Kyle Palmieri C+
Palmieri has missed almost half the season with injuries and his grade really isn’t affected by that. What’s hurting his grade is his 5v5 P/60 of 1.08 is the lowest he’s had in his career and is only above Travis Zajac and Drew Stafford on this Devils team. It’s definitely tough finding your groove through injuries, but the second line as a whole has been disappointing.
I’ve suggested, and will continue to suggest, that Palmieri be placed with Wood and Zacha. I think a shooter like Palmieri could benefit from where they generate chances and those two could benefit from having a highly skilled shooter on their line.
With all that said, Palmieri still has six goals and eight assists through 22 games. That’s not bad at all and as a secondary scoring option is acceptable.
Marcus Johansson C+
Johansson is a similar case to Palmieri. I had high expectations coming into the year and he’s been saddled with injuries. His 5 goals and 6 assists in 23 games is okay but it’s just not meeting expectations. With that said, his 5v5 P/60 is more than all right. He is 5th on the Devils with 1.97 P/60 which is a great secondary scoring rate. I expect both Johansson and Palmieri to take off in the second half.
Ben Lovejoy C
Ben Lovejoy is far from a fan favorite, but his play this year has been better than expected. All of his possession numbers are more than acceptable and his SCF% of 51.15 only trails Will Butcher. He’s mostly been utilized as a 7th defensemen, but when called upon his play has been solid and he’s even logged tough PK minutes.
Andy Greene C
Greene was a tough one to grade. He’s the captain and Hynes has given he and Steven Santini the toughest minutes and zone starts possible but their numbers leave a lot to be desired. With that said, despite being severely outshot on the ice Greene still posts a positive HDCF% of 54.34. That’s better than both John Moore and Sami Vatanen and against opponents top lines.
Keith Kinkaid C-
I like Keith Kinkaid a lot as a backup. However, his play this year has left a lot to be desired. I understand it’s near impossible to get into a rhythm as a backup, but you have to wonder if moving Scott Wedgewood for a 4th round pick was the right move. The Devils turned Dalton Prout into Eddie Lack who provides a veteran presence in Binghamton and insurance if Kinkaid doesn’t regain his form, but I think Kinkaid will be fine.
His dSV% of -1.83 is bad and his GSAA of -4.71 is also very bad, but I think his most recent performances have him trending in the right direction.