Unstoppable Force or Hidden Gem? Keefe’s Surprising Praise for This Gritty Forward Has Everyone Talking
The New Jersey Devils walked into training camp with barely an inch of wiggle room on their roster, a lineup mostly set but shadowed by the absence of defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, sidelined with a nagging knee injury. Imagine a squad featuring the likes of Evgenii Dadonov, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and a few others — a solid foundation that looked ready to roll when everyone’s healthy. But the early camp days threw a curveball: Stefan Noesen was benched by a groin injury, prompting head coach Sheldon Keefe to shuffle the deck, moving Dawson Mercer to Nico Hischier’s wing and Cody Glass into the third-line center slot — opening up fierce competition for remaining spots with players like Luke Glendening, Kevin Rooney, and Juho Lammikko pushing hard. For many forwards coming up from the Utica Comets in the AHL last season, it felt like scaling a sheer cliff to snag a spot on Opening Night. One such contender, Nathan Légaré, isn’t dreaming naively; he’s pragmatic, embracing his role and keeping his head down, focusing on the grind to secure a full-time NHL gig. Keefe’s been singing his praises, too — the kid’s gritty, relentless, and already making waves with his aggressive play during preseason. While the odds might be stacked against Légaré cracking the lineup right out of camp, the confidence the Devils’ staff has in him suggests this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the 24-year-old. Curious to see how this tangled web of injuries and hopefuls untangles? LEARN MORE.
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