Devils coaches were surprised when forward prospect Blake Speers entered training camp last fall and made the NHL roster to start the season, but now they expect more of the same.
Coach John Hynes got another look at Speers earlier in July at the team's Development Camp, and he saw the same player with an added edge to his game.
"He's a relentless, relentless competitor, just in how he attacks everything he does," Hynes said. "There's more of the same now. We have the same drive, but you're seeing a player that's more experienced.