Eric Gelinas

Gelinas, 24, is part of a rising defense corps in New Jersey that also includes Adam Larsson (22) and Damon Severson (21), but after bursting onto the scene in 2013-14 with a 29-point campaign, he generally registered as a disappointment in his sophomore campaign. The 24-year-old still found twine six times, but he failed to hit 20 points and found himself as a healthy scratch on several occasions. While Gelinas saw his fortunes improve after the Devils fired coach Peter DeBoer and turned the reins over to a new staff, he'll still need to demonstrate in training camp that he can play soundly on both ends of the ice in order to earn a regular role on the blue line. Although the Devils lack star power up front, Gelinas is an excellent skater and a puck-moving blueliner who can make things happen in the open ice and on the power play. If he can avoid the spotty lapses in his own zone that often resulted in benchings, Gelinas could bounce back to the 25-to-30-point range in his third NHL season.