New Jersey Devils Will Need Depth Scoring to Make Playoffs
If the New Jersey Devils have any chance at making the playoffs this season, they will need improved secondary scoring.
The Devils finished dead last in scoring this past season at 2.22 goals per game. They also finished last in shots per game at 24.4. With a new influx of talent on offense, that should change this upcoming season. But, the team can’t rely solely on their top 6, or 4, for that matter, if they expect to make their first playoff appearance in four years.
Newly acquired Taylor Hall had 26 goals last season with Edmonton. He’s going to score goals. So will Mike Cammalleri, if he can stay healthy. Kyle Palmieri had 30 goals last season, as did Adam Henrique. And, there’s no reason either player can’t eclipse that number this season playing with more talent around them. These top 4 are going to produce, so don’t worry about that. Worry about the rest of the forwards. If the Devils are going to make any sort of playoff push and get to that next level, they need other guys to chip in. This team will absolutely need production from the bottom 6 forwards to make that next step. Yes, this may seem like a fairly obvious observation for a team that was worst in the league in scoring goals. Just consider how bad the Devils were even strength. If they didn’t have a solid power play, which was 9th best in the league, you’re looking at one of the worst offensive teams in the history of the NHL.
If you remember, the Devils were actually very much in the hunt for a wildcard spot for at least the first half of last season. Then the wheels came off. Mike Cammalleri got hurt. Lee Stempniak was traded while leading the team in scoring. After Cammy, Palmieri, Henrique and the departed Stempniak, the Devils got absolutely no offensive output from their depth players. Their names might as well have been left off of the scoresheet. Luckily, Devante Smith Pelly returned value at the trade deadline and provided a scoring punch after joining the team, but the rest of the roster was non-existent. That’s what happens when your 3rd and 4th line are borderline NHL players.
There’s good news though. Ray Shero has trimmed the fat and the Devils will have much more ammo to work with this year, as our colleague David Iwanowski explained here. Smith-Pelly is back and will be the “garbage man” in front of the net on the third line. Joseph Blandisi and Reid Boucher now have a year of NHL experience under their belt and could be ripe for a breakout year. Pavel Zacha is coming in to training camp with a ton of potential and an NHL-ready body and skillset. Beau Bennett is in a career make-or-break year, and so is Jacob Josefson.
You hope that adding a player like Taylor Hall and having Cammalleri healthy again will take some of the pressure off of guys like Josefson, who was probably playing in a role that he didn’t fit or deserve due to injuries and a real lack of talent on the roster. It’s the same deal for Sergey Kalinin, who is still trying to carve out a role on the team after only one season in the NHL. The veteran presence of another newcomer, Vern Fiddler, will help take pressure off these young guys as well. Hey, maybe Travis Zajac will actually earn his money this year! And don’t forget, Patrik Elias still may return for another season too.
When it comes down to it, the more depth on the roster, the more options John Hynes has to work with. It’s important that the bottom 6 actually produces though, rather than just showing up and punching the clock. For the first time in a long time, those players won’t feel safe that they have a roster spot secured. And they shouldn’t. With prospects like Miles Wood, John Quenneville, and even 2016 first round pick Michael McLeod in the pipeline, no one should be safe. If you don’t contribute, enjoy playing in Albany.
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Ray Shero has put the Devils in a much better position to score more goals and win. With more depth options and versatility on the roster this season, it already looks great on paper; it’s just a matter of translating on the ice. If the bottom 6 can produce goals, a playoff berth will be realistic. Of course, this isn’t going to be the only factor that will take the Devils to the next level. But, for a team that has struggled to score goals in a big way the past few seasons, it is crucial.