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New Jersey Devils: Will They Have a 25-Goal Scorer?

By Corey Spina

Apr 7, 2016; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Matt Taormina (20) battle for the puck during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2016; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Matt Taormina (20) battle for the puck during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /
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In a year where the New Jersey Devils aren’t last in the NHL in scoring, (tied for 26th) it certainly doesn’t feel that way with nobody on the Devils on pace for a 30-goal season let alone a 25-goal season.

Last season the New Jersey Devils had two players who posted 30-goal years albeit them both coming in the last game of the season against, at the time, the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs. Those players would be Adam Henrique and first-year Devil Kyle Palmieri. With more than half the year completed, Henrique has posted 10 goals while Palmieri only has nine. They’re not very far off the team lead though as training camp walk-on P.A. Parenteau leads the team with only 12.

Who Can Score 25 Goals?

It begs the question now of whether or not the Devils will even have a 25-goal scorer this season. It really comes down to how the team plays over second half of the season and there’re a lot of question marks. I could see Taylor Hall having a shot at it just because of how dynamic he is when he has the puck, but 10-game scoreless streaks aren’t going to help him in that department.

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After Hall, it’s really up in the air. Henrique is a very hot and cold type of player, so how many times can he get hot with less than half the season remaining. Palmieri has been pretty cold for the majority of the year, so I see him finishing between 18-22, but not 25. Same goes for Parenteau as he’s recently scored a couple of goals in bunches so I see him finishing around that number as well.

Unlikely Candidates

Players who have a very slim chance are Mike Cammalleri and Travis Zajac, who have 10 and nine respectively. In Cammalleri’s case, I think he’s playing some of the worst hockey in his career. He’s trying to do these fake slapshots to throw defenders off and he wires the puck from all different angles trying to get lucky like he did in the Devils win against Carolina.

If he get’s 20 goals I’ll be shocked, and remember that after he came back from taking care of his daughter he scored half of his total goals this year in a 5-game span and was a player of the week because of it.

With Zajac I don’t think there’s a chance either. He looked really good at the start of the year, but a third of his goals came in one game against the Chicago Blackhawks where he had a hat trick. He scored a nice goal the other nice in Edmonton, but goals for Zajac come far and few between so like Cammalleri, if he gets to 20 that would be a very nice accomplishment.

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As for everyone else, nobody has more than five goals, but Miles Wood is showing Devil fans what he’s all about and just needs to finish more on his opportunities.

While unlikely, I certainly hope that at least one Devil breaks that mark this year as it will be a positive in a season that went downhill far too fast.

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