New Jersey Devils Mid-Term Report Card

Jan 8, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; New Jersey Devils co-coach Adam Oates (left) and general manager Lou Lamoriello (right) on the bench during the third period against the Boston Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden. The Boston Bruins won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

It is no secret that the New Jersey Devils as a whole have by far fallen short of expectations this season, but how has each unit fared thus far?

With a 17-22-8 record, sitting in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division, there have been some serious issues with the on-ice product, but also the coaching staff and front office.

Today, we break down the Devils unit-by-unit, grading each of the team’s aspects on a individual basis:

• Offense
• Defense
• Goaltending
• Special Teams
• Coaching
• Front Office

We begin with New Jersey’s offensive unit.

Next: New Jersey Devils' Offense

Defense

Oct 28, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman Andy Greene (6) skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 8-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The New Jersey Devils’ defense has been less than stellar this season.

New Jersey currently ranks 21^st in the National Hockey League in total goals allowed with 128 in 47 games, while ranking 20^th in the league with an average of 2.72 goals allowed per game. While it’s not horrendous, it is not anything to be proud of.

For what it’s worth, the New York Islanders, the top team in the Metropolitan Division at the All-Star break, have also allowed 128 goals this season. But in contrast to New Jersey, the Islanders counteract that by ranking second in the NHL in total goals scored.

But it seems as if it has been a tale of two seasons for the Devils defensive corps.

In the season’s first quarter, New Jersey’s defense ranked among the worst of the worst. But coincidentally, when Captain Bryce Salvador suffered an injury that has kept him sidelined since November 10, the Devils defensive play picked up drastically, and even more so over their past 11 games under their new coaching regime.

New Jersey has seen several bright spot emerge on defense this season, including Damon Severson, and although the 20-year-old rookie has missed the past 15 games while nursing an ankle injury, scored four goals and added eight assists, showing that he can be a very solid addition to the Devils blue line for years to come.

Additionally, Adam Larsson, who failed to see consistent playing time under former coach Peter DeBoer, has emerged as one of the Devils’ best defensemen of late. The former fourth overall pick had four points in 18 games prior to the coaching change. Larsson has responded to the change by tallying five points in the past 11 games, all while averaging more than 20:00 of ice time in each of those 11 games.

Although the future is bright for the Devils’ young defensive corps, this is a league where the present is the only time that matters, and the statistics do not lie. The Devils continue to show inconsistencies on the blue line, which are partially to blame for their record halfway through the season. The Devils allow too many goals per game – and more importantly, too many shots per game at 30.4, ranking in the league’s bottom-third. New Jersey’s poor defensive play has been a recipe for disaster.

Mid-Term Grade: D

Next: New Jersey Devils' Goaltending

Goaltending

Nov 18, 2014; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; New Jersey Devils goalie Cory Schneider (35) makes a save on Winnipeg Jets forward Matt Halischuk (15) during the first period at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

Cory Schneider has often been the subject of criticism this season for the New Jersey Devils, but realistically speaking, Schneider and backup Keith Kinkaid have both played much better than people give them any credit for.

Schneider’s stat line may seem pedestrian at best, with a goals against average of 2.41 and a save percentage of .920, ranking 18^th and 13^th in the league in those categories, respectively. But what is hidden in those statistics is the fact that Schneider leads the league in the following categories:

• Games Played – 41
• Time On Ice – 2,337 minutes
• Shots Faced – 1,169
• Saves Made – 1,075

Schneider ranks second in the NHL with 19 losses this season, and receives a lot of flak from fans for allowing the fifth-most goals in the league at 94. But when you take into consideration that teams have fired at will at the Marblehead, MA native this season, in part because of the Devils’ defensive inability to contain opposing offenses, Schneider’s play has been spectacular.

Kinkaid has done a respectable job coming in to serve as Schneider’s backup, as well. The 25-year-old has posted a .913 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average in nine games, pretty much in line with what you can expect from a backup.

Overall, the Devils’ netminders have been excellent, and have given the team a chance to win on a nightly basis, despite the offense’s inability to score.

Mid-Term Grade: A-

Next: New Jersey Devils' Special Teams

Special Teams

Oct 14, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Mike Cammalleri (23) scores a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Amalie Arena. New Jersey Devils defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

For a good chunk of the season’s first two months, the New Jersey Devils’ penalty kill unit was atrocious, and that would be putting it politely.

The unit hovered under a 70 percent success rate for quite some time, directly resulting in the Devils losing game, after game, after game. But since Bryce Salvador was injured and no longer a part of the Devils’ penalty kill (again, coincidentally enough), the Devils’ penalty kill unit has seen a stark improvement.

