So we’re onto the 3rd line. Things get harder to predict the further up the lineup you go. We’ve already done 3rd defensive pair and 4th line projections.
3rd Line
John Quenneville-Pavel Zacha-Drew Stafford
One of the things I tried to determine was whether the Devils would go with a balanced lineup, or if they would stack the top six. I initially slotted Pavel Zacha on the 2nd line and Michael Mcleod on the 3rd, but think it’s best to place Zacha on the 3rd line.
This isn’t a knock on Zacha. With the loss of Travis Zajac, playing Pavel Zacha as the 3rd line center still allows the Devils to field 3 lines with legitimate scoring potential. Not to say a line of Quenneville-Mcleod-Stafford wouldn’t score, but I think it benefits the Devils to spread the younger players throughout the lineup.
John Quenneville: 9 goals, 18 assists
I fully expect the Devils to give their younger players plenty of opportunity to showcase themselves this year. Quenneville performed well in the AHL last year with Albany, posting 14 goals and 32 assists. While he plays center, there’s a surplus of young centers and it makes more sense to slide him out on the wing.
Devils AHL coach Rick Kowalsky sees John Quenneville as a wing in the NHL. Said JQ was most comfortable there and he could play either side
— Chris Ryan (@ChrisRyan_NJ) July 14, 2017
Before the injury to Travis Zajac I expected Quenneville would start the year in the AHL, but the lineup has opened up in his favor. He’s only played 12 games in the NHL, so this is as good an opportunity as any.
Playing on the wing with Pavel Zacha will give Quenneville the opportunity to increase his offensive numbers. All though he didn’t score a lot in the AHL last year with the move to wing he could increase his scoring. I’m hoping my projections for Quenneville are low and that he nets around 12 goals and adds 21 assists.
Pavel Zacha: 15 goals, 25 assists
Pavel Zacha was the hardest player for me to slot. I think he could easily center the 2nd line. However, I think balance and depth are two of the most important things in a lineup. Playing Zacha on the 2nd line would stack the top six, but I don’t think removing him from it detracts too much.
Zacha needs to generate more shots. His 18 assists in 71 NHL games isn’t bad, but 83 shots and only 8 goals isn’t up to par. He’s also a solid two-way center. While I would love seeing Zacha on the 2nd line I think the boost he provides on the 3rd line will provide some extremely valuable depth for the Devils.
Ray Shero seems to be modeling this team after his Pittsburgh Penguins teams. While the Devils don’t have Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins always had three very good centers. With Nico Hischier, Adam Henrique and Pavel Zacha, the Devils will have three solid centers. The return of Travis Zajac will only provide more depth at arguably the most important position in hockey.
Drew Stafford: 13 goals, 18 assists
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Drew Stafford is a veteran right winger who played very well in his short time with the Boston Bruins last year. In only 18 games Stafford scored 4 goals and had 4 assists. Stafford played an average of 14 minutes a game with Boston and I would expect similar ice time in New Jersey. This is a small sample size so its hard to predict whether we’ll get the Winnipeg Jets or the Boston Bruins version. I think he’s a great fit on the 3rd while he could slide as high as a 2nd line role and will likely log some power play time.
Stafford was a cheap veteran signing and can provide leadership on an extremely young team. The Devils were short on right wings and went out and got a good veteran on a team friendly deal. The best case scenario for the Devils and Stafford is that he can mentor the younger players and be flipped for an asset at the deadline.
Stafford has had at least 179 shots in six of his 12 years in the NHL. Where Zacha lacks shooting, Stafford can make up for it. This would likely be one of the best 3rd lines the Devils have fielded in recent years.
Summary
The best part of writing this was struggling with where to put Pavel Zacha. Having the ability to play a quality center on the 3rd line is a good thing. For the first time in a long time the Devils have good young depth at forward. Let me know what you think. Are my projections way off? Will Zacha start the year in the top 6?