What Should We Expect from The Devils This Season?
Once again, the New Jersey Devils were sellers at the trade deadline, missing the post-season for 7th time in the last 8 seasons. In that time, the Devils have selected 61 players in the NHL Entry Draft, hoping to build for the future.
However, of those 61 players, only 6 are currently everyday NHLers for the Devils. There are a decent number of prospects who will look to make the jump to full-time status in the Devils lineup this season. They include Ty Smith, Jesper Boqvist, Yegor Sharangovich, Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod, and Nathan Bastian.
The opening night roster is all but set at this point, including the 4-6-man taxi squad. However, this is what the roster will look like without Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. Bratt, who just signed a 2-year deal, must still travel from Sweden and then quarantine upon arrival. Hischier is still rehabbing a foot injury. The roster should look something like this:
Forwards
Nikita Gusev - Jack Hughes – Kyle Palmieri
Andreas Johnsson – Travis Zajac – Pavel Zacha
Janne Kuokkanen – Jesper Boqvist – Yegor Sharangovich
Miles Wood – Michael McLeod – Nathan Bastian
Defense
Ryan Murray – PK Subban
Ty Smith – Damon Severson
Will Butcher – Dmitry Kulikov
Goalies
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Extras
(D) Connor Carrick, (D) Sami Vatanen, (F) Mikhail Maltsev or (F) Nolan Foote
Taxi Squad
(F) Nick Merkley, (G) Gilles Senn, (D) Matt Tennyson, (D) Colton White, (F) Mikhail Maltsev or (F) Nolan Foote
Now, of course, once Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt are ready to re-enter the lineup, the forward group will be shuffled around and will ultimately become deeper.
So, what should we expect to see from the Devils this year?
Well, the division re-alignment did them absolutely no favors. The East division is by far the best out of the 4. Combined with the issues of missing Bratt and Hischier, as well as the retirement of goalie Corey Crawford, the Devils could be in for a long season.
The only thing I want to see as a Devils fan is a step in the right direction. Be competitive in every game, and not overwhelmed. I want to see growth from the young guys, especially Jack Hughes. I want an NHL caliber back-up who can give Blackwood the night off and not worry about getting blown out.
Additionally, I fully expect Nico Hischier, once healthy, to be the leader both on and off the ice for this team. He plays a very talented 200-foot game and makes everyone around him better. I believe he still has a lot of room for growth as well.
However, I am not holding my breath. Realistically, I expect the Devils to finish towards the bottom of the East Division. Yes, of course, anything is possible this season. But the Devils have not played a regular season game in almost a full calendar year. 2 weeks of practice and conditioning doesn’t get you all the way back to game speed. A veteran team like the Boston Bruins who, made the playoffs and only had a 3-month break, should have no problem getting right back into the swing of things. The New Jersey Devils will likely not have the same fate.
What has to happen for the Devils to make the playoffs this season?
Ultimately, the Devils would need a lot to go their way. A stellar season in goal, paired with a breakout year from Jack Hughes and the offense is a good place to start. But even then, they would need a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Washington Capitals to have a down year and miss the playoffs.
I asked fellow Devils fan and WYExpect? Writer Brett Bodner for his thoughts and expectations for this season.
“I honestly have no clue now. I feel like goaltending will dictate so much of how this season goes, right? I just want them to be not awful. I just want to see them take a step forward towards being a winning team again.”
The New Jersey Devils have made 25 draft selections over the last 3 years. That means two things. First, they have been near the bottom of the league standings during that time. Second, they have constantly been sellers at the trade deadline because they have not been making the playoffs.
That needs to change.