Feb 16, 2016; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils center Adam Henrique (14) skates while wearing the team’s retro jerseys during the warmups for their game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Just to clarify, I’m not crazy or drunk. I’m not. So why am I stating that the New Jersey Devils is a dark horse team going into this season? It’s simple, they are better on the ice than what the teams look like on paper. Let’s break down this Eastern conference team, where they stand going into this year, and why I wholeheartedly believe they are the dark horse team in the East.
The Devils should be much improved this year.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS ~ This team stunk last year; it was hot garbage, there is no other way to say it. From their offensive performance to defensive play, special teams and finally goaltending, it was a bad display of what professional hockey should look like all around. So what changed between then and now? How could a team that was dead last in the Eastern Conference (70 points), third last in the league in scoring (180 goals forward or 2.20 G/Game) possibly be a dark horse this year? Two words, Ray Shero. Yes, the Devils are a dark horse this year thanks to the offseason moves made by GM (and probably part-time magician) Ray Shero.
The Devils had a lot of issues last year. Scoring and general offensive depth was a big one. It seemed like, if the top line wasn’t out on the ice, there was no threat of them to score. New Jersey needed scoring help. They needed a player that could come in and round out the top 6, produce, and provide that extra threat. Ray Shero went out and got not one, but two of those guys, one via trade, one via drafting.
When New Jersey won the draft lottery, it was the first time this franchise would get to pick first overall in their club history. They had a decision to make on who to draft with their pick, Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier. Many placed Nolan higher than Nico, others, the exact opposite. It was tough to pick one over the other, but I feel that Ray made the right decision in picking Nico Hischier. A dynamic player with excellent vision, hands, and speed, without the downside of dealing with previous and lingering injuries. Nico already looks to be an excellent addition to the Devils, being their main, solid 2nd line center and already showed his beautiful hands by scoring in his first preseason game.
Ray Shero made additional waves this postseason by going out and getting Marcus Johansson via trade from the salary cap stricken Washington Capitals. Marcus (nicknamed MoJo by Capitals and now Devils fans) is a very solid, young, talented forward that will bring versatility to the New Jersey Devils. Johansson is able to play on either wing as well as center and seems to be slotted to play with Henrique giving vital support to that second line. New Jersey finally has a top 6 that no matter who is on the ice, is a threat to light the lamp. With a solid top 6 lineup that includes Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique, Marcus Johansson and Nico Hischier, New Jersey’s goal production should go up dramatically.
Even though New Jersey’s offense was terrible last year, it wasn’t nearly as atrocious as their defense. My goodness, I didn’t think it was possible for defencemen to look more lost than some of the guys suiting up for the Devils. A lot of the time they looked slow and out of position, giving up shot after shot from high scoring positions (opponents scored on the Devils 244 times last year, the 2nd highest amount in the East). This year should and will be different. New Jersey had A TON of inexperienced, young defencemen last year, and it took a lot of games to find their right pairings and playstyles. With the previous year now under their belt, they should come into this season much improved. Damon Severson, Andy Green, Micro Mueller and Steven Santini all look like they can be a top 4 defensive group. The signing of highly sought-after free agent Will Butcher will definitely help flesh out the defensive side of the puck and allow New Jersey to hold up better against the more offensive hockey teams.
All in all, the New Jersey Devils will be better this year, possibly even pushing for a playoff spot. With a revamped and energized offense, they should be able to control the puck more, putting more shots at the enemy net, while at the same time limiting their opponent’s chances. If the Devils can do that, their defencemen will stay fresh, Schneider won’t have to stand on his head every other game, and they will score more goals leading to more W’s on the stat sheet. New Jersey is under the radar at the moment in the East, but come March/April, that may just be a different story.
