On today’s New Jersey Devils Daily, Taylor Hall wants to help his top overall pick teammate Nico Hischier, what’s happening with the Devils restricted free agents and what teams the Devils could look to exploit.
Dave McCarthy with NHL.com spoke with Taylor Hall about another top overall pick Nico Hischier. He talks about the increased pressure after great seasons from Connor McDavid and Austin Matthews. One thing he talks about that seems to get overlooked is his desire to make the playoffs. Hall didn’t play in any international tournament this offseason, so he was likely forced to watch other teams fight for the Stanley Cup. The Devils need to make the postseason before his contract ends if they want a chance to keep him.
Hall, Devils to lighten Hischier’s load in first NHL season
Chris Ryan with NJ.com talks about the restricted free agents the Devils still need to re-sign. Obviously, Damon Severson is the big fish of that group, but the other players could play a pivotal role this season. Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen will be expected to play key roles on the bottom six. Mirco Mueller is still unsigned after the Devils traded for him. There’s still work to be done for Ray Shero this offseason.
Restricted free agents the Devils still need to sign
Alex Potts with All About the Jersey talks about the realistic expectations coming from Nico Hischier’s first season. It’s almost a guarantee at this point that he will play a majority of the season in the NHL. Almost every top-overall picks start the season in the NHL. Most of the time, that’s because the teams aren’t very good. Thus why that team chose first overall. The Devils have plenty of spots to fit Hischier into their lineup.
Stats From Recent First Pick Forwards
Mike Luci with Devils Army Blog looks at some of the teams the Devils can exploit. There are a few teams who are really close to the cap, and the Devils can use its assets to take some great players off that team’s hands. An interesting move in the article is the Devils trying to get Mike Green from the Detroit Red Wings. He would be much closer to a BandAid over a true fix on the blue line, but he would be great for this season. He’s not the player he once was, but he’s still a great asset.