Travis Zajac Still A Number One Center On New Jersey Devils
By Nick Villano
With some great prospects coming up at center, Travis Zajac has fallen under the radar. Despite the immense skill coming up, Zajac is still on the team’s top line.
The New Jersey Devils have been in the headlines for a majority of the offseason. Between a huge trade for Marcus Johansson, another Ilya Kovalchuk saga and Nico Hischier taking his first ice time in the Garden State, that’s all Devils fans could talk about.
When the Devils chose Hischier first overall in this year’s NHL Draft, fans couldn’t help but think of the possibilities. His speed would mix with some of the other young Devils that will crack the lineup. Whether it’s Miles Wood or Michael McLeod or Pavel Zacha, Hischier will fit in well. Many fans want Hischier to skyrocket to the top line, playing with Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri.
That would be a mistake, at least right off the bat. Yes, Hischier would bring a certain speed to the top line that Travis Zajac can’t, but what Zajac does best could bring out the best offensive features of Hall and Palmieri.
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First off, Zajac is a master faceoff winner. He was top 20 in the league in faceoff percentage. He took a total of 1617 faceoffs on the season. Only one other player had more in the top 20 (Mikko Koivu). When looking at who won the most faceoffs of the season, Zajac ranked seventh in the league. Every season, Zajac is consistently between 54 and 55% in the faceoff circle. That gives Hall and Palmieri prime positioning to get scoring chances.
Zajac has been a playmaker for the Devils since he joined the roster. He’ll never be the guy with 70 assists in a season, but he can set up his linemates when he has the skill around him.
He’s still playing close to 20 minutes a game, and has put his injury troubles behind him. He still has the trust of head coach John Hynes, and Palmieri and Hall trust he will put the puck in the right place every time. Zajac can bring the best out of the star players, letting them take the spotlight.
Zajac obviously won’t stay on the top line forever, with players like McLeod, Hischier and Pavel Zacha nipping at his heels. He will eventually fall to second or third line by the end of his eight-year deal. That time is not now. The Devils best line combinations come with Zajac in the middle of the top. The rest will fall into place.