SEATTLE, Wash. -The Devils held a morning skate Saturday afternoon at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Defenseman Ryan Graves did not take part and will not play after being struck in chin area by a skate in the third period of Thursday's game at Colorado.
"He feels fortunate," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "It's not something you want to happen, but where it happened is the best place possible.
"He's doing good. I tried to cheer him up. I told him to keep his chin up."
It appears by the morning skate defensive pairings that Colton White will be back in the lineup for New Jersey.
The team used the following workflow…
Sharangovich - Hischier - Zetterlund
Tatar - Mercer - Bratt
Zacha - Boqvist - Kuokkanen
Johnsson - McLeod - Bastian
White - Severson
Hamilton - Bahl
Smith - Subban
White Out
White, who has appeared in 25 games this season for the Devils, will get his first game action since March 16 at Calgary, a month ago.
"It's really exciting anytime you can get into the lineup," he said. "It sucks that Graves got hurt, but it's an opportunity for me to play and I'm really excited for it."
White has been in and out of the lineup all season for the Devils. His longest stretch of play came while filling in for Dougie Hamilton when he was out with a broken jaw. White played 17 straight games for New Jersey in the stretch.
"I think that I'm capable of playing here every day," White said of what he learned from his 17-game stretch. "I think I made an impact on the game, whether it was defensively or moving pucks up the ice. I think I just have to continue to do that whether it's one game or a stretch of games here."
"One thing we know is every time he's stepped into the lineup he's given us a good game," Ruff said. "He's consistent with his effort. He's predictable with how he plays. Maybe a little bit of rust, but we've kept him pretty buys when he's not playing."
It's always a difficult task physically and mentally for the "seventh" defenseman, having to constantly practice and stay game ready, but maintaining a good head so that the lack of playing doesn't get you down.
"He's got a great attitude. He spends he time to try to get better every day," Ruff said. "He uses the extra time after practice and game days to try and keep his game real sharp. He has an incredibly positive attitude. That attitude is what allows him, when we do need him, to step in and play well."
Back That Bass Up
Forward Nathan Bastian will face the Seattle Kraken for the first time since the club waived him in late November. Seattle chose Bastian in the NHL Expansion Draft and he played 12 games for the team before being placed on waivers.
"It's definitely a little weird. I was here for parts of the summer and training camp and played a couple games with the guys," said Bastian, who had lunch with some former Kraken teammates Friday. "It doesn't take long to get close with some of the guys so it's exciting to come back and see some familiar faces."
New Digs
The Devils will be playing at Seattle for the first time in franchise history. It was also the first time that many members of the Devils team and staff have seen the brand-new Climate Pledge Arena.
"It's a fabulous building. It's got a great atmosphere," Ruff said. "When you can walk into a building and one side has glass, a lot of natural light, it's got a great feel. The facility itself, the dressing room, the coaches' room are fantastic. They've done an unbelievable job here."
