-up and pull-up reps.

Along with the conditioning aspects of his training, Anderson gained some insight into the hockey side of things. He gained a deeper appreciation for some of the things he'd been doing for years.

"Every little thing, every drill, you can learn something," he said. "Look at it as a way to expand along with just being creative. Don't look at a little boring skating drill as just a boring skating drill. Treat it like a game situation, throw something extra in there to shake it up and be creative with it. (Oshie's) imagination is incredible, and it was something I was able to watch and learn a little something this summer.

Anderson hopes that increase and change in training will pay off when he hits the ice with veteran players and prospects at the start of this week's training camp. He feels the summer got him as prepared as possible.

"I feel like my all-around strength level, my explosiveness, my jump, things like that," he said. "We worked on a lot. I think my all-around athleticism is going in the right direction."

Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.