New Jersey Devils head coach John Hynes mixed up the lines after a loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Putting Adam Henrique on the bottom line with Brian Gibbons may help get him going.
The New Jersey Devils clearly needed a change after a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets. All the goals came in the second period, so maybe one could say it was just a bad stretch in one game, but it’s become a microcosm of the bad stretches this season.
The Devils couldn’t get any offense going, and gave up huge chances in front. This put a spotlight on certain players who haven’t been producing like they should. The number one player on that list is Adam Henrique. Pucks and Pitchforks looked hard at Henrique’s role, and the need for him to step up. Now, head coach John Hynes sent a clear message to the 27-year-old forward.
#NJDevils coach John Hynes says new lines at practice today a chance for some players to work with different linemates "but also a message to some guys we need more from them."
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) November 19, 2017
To review:
Hall-Hischier-Palmieri
Zacha-Zajac-Bratt
Wood-Boyle-Stafford
Henrique-Coleman-Gibbons
Henrique finds himself on the bottom line with Blake Coleman and Brian Gibbons. While this seems like an obvious demotion, it could end up working out very well.
Gibbons and Henrique have been very good in the past creating offense on the penalty kill. That includes a great goal while two players down. It may seem like a weird combination on paper, but it seems like it could work on the ice.
Gibbons is still the biggest surprise on the Devils roster. He still leads the roster in goals with nine. Nobody else on the Devils has more than six. Gibbons is showing the rest of the roster what great positioning can do to turn that into goals.
This can help Henrique get back to his goal-scoring roots. Henrique has never been a Taylor Hall-like player that scored will crazy skill or shot. Instead, he scores based on positioning himself in front of the defense. That’s how he got his only 30 goal season back in 2015-16.
More from Pucks and Pitchforks
- Should New Jersey Devils Try Load Management With Vitek Vanecek?
- New Jersey Devils Will Prove That Last Year Wasn’t A Fluke
- New Jersey Devils: Luke Hughes’ Playmaking Will Outshine His Mistakes
- New Jersey Devils: Chase Stillman’s Performance Causes Concern
- Can Devils Fans Separate Zach Parise Heartbreak From Achievements?
Working with Coleman and Gibbons can help Henrique find himself. He has been struggling for long stretches since last season. He’s on pace for 13 goals this season. That’s pathetic for a player of his stature on this Devils team. While the young players are stepping up at every turn, vets like Henrique are leaving much to be desired.
This new pairing with Gibbons may be make or break for Henrique with the Devils. With a major need on the back end, especially with Mirco Mueller’s injury, he could be used as trade bait. However, he still has a lot of value on the Devils currently. Playing alongside Gibbons could help him find his shot once again. Sure, it has to be a hit to the ego to fall to the bottom line, but this Devils don’t rely on the typical line structure like other teams. This line can play 20 minutes the next game if they get hot. The team’s leading scorer is on this line. That could help bring Henrique to the position we’ve all expected from him.