The New Jersey Devils have been off to a stellar start, going 6-2-0 to start the year. Despite coming in expecting a rebuild year, the team should try to win every game.
Coming into this season, the New Jersey Devils were the consensus pick to finish last in the Metropolitan Division. It wasn’t so much the team didn’t improve, it’s clear they did, it was more the power of the Metro. Teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals were going to remain power houses. The Columbus Blue Jackets brought a majority of last year’s surprise team back. The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers were expected to compete from day one. The Carolina Hurricanes were everyones most improved team, while the New York Islanders were expected to rally around John Tavares final year.
Things haven’t exactly gone as planned.
The Devils have been great to start the year. The team has rallied around the kids, especially defenseman Will Butcher. Not only have the Devils won six games to start the year, they’ve beaten Tampa Bay and Toronto, two teams at the top of the power rankings for NHL.com.
Should the #NJDevils crack the top 5? It's Power Rankings on #NHLNow! pic.twitter.com/X4TU7pHFoU
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) October 21, 2017
Right now, the Devils are technically second in the Metro, but the Penguins have two games at hand. The division is already a logjam. The Devils are one point behind the top with 12 points. The Blue Jackets and the Flyers are one win away from tying the Devils.
This has been a great start to the season, but should the Devils still play this season for a draft pick or accelerate the rebuild and fight for the playoffs this season?
After winning the first-overall pick in the 2017 draft and choosing Nico Hischier, Devils fans were hoping the team would get another high pick in 2018. This draft is deep, and flush with defensemen. Another really high pick could set the team up for a decade. Is it worth it to push for a playoff spot when the team only beat the Rangers in the division so far?
My answer is yes.
For one, this draft being deep means there is talent throughout the prospect pool. I trust general manager Ray Shero to make a great decision no matter where he’s drafting. Since there are so many defenseman in this draft, I think the Devils can get great value even if they shoot for the playoffs and miss.
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The Devils also have a great young core. Beyond Hischier and Butcher, the Devils have a plethora of young players throughout the minors and college. Joey Anderson is going to be a great right wing once he decides to make the move to the NHL. Mike McLeod is dealing with an injury, but has shown his immense skill in the past. Yegor Rykov has been playing good defense for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Then there are the prospects coming from this year’s draft, which I think Shero hit perfectly.
A push for the playoffs for the Devils could have the same feel as the New York Yankees push. Coming into the season with little to no expectations turns into one of the most fun runs ever. Riding the young players with the veterans keeping everyone grounded is the best scenario.
Also, remember this, the Devils still haven’t seen two of their best veterans take the ice. Brian Boyle just skated with the team for the first time since his cancer diagnosis. Him making his season debut gives the team an extra level of momentum. He brings a better penalty kill and 10-15 goals from the bottom line. Then, there’s Travis Zajac. If the Devils decide to keep Hischier on the top line, then Zajac can set up the likes of Adam Henrique and Jesper Bratt for easy goals once he returns in December or January.
Could shooting for the playoffs backfire? Of course. The NHL season is fickle and anything can happen. That anything can happen moniker, however, can work in this team’s favor. As long as Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid can continue to play well, this team will have a chance every single night. This team should make a push.