The Battle for 3C I FEATURE

One of the biggest jobs up for grabs for the Devils
entering training camp
is the third center role.
The club already has its 1-2 punch down the middle with first-overall draft picks Nico Hischier (2017) and Jack Hughes (2019). But which centerman will take on the role behind them has yet to be determined.
The team will conduct on-ice fitness testing Thursday and hold its first training camp practices Friday. Those Friday sessions may give a peak at the coaches' early thinking on the role, however, it will obviously evolve as camp and the preseason rolls on.
Here is a look at some possible contenders for the 3C.

Pavel Zacha
Zacha, 24, would be an obvious first choice to fill the role. He is a center by trade and has played the position for the majority of his life. The only argument against Zacha would be how well he played last season on the wing with Hischier and Jesper Bratt.
"(Wing is) probably more where I fall into place now with the guys that we have," he said. "We found a great chemistry with Nico and 'Bratter.' Sometimes it's hard to find chemistry like that, but it's not my decision (on where I play).
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff signaled that Zacha will open training camp as a center, though he will get a look at both center and wing throughout camp and the preseason.
"'Pav' is going to be a center. That doesn't mean he's not going to be a winger," Ruff told the media Wednesday (
among many other things
). "He's going to have to be ready to play both positions. I think the fact that he's comfortable at both positions is important. He's a good faceoff guy. I need him to be able to step in and take faceoffs and play center. I want him comfortable from Day 1 from camp playing both positions."
Zacha (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) swung back-and-forth last season, playing center when Hischier was out with various injuries but would move to wing upon the captain's return. And he adjusted well to the constant transition. In fact, he adjusted so well that he set career highs in goals (17) and points (35) in just 50 games.
"With the system we play, it's easier for a center to play wing than the other way around," Zacha said. "I'm here to come to camp and play wherever they put me."

Michael Mcleod
Zacha wasn't the only player to enjoy a career year during the 2020-21 campaign. McLeod had a breakout season after posting nine goals (the first nine of his career) and 15 points.
McLeod, 23, found a good flow with linemates Miles Wood and the departed Nathan Bastian (Seattle). The trio fitted perfectly into a fourth-line role with its blend of speed, physicality and defensive responsibility. On some nights, the triumvirate actually received enough playing time that they were the de facto third line.
If the coaching staff does decide to keep Zacha at wing, where he finished last season, then there could be an opening for McLeod. It would then be up to the 6-foot-2, 190-pound center to earn it.

Jesper Boqvist
Boqvist was another player, like Zacha, that flipped back-and-forth between center and wing last year. Ruff already stated that Boqvist will open camp by getting a look at center, where he finished last season.
Boqvist is fine with either spot.
"I felt good at center. I felt more involved in the game," he said. "If they choose to put me on the wing, I'm fine with it. I felt comfortable there, too. I definitely felt good last year at center."

Dawson Mercer
Mercer is an intriguing option. He may be a little too young and raw to make the team out of training camp, but he put on quite the showing at last weekend's Prospects Challenge in Buffalo. The 19-year-old pivot was by far the Devils' best player in the two-game tournament, and he led the club in scoring with three points (1G-2A).
Mercer is yet another forward that can flip between center and wing. Though he played exclusively in the middle the last two seasons with Drummondville and Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, scoring 19 goals and 36 points in 23 games last year alone.
"Wherever they want me to play," Mercer responded when asked his preference. "Whatever I can do to help the organization. But playing centerman, that's where I played my last two years in junior. I find that's really where I shine, at the best of my abilities.
"I feel I'm a supportive player. I like having the puck and making decisions, and having that responsibility on my stick. I think it worked well the last two years. But if they want me on the wing, I'm going to the wing. But if they give me the opportunity to play center, I'm obviously going to grab ahold of that and try not to let it go."
Though he is still young and could use some grooming in the American Hockey League, don't count him out just yet. There are two aspects that make it difficult for young centers to play in the National Hockey League - defense and faceoffs. But those are two of Mercer's biggest strengths. If he can play well in his end and win his share of draws in the circle, then don't be surprised if he's in the lineup come Oct. 15.
Freddy Gauthier/Mark Jankowski
Both players have a lot in common. They both have great size (Gauthier, 6-foot-5, 239 pounds; Jankowski, 6-4, 212). They both are in camp after signing player-tryout contracts (PTOs). And they were even both, incredibly, selected in the NHL Draft with the 21st-overall pick (Gauthier, 2013, Toronto; Jankowski, 2012, Calgary). They'll have to earn themselves a contract in camp, but could provide the team another option down the middle. If the Devils want Zacha at wing and send Mercer to the AHL, suddenly the possibilities open up.
Other Notables:Brian Flynn, Joseph Gambardella, Nate Schnarr, Aarne Talvitie, Fabian Zetterlund.