New Jersey Devils News

Thomas Greiss started opening night but all signs are pointing towards Bernier getting the nod in the rematch vs. the Hurricanes. Playing on a historically bad team, Bernier actually had a fairly solid season in 2020, going 15-22-3 with a 2.95 GAA and .907 SV%. Bernier finished the season really strong and while that was 10 months ago, it provides some hope that he and Greiss will be a reliable duo for a rebuilding Red Wings squad.

Markstrom had one of the best years of his career in a contract year, earning a six-year deal in Calgary. He went 23-16-4 with a 2.75 GAA and .918 SV% in 43 games last year and is expected to be a workhorse for the Flames this season. In his debut, he'll face a Jets team that was 17th in GoalsFor (3.00) and 15th in PP% (20.5) in 2020.

Bratt was the Devils' last remaining unsigned RFA but got a two-year deal on Sunday night. Bratt set a new career-high in goals (16) while adding 16 assists (32 points) in 60 games a season ago. Bratt will miss the start of the regular season but is expected to be in the Devils top-6 when he makes his debut.

Hischier suffered a leg injury while training in Switzerland and will not be available for the opening of training camp. Hischier did not have surgery and the Devils do not consider it a long-term injury. The fourth-year centre could be ready for the start of the season but may get out of the gates slowly with a limited training camp.

Noesen signed with the Penguins last December but was claimed off of waivers by the Sharks a few weeks later. He played out the rest of the season in San Jose, recording six goals and two assists (eight points) in 34 games. Noesen will likely serve as a 12th/13th forward for the Sharks in 2021.

Markstrom is coming off of the best year of his career, tying for 11th in the NHL in wins (23), 13th in SV% (.918) and tied for 25th in GAA (2.75). Now he goes from a team that gave up the third most scoring chances to a team that ranked in the middle of the pack, so his GAA and SV% should improve in 2021. The Flames have made a huge commitment to him but they have not had a goalie with a SV% above .920 since Miikka Kiprusoff in 2011-12.

Not to be mistaken with the Las Vegas Raiders head coach, Jonathan Gruden was selected in the fourth-round (No.95 overall) in 2018. The 6-foot, 180 lbs. centre moved from Miami (Ohio) University to the London Knights (OHL) for the 2020 season, where he was second on the team in goals (30) and fourth in points (66) in 59 games.

Dillon, 29, was acquired from the Sharks for second and third round draft picks last February and appeared in 10 regular season and eight playoff games with Washington. He picked up just one assist, 42 hits and 26 blocked shots in a Capitals uniform. With Michal Kempny out for 6-to-8 months, the Capitals were quick to re-sign the 6-foot-4, 225 lbs. defenseman.

Lazar split his 2020 season between the AHL and NHL, totalling 10 points (5G / 5A) in 38 games with the Sabres. Lazar has never lived up to the hype of being a top-20 draft pick but he seems to have settled in in the Sabres' bottom-6. Expect him to centre the third or fourth line behind Jack Eichel and Eric Staal in 2021.

Allen is a 30-year-old netminder who is heading into the final year of a four-year contract that carries a $4.35 million cap hit. Allen is likely the first of a few cap causalities in St. Louis, who have very few contracts coming off of the books this offseason and both Alex Pietrangelo (UFA) and Vince Dunn (RFA) looking for new deals. As for Allen, he will backup Carey Price in 2021 and is coming off of a year in which he was 12-6-3 with a 2.15 GAA and .927 SV% in 21 starts and three relief appearances.