There are still contracts to be negotiated, waiver bargains to grab, but forward Petr Sykora and defenseman Anton Stralman appear to have made the Devils as tryouts.
Indications are that the Devils and Sykora are negotiating a contract, likely to be one year and less than $1 million.
In addition, general manager Lou Lamoriello confirmed what was obvious from the first exhibition game, that prize first-rounder Adam Larsson has made the team.
Those three are among the 23 (regular-season roster size) left in camp unaffected by yesterday’s demotions, waivers and release.
The apparent roster includes 14 forwards: Dainius Zubrus, Zach Parise, Nick Palmieri, David Steckel, Jacob Josefson, Ilya Kovalchuk, Mattias Tedenby, Eric Boulton, David Clarkson, Cam Janssen, Patrik Elias, Sykora, Brad Mills and Adam Henrique.
On defense, they have seven: Andy Greene, Henrik Tallinder, Bryce Salvador, Anton Volchenkov, Mark Fayne, Larsson and Stralman. Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg are the goalies.
They reached the potential 23 by waiving Jay Leach, Peter Harrold, Matt Corrente, Stephane Veilleux, Vladimir Zharkov, Tim Sestito, Rod Pelley and Mark Fraser. In addition, the team assigned goaltender Keith Kinkaid, and defensemen Matt Taormina and Alexander Urbom to Albany.
Also, Lamoriello said he will not be signing tryout left wing Steve Bernier.
Lamoriello said the roster is not final, and he has not decided about Mills and Henrique.
“Pelley, right now, with Boulton and Janssen, is not penciled in to play at this time,” Lamoriello said. “I’ll be surprised if he is not picked up simply because of what he brings to a team.”
Lamoriello still must sign Sykora and Stralman, both free agents.
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Coach Pete DeBoer replaced Jacobson with Zubrus as Kovalchuk’s center in practice yesterday. DeBoer said he’ll probably have one lefty defenseman playing the right side, a major improvement from recent seasons.
The Devils open the regular season Saturday, playing host to the Flyers . . . The Devils went 3-3 in preseason, their six points one less than they managed last year (2-1-3).