NJ could sign him to an NHL contract whenever they want (when the lockout ends obviously), yeah. I'm not sure they want to, though - Whitney's a nice find for the minor league team, but he has a lot to overcome to be an NHL player.
What do you think he needs to overcome? I mean, I get his size is an issue. He is only 5'6 according to the Albany Devils website. But if we compare him to Brian Gionta who is an inch taller than Whitney (5'7) they are almost identical in weight. I think Gionta is a few pounds heavier. People always say that short players cannot make the NHL, but there are exceptions (even more now). When I watch Whitney I see a kid, who is small, but has the muscle to take hits, not get knocked off the puck *cough Tedenby*, has really good vision, and an above average offensive talent, yet nobody talks about this kid.
And i saw last night that he is 3rd on the A-Devs in points. 2 points behind JJ and has played 6 less games than him. Obviously points are not everything, but I don't really notice anything wrong with his defensive game either. To me he just seems like a great player who is just under appreciated because of his size.
Edited by njd3b1ink, 13 December 2012 - 10:49 AM.