Hynes to give rookie Jesper Boqvist a look in NHL debut


Devils rookie forward Jesper Boqvist makes his NHL debut tonight. AP Photo by Bruce Bennett via Getty Images

When the Devils take on the Sabres upstate later, there’ll be one change to the lineup. Coach John Hynes has decided to take a look at rookie Jesper Boqvist.

A second round pick taken number 36 in 2017, the 20-year old Swede had a good camp to make the roster. Now, he’ll make his NHL debut at Buffalo. In a bit of a surprise, Boqvist will play on a new line with Pavel Zacha and talented Russian Nikita Gusev, who scored in his first NHL game.

I guess that means Hynes wants to use Gusev in a different role for a game. He broke up the second line. Rookie Jack Hughes will likely center Jesper Bratt and Wayne Simmonds.

The Devils also received good news on starting goalie Cory Schneider, who departed last night’s game after the Winnipeg second goal with an injury. It sounds like the best case scenario.

Until he returns, Mackenzie Blackwood will likely start. He’ll man the net tonight.

About Derek Felix

Derek Felix is sports blogger whose previous experience included separate stints at ESPN as a stat researcher for NHL and WNBA telecasts. The Staten Island native also interned for or hockey historian Stan Fischler and worked behind the scenes for MSG as a production assistant on New Jersey Devil telecasts. An avid New York sports fan who enjoys covering events, writing, concerts, movies and the outdoors, Derek has covered consecutive Staten Island Yankees NY Penn League championships in '05 and '06. He also scored Berkeley Carroll high school basketball games from '06-14 and provided an outlet for the Park Slope school's student athletes. Hitting Back gives them the publicity they deserve. In his free time, he also attends Ranger games and is a loyal St. John's alum with a sports management degree. The Battle Of Hudson administrator and chief editor can be followed below on Twitter and Facebook.
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