Through 47 games, New Jersey’s penalty kill success rate sits at 79.5 percent, ranking 20^th in the NHL. Considering how poor the unit was as a whole, to be where they are now is very impressive. By no means is this a good number, as the Devils penalty kill has consistently been a top-10 unit over the past several seasons. But there is no doubt that it has improved.

As for the power play unit, it has been quietly very good. While it seems like the Devils don’t capitalize on power play opportunities often, their 20.9 percent success rate is good enough for ninth in the league. Mike Cammalleri has been a large part of the success, as he ranks tied for sixth in the NHL with six power play goals this season.

While the Devils began the season on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of penalty kill and power play success, the more recent accomplishments of the penalty has made New Jersey’s special teams units one of their strong suits.

Mid-Term Grade: B

Next: New Jersey Devils' Coaching

Coaching

Nov 1, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils head coach Peter DeBoer watches the action during the first period of their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The New Jersey Devils’ coaching conundrum has been looming over this team since the latter portion of October, when the team seemingly forgot how to play hockey. Following their 3-0-0 start, they either couldn’t score, couldn’t prevent teams from scoring, or combination of both.

More importantly, the team couldn’t stay out of the penalty box, which hindered their ability to play an offensive game. The Devils have been shorthanded 166 times this season in 47 games, fourth-most in the league.

If a team is strategically flawed, and undisciplined to boot, something is wrong not only with the on-ice product, but with the coaching staff as well. Unfortunately, it took Lou Lamoriello 36 games to realize the team needed to replace Peter DeBoer as head coach, putting the Devils in a hole that they will most likely not be able to climb out of this season.

Following the coaching switch, there seemed to be a change in the culture on the ice. The Devils have played a more fast-paced game with Adam Oates running the offense and special teams, and a much more physical game on defense with Scott Stevens at the helm. Although the Devils are 5-5-1 in 11 games under the new leadership, the jury is still out on the Devils’ coaching regime.

New Jersey hasn’t gained any ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race since the switch was made, which leaves no reason to believe the Devils’ coaching staff has succeeded in any way, shape, or form this season.

Mid-Term Grade: D

Next: New Jersey Devils' Front Office

Front Office

Aug 8, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello speaks at a press conference at Yankee Stadium. Two outdoor regular-season NHL games will be played at Yankee Stadium during the 2013-14 season as part of the 2014 Stadium Series. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Lou Lamoriello has been the general manager of the New Jersey Devils for a long time, since 1987 to be exact. And in that time, he has done some great things, helping bring three Stanley Cup championships to the Garden State.

But over the last three seasons or so, Lamoriello seems to have “lost his touch” so-to-speak, as the Devils have lost some of their biggest players – although, some not at fault of Lamoriello (see: Ilya Kovalchuk) – and have not done all that much to replace them.

Within two years of New Jersey’s Stanley Cup run in 2012, the Devils lost their top three goal scorers from that season in Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, and David Clarkson. Did Lamoriello attempt to replace them? Yes, he did, by bringing in concussion-prone Ryan Clowe on a questionable five-year contract, Michael Ryder, who hasn’t produced much of anything during his time in New Jersey, and Damien Brunner, who isn’t even with the team anymore.

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Lamoriello’s only successful recent signings have been Mike Cammalleri, who leads the team in goals this season, and Jaromir Jagr, although he is not the player he once was at age 42. He took a flyer on Martin Havlat, who has shown he can still find the net, but like always, has been sidelined by injury for much of the season. Also, waiting until mid-way through the season to sign Scott Gomez from the “practice squad” if you will, now looks like a foolish decision by Lamoriello, as Gomez has become one of the better players on the team since playing everyday – tallying 16 points in 23 games.

Why are Lamoriello’s moves over the past several years important now? They have culminated in the Devils being a team built with third and fourth line players. A team constructed like this cannot survive in today’s fast-paced league.

But blame doesn’t fall solely on Lamoriello. The Devils haven’t drafted a successful NHL forward since they drafted Travis Zajac in 2004. Yes, they have drafted successfully on the defensive side, with picks like Adam Larsson, Damon Severson, and Mark Fayne to name a few, but ineffectively drafting on the offensive side of the puck shows the Devils’ are lacking in the scouting department, which is a glaring problem with the franchise’s departure from winning over the past three-plus seasons.

The bottom line is that Lamoriello has not done enough to make the Devils a competitive team, and exemplified the team’s issues on the ice, the failures of the front office over the past several seasons have come to a head this season.

Mid-Term Grade: F

Next: New Jersey Devils All-Star Break Report: Three Stars