Special Teams a Focus on Camp Day 3 | NOTEBOOK

The Devils practiced on Saturday afternoon ahead of hosting the New York Islanders Sunday at 1 p.m. ET to open the preseason slate. 

For a full recap on all the activity from camp check out our notebooks for Day 1 and Day 2. 

Stay tuned to the notebook for the latest info, updates, interviews, videos and more from the practice session!

Group Shake Up

After going with similar groups for the first two days of camp, the third day saw the groups shake up. The lineup looked like this: 

Lombardi - Klassen - McLaughlin
Tufte - White - Hameenaho
Steeves - Melovsky - Parent
Lachance - Schmelzer - Squires

Vilen - Diotte
Edwards - Casey 
Hanzel - Leddy
Morin - Powell

Rittich
Malek

Veteran Squad Makes up Group 2

The second group of the day looked a lot like how a Devils lineup might look on Opening Night: 

Mantha - Hughes - Bratt
Meier - Hischier - Evangelista
Gritsyuk - Rodrigues - Mercer
Boqvist - Glass - Brown
Noesen

Hughes - Pesce
Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Dillon - Chisolm
Silaev - Kolyachonok

Allen
Daws

The group spent a good portion of the training session on Special Teams for the first time this camp, trying a number of different combinations. The first power play unit that hit the ice was: 

Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Luke Evangelista and Luke Hughes.

The second power play unit that hit the ice was: 

Timo Meier, Evan Rodrigues, Anthony Mantha, Arseny Gritsyuk, Dougie Hamilton.

Other players also subbed in at various times, including Declan Chisholm, Cody Glass, Connor Brown and Dawson Mercer.

Chisholm Finds Familiar Partner in Dillon

A reunion with Brenden Dillon is helping Declan Chisholm settle into his first training camp with the Devils.

The former teammates have been paired together, with Chisholm working on his off side. For a player learning a new team's systems and trying to earn a place in the lineup, having a partner he knows has made the adjustment easier.

“We know each other from Winnipeg, so there's a little chemistry out there, and he talks a lot, and I know he'll be coming across the middle flying too,” Chisholm said. “So, that gives me more confidence to play out there too.”

Dillon joked that he had his “babysitting hat on” with the new players, but he likes the creativity Chisholm brings and his willingness to make plays. Entering his third season under Sheldon Keefe, Dillon can also help his partner understand the coach's expectations.

“I think for Chiz, he's eager to learn. He's receptive to that stuff, and hopefully we can kind of have some good games,” Dillon said.

The two see a fit in their ability to skate and get the puck to New Jersey's forwards. Chisholm also values the security of having an experienced partner behind him when he joins the attack.

“He's a veteran guy. He's always in the right position, so I know I can rely on him to have my back defensively while I'm hopefully jumping in the play, and then likewise with him,” Chisholm said.

Playing on the right is familiar territory, too. Chisholm said he spent about half a season on his off side in Minnesota and liked aspects of it, including being on his forehand while moving across the offensive blue line.

There are adjustments when his back is to the play in the neutral zone, but he believes his skating helps him manage them.

“But I like to use my feet, get around the puck pretty quick, and then get your head up,” he said. “So, I don't mind it at all.”

Dillon Welcomes Fresh Start, Higher Expectations

Brenden Dillon likes the new energy around the Devils. He also believes the players returning from last season should carry some frustration into camp.

Missing the playoffs has left the veteran defenseman looking for a response, and he sees the additions to the roster and coaching staff as an opportunity to move the group forward.

“I think for our group, the expectation should be not just playoffs, but we want to go further than that,” Dillon said. “And it's hard to get into playoffs. It's hard to make it. There's 32 teams right now in camp that are talking about wanting to compete for the Stanley Cup.”

The new arrivals bring different experiences and perspectives, something Dillon welcomes as the Devils work through their systems and special teams. He believes those conversations can help establish better habits.

“There's a lot of change, but change can sometimes be good,” he said.

Dillon is also comfortable with the possibility that New Jersey enters the season with less attention than it has received in the past.

“Having a chip on your shoulder, being an underdog, whatever way you want to call it, I think isn't a bad thing,” he said.

His confidence comes from the depth he sees throughout the roster. Dillon praised the work general manager Sunny Mehta has done, while emphasizing that the players and team leaders now have to deliver.

“I think if you look at lines one through four, D pairs one through three, and goaltending, we're in a great spot,” he said.

Every Line Has a Role

The competition for opportunities in Devils camp has caught Brenden Dillon's attention, particularly the way players are handling their early assignments.

Dillon sees a lineup with distinct roles. Players bring different strengths, and he believes understanding those responsibilities will be an important part of turning the team's depth into results.

“I think every line has somewhat of an identity to it too,” Dillon said.

Across those lines, he wants the Devils to make the most of their speed. Creating turnovers with their feet and sticks, then competing around the net, is how he believes the group can be most effective.

“We're a speed team. We're a team that can play fast. We can create turnovers with our sticks, with our feet,” he said.

For Dillon, the encouraging sign is that players are approaching camp with a willingness to contribute wherever they are placed.

“Again, it's early in camp. It's early. We're not even at the regular season, but everyone's focused on bringing what they can bring to help this team win,” he said. “There's nobody pouting because they're not on the line they want to be on or where they finished last year.”

Accepting an assignment still leaves room to push for a bigger opportunity. Dillon sees that ambition as a healthy part of camp.

“And I think that's healthy because it creates that internal competition that you want more, and I think that's the mindset you can tell of a competitor is when they want more,” he said.

CAMP PHOTO GALLERY

He Said It:

“New Jersey's such a great place to play, and you look at the history, you look at what we stand for, the only team in New Jersey with New Jersey on our sweaters. We should have some swagger with that, and we should be really excited about the season ahead, what we can bring.”

Brenden Dillon, on taking pride in representing New Jersey.