With a combined 1,624 NHL games to their credit, McGillis and Mogilny are a tangible presence in the locker room. Easy-going and good-natured McGillis quickly settled in with his new teammates.
On the day Mogilny arrived, several of the injured Rats crawled on to the home bench to watch practice; to catch a glimpse of the man in action.
"So far, they've got a great attitude, which is kind of surprising,” second-year goaltender Frank Doyle said. "You see someone like that who shouldn't be here come down, and they're doing everything they can to help us win. It's been tremendous for us."
In order to be recalled, both McGillis and Mogilny would have to clear NHL waivers again to be claimed by any team at half their salary. The Devils would be responsible for the other half, which would count against their cap, making a recall unlikely. A trade involving either or both players is possible, but at their age, in a game full of youth kept out of the majors for a year, it is also a dimming scenario.
"It's part of the new NHL," McGillis said. "It's something that we are all new to."
Said Mogilny: "You wish those guys to be playing in the major leagues, that's where they belong. But, with the new [collective bargaining agreement] that was put in place recently, I've got a feeling that more and more guys are going to end up like we do."
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