One of the staples of Ray Shero';s tenure as New Jersey Devils general manager
has been building from within the organization. That plan was on display last
week during the Devils'; development camp. After staying quiet in free agency,
the organization will be counting on some of those prospects to make the NHL.
Here are six players from last week';s camp who will be competing for NHL spots
 in September.John Quenneville (Forward)

A former first-round pick in 2014, Quenneville completed what was likely his
final development camp with the Devils. He barely missed the cut in 2017 and
should be a leading candidate to grab a spot up front once training camp
begins. After a disappointing season marred by injuries, Quenneville has been
hard at work this summer.

"Definitely working on my conditioning, working on my fitness level,"
Quenneville told Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media. "Like any (summer), you';re
rebuilding everything. I';m working on my skating, I';m working on my shooting,
 I';m working on my offensive tactics. I';m working on everything. Every player
 needs to work on that."John Quenneville will look to make his NHL breakthrough
 once training camp begins in September. (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)

Despite playing in just 43 games, Quenneville totaled 34 points (including 26
primary points) with the Binghamton Devils (AHL) in 2017-18. That would';ve put
 him on pace for 60 points in a full 76-game AHL season. There';s no doubt the
Devils could use another forward with offensive ability, and Quenneville has
the skill to provide that. With a strong training camp and preseason, he should
 be able to break into the NHL come October.Michael McLeod (Center)

The 12th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, McLeod will begin his first
full pro season in September. He was limited in 2017-18 due to a torn meniscus
he suffered in the preseason. Once he returned to Mississauga (OHL), he totaled
 44 points in 38 games. He finished the season with the Binghamton Devils,
tallying one assist in six games.From the THW Archives: Devils Select McLeod
12th Overall

After a down year in the OHL, McLeod could benefit from a bit of seasoning in
the AHL. The Devils are in good shape at center with Nico Hischier, Pavel
Zacha, and Travis Zajac. McLeod will get his chance there, but if he cracks the
 NHL roster, he may begin as a right-winger. The Devils have a need there and
could get some depth in their middle-six with McLeod.Ty Smith (Defense)

Smith was the Devils'; first-round selection less than a month ago but was one
of the most impressive prospects last week. The young defenseman showed off his
 skating ability, as well as his decision-making with the puck. He concluded
development camp with a hat-trick in the Red vs. White scrimmage at the
Devils'; practice facility on Saturday.

The team could use a defenseman with a left-handed shot, such as Smith. If Will
 Butcher moves up a pair, the Devils could use Smith in a similar role to
Butcher last season. Butcher was put in offensive situations while being kept
out of tough defensive minutes, which would benefit Smith.Ty Smith was one of
the Devils'; best prospects at their 2018 development camp. (Photo by Jerome
Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

Smith will have to earn his spot on the Devils'; NHL roster. There';s a long
way to go before concluding he';ll be playing on opening night, and there';s no
 need to rush him. That said, he took a step forward with his performance in
development camp. He';ll need to build on what he did last week with a strong
training camp and preseason. If his preseason is as impressive as his
development camp, he';ll have a strong case to play in the NHL. At the very
least, the Devils could give him a nine-game audition before returning him to
Spokane in the WHL.Joey Anderson (Right Wing)

Anderson has put together an impressive résumé in his time as a Devils';
prospect. He won a national title with the University of Minnesota-Duluth this
past spring, finishing his NCAA career with 64 points in 75 games. He also has
gold and bronze medals with Team USA from the 2016-17 and 2017-18 World Junior
Championships.

The Devils have an opening or two at right-wing, which should give Anderson a
good shot at making the team. He';s a sound two-way forward, which is something
 Devils head coach John Hynes looks for in his players. Even if he doesn';t
make the Devils'; opening night roster, it shouldn';t be too long before we see
 him in the NHL.Brett Seney (Left Wing)

Seney may not have the shine as prospects such as Smith, McLeod, and
Quenneville. However, that doesn';t mean you shouldn';t be keeping a close eye
on him. A sixth-round pick in 2015, he finished his NCAA career with 115 points
 in 139 games for Merrimack College. After signing his entry-level contract in
March, he joined Binghamton, where he finished with eight points in 12
games.Brett Seney could prove to be another late round gem. (Photo Credit:
JustSports Photography / Binghamton Devils)

At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Seney makes up for lack of size with his strong
skating ability. Based on his NCAA production, he has some offensive punch,
too. The Devils are in good shape at left-wing with Taylor Hall, Marcus
Johansson, Blake Coleman, and Miles Wood. That could force Seney to play on his
 off side, where the Devils have openings. He had a strong development camp and
 will make a push during the preseason. Seney may be a dark horse for opening
night but could be the Devils'; first call-up from the AHL, especially if
there';s an injury or two. It shouldn';t be a surprise to see him in the NHL at
 some point in 2018-19.Related: Brett Seney Ready For Next StepBlake Speers
(Right Wing)

A third-round pick in 2015, the Devils'; brass thinks highly of Speers. He made
 the team out of training camp in 2016 and played in three games before being
returned to the OHL. He has World Junior experience, capturing a silver medal
with Canada in 2016-17.

Despite the accolades, Speers struggled in his first pro season in Binghamton,
where he had 19 points in 62 games. He admitted to Binghamton head coach Rick
Kowalsky that the transition from the OHL to the AHL was much harder than he
expected. "The first thing he said to me, 'I had no idea how hard this league
was,'" Kowalsky told Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media. "'I literally thought I
was going to come down to the American League for two weeks or a month, then be
 an NHL player.'"Blake Speers will look to bounce back after a tough 2017-18.
(Photo Credit: New Jersey Devils/Patrick Dodson)

Speers performed well at last week';s development camp and will have every
opportunity to make the Devils'; final roster. He may not be an elite offensive
 player but can provide depth as a right-wing in the team';s middle-six. Speers
 - along with Quenneville, Anderson, McLeod, and Seney - will be vying for a
limited amount of opportunities up front. If he outperforms them, he';ll have
earned his spot on the opening night roster.

The post 6 Devils Prospects Who Could Make the Roster appeared first on The
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