2018 NCAA national champion Joey Anderson joins the Devils

After winning the 2018 NCAA national championship with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs last weekend, 19-year-old Joey Anderson has signed a three-year entry level contract with the New Jersey Devils and will forgo his final two years of NCAA eligibility to begin his professional career.
As Devils management and the scouting staff prepared for the 2016 NHL Draft, they knew what Anderson had the potential to bring to the team, but it wasn't until the interviews at the scouting combine that he really differentiated himself from the pack.

"You look at his high character and professionalism and his discipline. Then you look at what he can bring to a team on the ice and we knew right then that we wanted him," said Devils assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald. "He was playing on a line with (Clayton) Keller and (Kieffer) Bellows at the [US National Team Development Program] and we wanted to know how he felt about it. We thought it was evident what he brought to that line, but we wanted to find out his view of it. We wanted to hear him say, 'I'm a gritty guy. I go to the dirty areas. I get the puck and give it to the skilled guys and I go to the net for rebounds, open up space for them and let them do their thing.' And that's exactly what he did. He's very self-aware and knows exactly what kind of player he is.
"Everyone wants to be the guy who comes down the boards and just rifles a shot top shelf or make a nice little play in the corner, but it takes a certain kind of player to get to the net and he's got an undeniable will to do that," he continued. "It's unconditional and he's a self-starter. He doesn't need anyone to get him going. He just goes."
The Devils selected Anderson in the third round (73rd overall) that June and have been excited about his progress over the past two seasons. He's been to the national championship game twice with UMD having notched 23 goals and 41 assists for 64 points in 75 collegiate games while playing on their top line and both sides of special teams. He also represented Team USA at the world junior championship winning gold in 2017 and bronze this past January as captain of the team, but the Devils know he's still a work-in-progress.
"He's still 19," Fitzgerald said. "We don't sign these kids because they're a polished product. It's our job to continue to polish them to their potential and what we think they can be. There's a process and there will be bumps in the road and the player has to be willing to understand that, especially if he's giving up two years of college."
Fitzgerald reached out to Anderson's agent about the possibility of signing him and just to see where Anderson's head was at.
"We talked a lot about a development game plan and where we saw him fitting into our organization," he explained. "I told him, 'Look, we didn't bring Jesper Bratt over this year to play for the New Jersey Devils. We brought him over to play for the London Knights, but he played so well at camp that we just couldn't send him down. He made us better right now. So, we can sit here and make a plan, but depending on how Joey shows up in September, that plan could change pretty quickly, but he will have every opportunity to make our team and if he needs more time to develop, the American Hockey League is a great place to do that.'
"We told him this had to be his decision and he had to be able to make it without any regrets, but we also knew this was a kid willing to bet on himself," Fitzgerald continued. "I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to make the decision to go to the National Team Development Program because not many Minnesota kids do. They want to play high school hockey, but Joey made that decision and took that risk and he reaped the benefits of it, just like I'm sure it was difficult for him to make this decision too - Duluth is a real good place to play and develop and they've got a good team and his brother is there - but we know he'll put the work in and hopefully reap the benefits here too."
Anderson is 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, plays in all situations and puts up solid numbers, but according to Fitzgerald, Anderson's biggest asset is his competitiveness.
"He just has a drive to do the hard work," he said. "You don't ever have to ask him. He just does it and does a really good job at it, winning those 50/50 puck battles, and then he's got some real good skill in tight areas to be able to generate something out of it, but his compete is top of the list for us. He's a self-starter. He doesn't need anyone to get him going and we know he's going to bring that effort every day whether that's at practice, in the weight room or in a game."
The Devils hope he will continue to develop into a great complimentary player who can go to the net, play physical, make the smart, simple play and use his skills and quick thinking to generate offensive chances.
Anderson is already in New Jersey and will join members of the team Monday morning for a skate before Game 3 against Tampa Bay, which means his three-year contract starts right now as one of the extra players during the playoff run.
"I think it will be a great experience for him to be here and get a taste of the NHL and help drive his summer training," Fitzgerald said. "No one wants to burn a year off a contract, but we were willing to do that because we feel we've got a real good player in him. If he comes at a bigger price tag in two years because he's that good of a player, that's a great problem to have."