Devils in the Details - 9/20/23: Timo’s New Number Edition

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

To those who bought a No. 96 Timo Meier jersey: Sorry. Timo is now going with No. 28. You can get a 28% discount on a new jersey, and Timo will also be matching 28% of all No. 28 jersey sales during the first two weeks of the regular season in a donation to Hockey in New Jersey. [Devils NHL]

Lindy Ruff on what’s ahead for the goaltending, Luke Hughes and plenty more in this Q&A: “I think my message to Luke is to just continue to grow and learn the game, learn the NHL game. He got a quick taste. My expectation would be just to continue to get better, take it one game at a time. Don’t get ahead of yourself. You hear the phrase, ‘Be where your feet are’ a lot, and I think those are words to live by when it comes to Luke.” [NHL.com]

A spin through the roster with a question for each guy who looks to be with the Devils this season: [New Jersey Hockey Now]

The Athletic takes a look at player tiers in the NHL once again. At the top for the Devils, it’s no surprise: Jack Hughes. “He’ll continue asserting himself as the game-changer in New Jersey and one of the leading up-and-coming superstars in the league.” [The Athletic ($)]

You can’t argue with the guy:

Speaking of Nico, NHL Network’s ranking of the top 50 players in the league has the guy at No. 38: [NHL.com]

The team has announced its theme nights and giveaways for the season: [Devils NHL]

​​Hockey Links

Spittin’ Chiclets wraps up the whole Mike Babcock situation:

“Columbus Blue Jackets management admitted it made a mistake in hiring former head coach Mike Babcock, apologizing privately to players and publicly to critics.” [ESPN]

A trade:

“ESPN’s Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski caught up with dozens of star players at the NHL Player Media Tour near Las Vegas last week and asked all the pertinent questions: What team or player are they most excited to watch? Which current or former teammate will one day make a great coach or GM? What’s their go-to restaurant on the road? And what rule change would they enact if they could pick only one?” [ESPN]

“They are the lost generation for Olympic men’s ice hockey. Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak, Jack Eichel … the list goes on. They have been the face of their NHL teams and of the league itself for nearly a decade, but have not a single Olympic Games experience under their belt to show for it.” [The Athletic ($)]

Blues have a new captain:

What happens with guys like William Nylander, Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele, who are all going into the final year of their contracts? [TSN]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.