New Jersey Devils: What To Do With Pavel Zacha
By Nick Villano
Send Him To The AHL
Zacha is eligible for the AHL for the first time in his career. Every other year, sending him down meant he needed to go to Juniors. This season, he can go to the Binghamton Devils, get his head on straight, and return to the NHL club without going through waivers. In fact, he’s still 86 games away from being waivers eligible.
So why would the Devils send him to the minors, when he spent all of last year in the NHL?
For one, Zacha’s confidence isn’t where it needs to be. He’s a little too hesitant when the Devils need him to be aggressive. Going to the AHL and scoring goals against lesser competition will help him find his shot.
Also, getting sent down may be the message Zacha needs. Clearly, getting benched isn’t working in turning him around. Maybe the experience of playing with players who are desperately trying to make it to the big show. Players like Bracken Kearns, who still holds on to his hockey career despite being 36 years old. Spending time with players like that might give Zacha a reason why works as hard as he does despite his shortcomings.