Connor Brown set for Devils season debut vs. Avalanche

Morning skate at The Rock started at 10:30, and the jersey colours gave away the lineup fast.

Amanda Stein

@amandacstein

Based on jersey colors today, I think Connor Brown is going to make his season debut for #NJDevils tonight. Noesen and Lombardi are in blue jerseys, designated as extras.

Brown has been out since before the opener. He reportedly picked up a lower-body injury in practice ahead of the opener and was ruled out for at least a week, which turned into him being stuck on injured reserve while the Devils played the first stretch of the season without him. When a guy on IR shows up in a regular-colour jersey at morning skate, he's playing. Getting a veteran who can play anywhere in the middle six back is a real boost for a forward group that has been patched together for weeks.

The extras tell the other half of the story. Lombardi and Noesen were both in blue, the colour for guys who aren't dressing, which points to Luke Evangelista going back in along with Brown.

Anthony Corona

@ACoronaNJD

Amadeus Lombardi in a blue jersey. Looks like he will not be in the lineup tonight. #NJDevils

Evangelista has missed 3 games with an illness and was limited in another, but he told reporters Monday he felt good, and Sheldon Keefe said he expected him to "give us a little push." Noesen was recalled when Brown went on IR, so him being the one to sit when Brown comes back makes sense. Lombardi going back to the press box is the price of a healthier roster.

The bigger relief came from 3 guys who weren't on the ice at all on Monday.

Amanda Stein

@amandacstein

Jesper Bratt, Cody Glass and Anthony Mantha are all on the ice for #NJDevils morning skate, all three missed practice yesterday.

Jesper Bratt has a nagging issue the team has been managing, and he skated on his own before Monday's session. Cody Glass is handling an injury that rest has helped. Anthony Mantha missed Monday with an illness, and his status for Colorado was up in the air. All 3 skating this morning is about as good a sign as you get before warmups. Losing Bratt in particular would have been a disaster against a team like the Avalanche.

So watch warmups tonight. If the jerseys were right, the Devils dress their most complete forward group of the season against one of the best teams in the league, and Keefe finally gets to see what this lineup looks like with Brown in it.