The Attempts
The Devils have endured a positive off-season. Just like in past years, Tom Fitzgerald has made attempts to improve his squad. It has backfired a few times with Corey Crawford retiring and Jonathan Bernier needing hip surgery. Fitzgerald won the off-season with Dougie Hamilton, but unfortunately, the Devils remained in the league’s basement.
Fitzgerald has been highly active this time around. His additions should improve the team’s success on the ice. Any big-name high-profile player has been linked to the Devils. A deal was almost struck with Johnny Gaudreau until Columbus came calling. But that is not all.
Matthew Tkachuk has been on the radar all off-season. After a missed attempt at the draft, the team circled back to attempt again. The Devils did not land the elite winger, and after the haul that the Panthers ultimately gave up, it was good that the Devils did not win the sweepstakes. It sounds crazy, but the Devils not landing Matthew Tkachuk was not the worst thing, and panic should not be set in.
The Star-Studded Trade
Despite Tkachuk being an elite talent and providing so much value in what he brings to the team, it is not the end of the world. The Flames received a haul from the Panthers for the talented winger and had to give up a lot. Not saying the Devils do not have those types of guys, but considering where the team is, it is not worth mortgaging everything for. The Devils had a solid offensive season, and even though the move would have made them better, it could have also set them back with the amount they would have had to part ways with. He also signed a seven-year contract with a $9.5 million AAV. The Devils only have $9 million in space and have to lock up a star winger of their own.
The Devils’ Forward Group
Could the Devils have benefited from the additions of Gaudreau and Tkachuk? Absolutely. One hundred-point players don’t grow on trees. But the Devils’ offense was the least of its problems last year. Despite being in the basement all season long, they were one of the better offensive groups in the league. The Devils finished top 10 in goals with 182. The ranked fifteenth in Corsi For Percentage with 50.52%. They ranked 19th in the league averaging 2.99 goals for per game. The Devils were creative and did well in transition and off the rush.
The team’s high-caliber core had a good season. Jesper Bratt was nearly a PPG player. Nico Hischier quietly had 60 points despite playing with inconsistent wingers. Jack Hughes only suited up in 49 games, but produced 56 points. Imagine an entire season of Hughes with the way he was playing.
Rookie Dawson Mercer had an excellent campaign registering 42 points. The team had six players reach the 40-point mark.
Overall, this was not a bad season offensively for the Devils. On a few occasions, the team saw vital players, such as Jack Hughes, go down with an injury. The team upfront lacked the necessary depth to overcome those injuries, and reinforcements were needed. The team battled brutal goaltending and insufficient defense and could not outscore those issues.
The Reinforced Group
The Devils have a great core in place. A youthful one that has a bright future and is worth building around. Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Dawson Mercer lay the foundation of the core group. And while Tom Fitzgerald bolstered the back end, this is all about the front end.
The Devils added Ondrej Palat to this group. His veteran presence will be appreciated. The superb two-way winger bolsters an already solid top-six unit. Palat finished with 18 goals, 31 assists, and 49 points. That kind of numbers would have helped the Devils last season and should help this season. He is not Tkachuk but the right player for this team.
The Devils acquired Erik Haula. This helps solve the third line center issue. If anyone also goes down with an injury, he is a guy that can slide up the lineup and provide what is lost. The Devils shuffled the lines a good bit and threw off the offensive dynamic. Haula had an excellent campaign while centering two all-star wingers in Boston.
Looking Ahead
Like Herb Brooks said in the movie Miracle, “I’m not looking for the best players, Craig; I’m looking for the right ones.”
The Devils are in a good position looking ahead. The Devils have a solid core group in place. The biggest thing going for them is the next off-season; the Devils will have a lot of cap space to work with. According to Cap Friendly, the Devils will have around $37 million to work with. The only forwards locked up are Hughes, Hischier, Palat, Mercer, and God willing, Bratt. The money will be there, and the work will need to be done by management.
The Devils have prospect Alexander Holtz waiting in the pipeline, and he could see NHL action and be ready to make his impact with the big club.
Losing out on the two biggest fish is not the world’s end. It would have been nice, but in hindsight, the Devils have a bright future to look forward to and a season to enjoy.
Palat-Hughes-Bratt
Sharangovich-Hischier-Mercer
Tatar-Haula-Holtz
Boqvist-McLeod-Bastian
There is no need to panic in Jersey; this team is on the rise. It is not a bad thing to look forward to; if this lineup can stay healthy, they can be a solid group overall. Based on the additions to the forward group and the back end, the team should be more competitive and could shock the hockey world.
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