Thursday, February 7, 2013
Matteau could stick
By Victoria Matiash
The next twelve hours could be huge for Stefan Matteau. Nursing an upper-body injury, Dainius Zubrus will take the night off when the New Jersey Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. And that's apparently clearing the way for Matteau to play a sixth game for the Devils -- which would activate the first year of his entry-level contract.
Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger reports Matteau skated on the Devils top line with Travis Zajac and David Clarkson in Thursday morning practice.
This doesn't mean the Devils won't send Matteau back to his junior team (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL) or the AHL (an option, since the 2012 first-rounder was drafted out of the the USA's National Team Development Program*) at some point. Only that the first contract-year would be burnt for good.
*Thanks to ESPN Insider Corey Pronman for that reminder
