WESTMINSTER, CO -Wayne Simmonds in recent days has been seen getting vocal with his teammates. He was vocal on the bench on Tuesday in Dallas and again at practice on Thursday in Denver.
Devils interim head coach Alain Nasreddine was asked about Simmonds and the leadership that he brings to the team.
"He's a great leader. He's known around the league for being a great leader," Nasreddine began. "It can't always be Andy Greene and the same guys over and over. With Simmer joining our team this year, it's something we were expecting."
Nasreddine spoke about himself as a new coach and what support he receives from the Devils veterans.
"I'm sort of leaning on these veterans like Wayne and Travis and Andy when it comes to this leadership group and trying to hold everything together," he noted. "(Simmonds) has aken more of a part in it as we go here."
The coach added that he is very happy with the leadership group but expects more in that realm from the other players on the team.
"Every night you dress 20 players, 19 are playing. Even if those guys show up, we need the effort from all 19 guys. I felt that was missing big time last game," he began. "We have great leadership. There's a reason that these guys have been in the League for so long. They do things the right way. (But) we need everybody to be jumping on board here and that's what wasn't good enough last game."
BLOG: Nasreddine on Simmonds and Leadership
Devils interim head coach Alain Nasreddine talks about the emergence of Wayne Simmonds as a leaders on the team and his expectation for all players in that realm
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