New Jersey Devils have started inviting unsigned

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1 With training camp just around the corner the New Jersey Devils have started inviting unsigned free agents to camp on a tryout basis.

Thus far winger Brian Gibbons Adam Henrique Jersey   and goaltender Anders Lindback have agreed to sign professional tryouts with the team. I wrote about Lindback a little bit on Thursday but I want to touch on the Gibbons PTO.

A lot of people think Gibbons was brought in because he s a former Pittsburgh Penguin http://www.devilsteamgear.com/patrik-elias-jersey-c-10.html, which could very well be true http://www.devilsteamgear.com/michael-cammalleri-jersey-c-8.html, but I think the Devils were smart to give him a look nonetheless.

Gibbons has played in 66 NHL games to date and has shown well in them despite limited opportunity. He has a respectable 23 points in those games and has been a fairly efficient point producer. Gibbons has averaged 1.61 points per 60 minutes of 5 v 5 play. Since Gibbons entered the league, for comparison sake, Drew Stafford http://www.devilsteamgear.com/ryane-clowe-jersey-c-9.html, Ryan Callahan and Mike Fisher have put up points at the same rate. Obviously over much larger sample sizes but it s clear Gibbons isn t a disaster offensively. He has also held his own in possession.

Gibbons may not make the team there is certainly a lot more competition than in recent years but he brings a lot of speed to the table and has performed well as a depth player in the past. Bringing him in for a look with no strings attached seems like a no brainer.

2 Of the 165 players to dress in a World Cup of Hockey pre tournament game only three players averaged fewer minutes than Kyle Palmieri ~10 30 per . If you look at players to dress in at least two games only one player has logged less minutes per game than Palmieri.

With Palmieri set to play a depth role, if he dresses at all, and Cory Schneider rotating between the 2nd and 3rd string goaltender the New Jersey Devils representatives essentially won t be seeing the ice. Practice against good competition would probably help shake the rust off but I m sure the Devils are quite content with two of their most important players sitting on the sidelines while other team s stars continue to get banged up.