Saturday, July 16, 2016
Wrapping up Devils' development camp with notes on Blackwood, Wood, Cockerill, Dudek, Savage
With the Devils’ prospect development camp now concluded, here’s a collection of items that were left over in my notebook…
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First off, as noted earlier, assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald said the plan is for goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, 19, a second round pick in 2015, to turn pro this season. Blackwood turns 20 on Dec. 9, so he would be eligible to play for Albany (AHL) this season.
Earlier this week, obviously before Fitzgerald revealed what the Devils were thinking, Blackwood, too, was hoping to play pro hockey rather than return to junior hockey with Barrie (Ontario Hockey League), where he went 28-13-0 with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage, the latter which tied for the OHL lead. Blackwood was the OHL’s goalie of the year.
“I want to turn pro this year,” the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Blackwood said. “That’s my goal but I have a lot of work to do. (But) if you play well enough, if you perform, there’s an opportunity there.”
This was Blackwood’s second development camp with the Devils.
“Just know what to expect being here before, my second time through I came in with a lot more confidence,” Blackwood said. “There’s definitely more of an advantage to going through it a second time around. Now I’ll go back home and work out and start to get ready.”
Home is Thunder Bay, Ont., also known for producing, among others, the Staal brothers – Eric, Marc, Jordan and Jared – and Stanley Cup champion-winning goalie Matt Murray, 22, of the Penguins. In fact, asked to name his favorite goalies, Blackwood quickly said the Canadiens’ Carey Price and Murray.
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I’ve written a little bit about defenseman Garret Cockerill, in on a tryout before going back for his third season at Northeastern. Cockerill scored a goal for White in its 4-3 win over Red in today’s scrimmage.
After, chatting with him at his locker stall, I mentioned I was impressed with the soft hands he showed in terms of making passes and also taking quick shots from all angles, be it backhanders, wrist shots, or maneuvering in tight.
Cockerill thanked me and said it’s probably because, in the summer, he hates playing defense. So, as much as he can, when he’s on his own time, he plays forward.
“It helps my hands,” said Cockerill, adding it also helps him “to know what (forwards) are thinking.”
“I think it’s just me,” Cockerill added when asked if this was something he picked up from other players. “Defense, I’m good at it but in the summer I can do all those things I would never do in a game, like go between my legs.”
Cockerill will now head back to Boston and play in a summer league in Foxborough (Patriots’ territory) that includes Brian Boyle, Chris Kreider, Jack Eichel and Kevin and Jimmy Hayes.
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Miles Wood, who made his NHL debut in the Devils’ season finale was listed in the camp directory as 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. Just sitting next to the fourth-round pick in the 2013 draft, it was easy to see those dimensions are off.
The 6-1 is correct but Wood skated at 210 pounds at camp, down from the 220 he skated at as a Boston College freshman in his one collegiate season and which he believes is too heavy to maintain the way he wants to play. Not that he’s out of shape. Quite the contrary. Wood plays a typical power forward’s game and seems to have the muscular core strength to accommodate that.
And playing in that one NHL game has given Wood good insight into exactly how strong he’ll need to be in the NHL.
“This is my fourth year here (at camp) so I know what to expect on the ice and off the ice,” Wood said. “(The one NHL game) was huge for me just to see the size of the players, the speed of the game. I was also fortunate to play in the World Championships and I’m super excited for my first training camp here. I’m super excited heading into my first year. Acquiring a player like Taylor Hall and having Cory Schneider long term in goal, the future for the Devils is super bright. Hopefully I’ll be part of that.
“I’ll just continue to play my game,” Wood added. “They want a strong, power forward to help the team. Heading into (training) camp, my goal is to be on the NHL team, not the AHL team.”
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First-round pick Michael McLeod scored the first goal for Red. The other two goals were scored by defenseman Scott Savage, in on a tryout before heading back to Boston College for his senior season.
“That doesn’t happen too often as a defenseman,” Savage said. “It was good to take advantage of the opportunity. I get the opportunity to showcase myself.
“Obviously, I learned a lot (this week),” Savage added. “I’m trying to take in all the off-ice stuff.”
A big part of the camp is letting the prospects know what the expectations are for pro hockey players and how they must take care of themselves. Some of that is information on workouts. But a lot of the discussion was about nutrition and proper sleeping habits, as well.
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Forward J.D. Dudek had a goal and an assist for White. A sixth-round pick in the 2014 draft by the Devils, the center remains unsigned as he returns for his sophomore season at Boston College.
“It was great,” Dudek said of Saturday’s scrimmage. “We had it real easy because we were a real close-knit team. It was a lot of college guys.”
Dudek said beyond his hockey skills, he believes he showed the Devils something else as well.
“I think I showed a different side of me, competitiveness-wise,” Dudek said. “Fitz (Tom Fitzgerald) harped on having a competitive edge. I want to get quicker and faster with the puck so I get can more time and space and get away from defenders. I’m working on that.”