The New Jersey Devils are a team built on tradition. They still have the same traditional Devils “defense first” philosophy. They are once again building a team around a Vezina caliber goaltender. They also still like to bring in forwards who have good offensive skill, but are reliable defensively. The only forward remaining from the organization’s first Stanley Cup is Patrik Elias. He is the organization’s all-time leader in goals (406), assists (611) and points (1,017).
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The 17-year veteran is also now 39-years old and approaching the final year of his contract with New Jersey. Similar to the end of
Martin Brodeur‘s career,
Patrik Elias‘s skills have diminished noticeably and it seems time is running out. How much longer Elias will try to play is unknown, but the bigger question is how much longer he can keep producing at the NHL level?
“Again, points, this year it wasn’t where I wanted it to be, but it was like that for the whole team. So, we all have to be better.” – Patrik Elias
In his prime, Patrik Elias was fast, shifty and was a play-maker on the ice. However, Elias has now slowed down and isn’t able to make the same plays he once did. With not a lot of scoring support around him, his productivity dropped considerably this season with only 13 goals and 21 assists. He did finish tied for 3rd on the team in points, but that isn’t saying much due to the team’s struggles. Patrik Elias registered his lowest point ever (when playing a full season) and was also a +/- rating of -20 this year.
I know other fans including myself want to see Patrik Elias finish his career strong, but it’s starting to seem doubtful that will happen. Now with former GM Lou Lamoriello moving on in favor of Ray Shero, Elias will be working with a different GM for the first time in his career. Does this mean that Elias wants out of New Jersey? From his comments via an interview with Tom Gulitti it appears he’ll stay with the Devils as long as he’s wanted.
"“I still do. I really do,” he said. “I believe that when I play with the right players in the right situations, I can still produce. I feel good. Sometimes at this age it takes a little bit longer to (recover from injuries). But, I enjoy the game and I know that I can still be creative and I still have fun and enjoy it. … I don’t have to prove myself for people to know that I can play in any situation – PK, power play. I know that. I know that I can."
What plans Ray Shero has for Elias and the rest of the roster remains to be seen. He’s already re-signed Jordin Tootoo and had Lamoriello extend Keith Kinkaid for two years. With one year left on Elias’ current deal and a full no-trade clause, this will be a big year for Patrik. If Shero doesn’t want to move him (which I believe is the case) then he will have to show everyone he can still be a key part of this team. You have to believe the Devils will improve somewhat next season, so Elias should be able to bounce back.
How much can Patrik Elias potentially bounce back? I believe he is capable of numbers similar to his 2013-2014 season in which he had 53 points. I would expect Patrik Elias to put up around 15-20 goals and around 20-30 assists. If he were to have at 40 point season I’d deem it a successful season given his age. Whether or not he will return after this year depends mainly on his play this year and the state of the organization. Here’s to hoping Patty can give the Devils a good year next season based on what he has left.