New Jersey Devils: Some Thoughts On Roles And Responsibilities

Roles and responsibilities are something every organization needs to consider, and in most cases, this is an ongoing and evolutionary process. The New Jersey Devils are no exception to this process.  Here are some possible adjustments a quarter of the way into the 2017-18 campaign.

The New Jersey Devils are off to a terrific start, after some of the most dire of predictions by various “hockey experts”.  What does this mean? One obvious thought is that numerous players are contributing far beyond initial expectations. Are we now far enough down the path to look at some of the roles and responsibilities on the club and suggest some minor adjustments in resource allocation? I believe we are.

Some minor adjustments in roles and responsibilities could pay dividends for the Devils.

Should we be doing this despite the success of the club? Again, I think that is appropriate. Injuries to key players like Kyle Palmieri, Marcus Johansson and Mirco Mueller all change the dynamics of the lineup. Constant examination and assessment is always useful. Here are one person’s thoughts on the New Jersey Devils and the typical deployment of resources during the course of a match.

Recommendation 1:

More Brian Gibbons. If you say to me, he’s a career AHLer, I get that. If you say to me, he’s a great fourth liner and penalty killer, I get that too. But we must be cognizant of the fact Brian is the club’s leading goal scorer. He accomplished this while essentially playing very limited 5-on-5 minutes. His shooting percentage is not sustainable, but he is currently producing night after night at a remarkable rate. After 20+ games, I think a bit of power play time and some increased opportunities to provide an offensive spark have been earned by #39.

Recommendation 2:

Less Brian Boyle. He’s a great story, a remarkable person and I’m sure incredibly inspirational in the room. Totally understand that. I like him as a player in the sense he’s a good cycling forward, clears traffic in front of the Devils’ net, is a great faceoff man and is exceptionally sound defensively. However, I don’t totally buy-in to some of the roles Coach Hynes has carved out for #11. Specifically, I’m not a fan of Boyle being on the power play unit every game (and I do understand his role there to create a net-front presence, I’d just rather see a faster and more skilled forward out there). I’m definitely not a fan of putting Boyle out there fourth in a shootout. That was a cringe worthy moment against Boston. That’s obviously not his thing.  Even getting Boyle out there at the end of games for the defensive zone faceoff can be problematic. If he wins the draw, that’s golden. But when he doesn’t, due to his limited mobility, it’s one less player who can chase and pressure the puck. Overall, I prefer a bit less ice time for Boyle.

Recommendation 3:

More Drew Stafford on the Power Play. The power play is right up Stafford’s alley, a role calling for a player with a good shot, good hands and overall offensive skills. I see Drew’s hands and touch to be a quantum leap ahead of Miles Wood, and his overall offensive game to be fundamentally superior to that of Travis Zajac. It’s hard to fathom why Stafford is not getting a bit more PP time on the Devils. I think he should lose out to very skilled forwards like Palmieri and Johansson, but not to Wood or Zajac. #18 is just a more polished scoring threat than those two and needs to be on the PP unit.

Recommendation 4:

Move Travis Zajac off the first line. Listen, I don’t like to Zajac-bash, he has a solid 2-way game and a lot of value to the Devils in many roles. But not in a scoring role. Taylor Hall is superb at carrying the puck, drawing attention to himself and using his vision to create opportunities for others. Hall desperately needs linemates who can finish chances. Two of the obvious choices to center that line are Nico Hischier or Adam Henrique. Not because they are head and shoulders above Travis as players, they are just a far better fit in that role.

Recommendation 5:

Avoid starting Nico in overtime. Nico’s a great overtime player, don’t get me wrong. His ability to maintain possession, carry the puck and make good passes are invaluable during the 3-on-3 open ice scenario. However, for whatever reason, Hischier has significant conditioning issues on long shifts in overtime. He ran out of gas forgoing a scoring chance in the final few seconds of overtime early this season, totally broke down during an epic 2:30+ shift a few weeks ago against the Oilers, and did not have the energy to pursue a puck down left wing in OT against Boston Wednesday night. Nico should play multiple shifts on overtime, but not against the other club’s top players and not on faceoffs. The danger of losing the opening faceoff and having to defend until Nico is exhausted is a major point of concern. I’d much rather see Nico hop on during a live change when the Devils already have possession, to minimize the time #13 is asked to defend. His fatigue creates offensive opportunities for the Devils’ opponents at times.

Next: How The New Jersey Devils Can Utilize Travis Zajac

Summary:

It’s hard to nitpick too much on how the Devils are running the club or using their guys. Ray Shero has made many shrewd deals to make the team faster and more exciting to watch. John Hynes has them competing exceptionally hard. To his great credit, he’s introduced accountability to the club (meaning, if you stink or are undisciplined or make a stupid mistake, you will sit). The team is off to a flying start and super entertaining to watch. It’s exciting to go to the Rock this year! I do believe some minor adjustments relating to roles and responsibilities on the ice can help further improve the club.