The prominent Devils player who has yet to receive the vaccine has been named

Some interesting news coming out of New Jersey on Tuesday puts a name to the rumours that a "prominent player" on the team has yet to be vaccinated, which could cause some issues for the team this season.

According to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, that player is none other than goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood.

The obvious issue here is that, given the current border-crossing restrictions for unvaccinated individuals, Blackwood would likely not be able to play any games North of the border this season.

The Devils did sign former Detroit Red Wings backstop Jonathan Bernier during free agency this summer, which will still allow the Devils to ice a capable NHL goaltender for the games in Canada if Blackwood chooses not to receive the vaccine - however, if the injury bug happens to hit, it could have an impact on the Devils, who are expected to take a step forward this season.

While many had assumed that Blackwood's reasons for not being vaccinated were related to him being an "anti-vaxxer", according to the netminder, that isn't the case.

"First and foremost is health. Second of all the social impact it has on my teammates and myself. I care about every single person in that dressing room and I would never want to put them in a situation where I put them in a position to lose," Blackwood said on Tuesday.

"I have a couple of health concerns and health reasons why I'm working through it a little slower. I wanted to check off a couple of boxes, and not rush to do it. I've not decided one way or the other whether I'm doing it. I'm taking a little bit of extra time."

There is still plenty of time for Blackwood to receive the vaccine without missing any games, as the Devils are not expected to travel to Canada until early December.

The Devils are scheduled to play a total of 9 games in Canada this season.

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