September is upon us. In some places the cool air is already setting in and summer is on it’s last legs. That only means we have a little over a month left before the first puck drops on the 2009-10 NHL season. Training camps are in full gear, rookies and prospects are fighting for a spot on rosters and newly signed players are gelling with their new mates. Yes, the new season is almost here and fellow Devil fans can erase that horrifyingly bad end to last season from the minds, in hopes of new success this year.
So what can you expect from the Devils this season? I can’t see into the future but I can certainly give you an idea of what should be expected from this squad. Well, we can start where all of our success ever comes from, and that is in between the pipes with our goal tending. Marty is coming off his first ever season in which an injury kept him off the ice for a considerable amount of time. The odds of that kind of thing happening again are very high and I expect him to come back and get a 40+ win season once more. The main thing with Brodeur will be how he responds from the finish in game 7 last year. I’m not saying the game was lost on him and him alone, however, the goal he gave up to let Carolina walk out of there was as soft as I have ever seen him give up in the playoffs. I don’t worry about him too much though, as he ages I worry more and more, but I still feel like he can win a Stanley Cup and have the Devils on his shoulder the majority of that run.
The biggest contribution to a goalies success is the defense in front of him. New Jersey doesn’t have the likes of Niedermeyer, Stevens, Rafalski or Danyko in front of Marty anymore, but that has been the case for years now, and he, and the rest of the team have done fine. Now, we have Oduya (signed to a new multi-year deal), Martin, Salvador and a youngster in Andy Greene. No, I did not mention Colin White because I do not feel like he has or ever will live up to the kind of potential he showed earlier on in his career, perhaps it’s all the injuries he has suffered. The Devils only gave up 209 goals all of last season, only Boston, San Jose and Minnesota let in fewer goals. The defense can still be improved however. Physical play is one aspect missing from the Devil defense and with a little more intensity and some bone crunching hits, it could really add to the core unit as well as the decisions opposing teams make when they enter the Devils zone. Another avenue which needs improvement is the offense in which the defense puts forth. Granted, it is not expected for a defenseman to be a goal scorer, but when Rafalski or Niedermeyer took the puck and rushed end to end with it, it set a tone for the rest of the team and really makes a difference. Johnny Oduya can be that player. He is a very skilled skater, handles the puck well and with a little work on his shot can certainly add to that aspect in which Jersey has been lacking.
Now, onto the most improved aspect of the team from a year ago, the offense. Yes, that’s right, the Devils offense was the most improved. They made huge leaps toward being a better team offensively last season, but that was under Brent Sutter. It has yet to be seen whether or not Jacques Lemaire will pull in the reigns a bit in order to be even better defensively. I doubt he will do that though. When he was here years ago, he instituted the trap because of the talent he was dealt with and it worked out. Now, the Devils have plenty of weapons that can snap the puck home. I expect New Jersey to build on what they accomplished last year from an offensive stand-point and be just as good, if not better. Granted, we will be without a few forwards, but those players were more role-players and not integral parts of the offense. The biggest loss will be Brian Gionta, as he set up a lot of plays and was a leader in assists. If the Devils have proven they are the best in the league at anything, it would be replacing guys with new ones. I can see Travis Zajac having an even bigger year then he did last campaign, when he had 20 goals. With a new deal signed over the summer, Travis is now a big time part of the Devils and I expect him to reach the 30 goal plateau this year and finish up with about 70 points in total. The other losses were our grinders, Madden and Rupp. They will be missed, but they are replaceable. With Madden gone, look for David Clarkson to become an even more important part of this team, as he will see more time on the penalty kill, as well as be given more ice time.
Their will certainly be a new feel to the players that will be on the ice for New Jersey this year, but the fact that the big boys are all still here makes it better for the younger guys who will be coming up. With Langenbrunner, Elias and now Shanahan back for the whole year, the Devils still have that veteran core a team needs to make a Cup run. I expect Elias to have a very big year this season, and think he will actually lead the team in goals, with Parise in a close second. Patrick is getting up there in age, but is at the perfect hockey age right now (33) to have the where-with-all on the ice, as well as deliver clutch plays at opportune moments. As for Langer, he had a career year last year, and Devil fans can not expect him to repeat that performance, but he will of course have his fair share of goals for the team and be the great leader he has shown he already is.
The young guys that will be getting their chances this year makes it an exciting time for Devil fans. Look for Nicklas Bergfors to have a breakout year for us, as he has spent time honing his skills in the minors and over seas. Bergfors is an all around player that can do a lot with the puck, so look for him to add to Jersey’s performance this year. Other players worth noting that will see some game time this season is Matt Halischuk, Petr Vrana, and Rod Pelley whom are all talented players and I will look forward to seeing them grow with the Devils organization.
All in all the Devils will have some work cut out for them in replacing those who have left us, but they have plenty of young guys to fill in those gaps and as long as the Devils have the all time wins leader in net, they always have a chance at a division title and a run at the cup.
Predictions for players:
Zach Parise: 41 goals, 56 assists
Patrick Elias: 52 goals, 33 assists
Jamie Langenbrunner: 20 goals, 42 assists
Brian Rolston: 24 goals, 18 assists
Travis Zajac: 33 goals, 40 assists
David Clarkson: 19 goals, 22 assists
Brendan Shanahan: 13 goals, 24 assists
Nicklas Bergfors: 12 goals, 21 assists
Martin Brodeur: 42 Wins, 2.49 GAA, 6 Shutouts