VOORHEES – Let’s get this out of the way: Michael Del Zotto, Shayne Gostisbehere, Radko Gudas, Mark Streit and Nick Schultz are all locks to make the opening day roster.
That leaves Andrew MacDonald, Brandon Manning and the 19-year-old blue-chip prospect Ivan Provorov as the remaining three players competing for the final two open spots.
Or maybe not.
Head coach Dave Hakstol shined a light on what fans could very well be seeing when the final roster is trimmed down: eight defensemen.
“I think there is,” said Hakstol when asked about the possibility.