The New Jersey Devils announced on September 5, 2025, that they had signed four players to professional tryout contracts ahead of training camp: forwards Kevin Rooney and Luke Glendening, along with goaltenders Georgi Romanov and Adam Scheel.
In net, the Devils already feature two proven veterans. This offseason, the team re-signed Jake Allen to serve as backup to Jacob Markstrom, who has been a reliable starter in recent years. Together, Markstrom and Allen form one of the NHL’s stronger tandems, each capable of stepping up when called upon.
That said, both goalies carry injury histories. While one can typically fill in when the other is sidelined, the situation becomes complicated if both are injured at the same time. In those cases, New Jersey has often turned to Nico Daws of the Utica Comets.
Daws has filled in several times over the past few seasons, but his team rights expire after next year. If the Devils want to capitalize on his trade value, their window is closing. They could also opt to re-sign and promote him, but indications suggest that may not be the path they pursue.
Enter Scheel and Romanov, two goaltenders brought in on PTOs to bolster training camp competition.
Adam Scheel, 26, is a six-foot-four netminder who went undrafted but has spent the past few years in both the AHL and ECHL. He also represented Team USA at the U17 and U18 levels in 2016–17. Though he has yet to make his NHL debut, Scheel is looking to break through with the Devils, or at least earn a spot in the AHL, ready for a call-up if needed.
Georgi Romanov also went undrafted but has already seen NHL action with the San Jose Sharks. In 2023–24, he appeared in two games, facing 30 shots and posting a .967 save percentage. Last season, he played eight more games, stopping 219 shots but finishing with an .877 save percentage. His career record currently stands at 0–6, and he is still chasing his first NHL win—something he hopes to achieve this year in red and black.
With training camp opening September 10, both Scheel and Romanov will be players to watch. While Markstrom and Allen have the top two spots secured, the door is open for one of the PTO goaltenders to make an impression and possibly work their way into the lineup over the course of the 2025–26 season.
