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5 Players New Jersey Devils Coaches Must Focus On This Season

By Nick Villano

NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 27: New Jersey Devils head coach John Hynes works his 200th NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Prudential Center on December 27, 2017 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Red WIngs 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 27: New Jersey Devils head coach John Hynes works his 200th NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Prudential Center on December 27, 2017 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Red WIngs 3-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. Mirco Mueller

Mirco Mueller did not do what the Devils hoped he could do last season. Ray Shero traded for the former first-round pick right before the expansion draft last season, with hopes he could make some leeway in this lineup.

Things didn’t really work out. For one, Mueller dealt with some serious injuries. He missed more than two months with a broken clavicle. He dealt with other small injuries and some inconsistent play, ending up only playing 28 games throughout his first season in New Jersey.

This offseason, Mueller comes in as a favorite to take one of the final spots in the Devils starting lineup. With the loss of John Moore, there’s an opening in the Devils defensive lineup. Sure, he will compete with Yegor Yakovlev, Steve Santini and others, but with some coaching he could become a lock.

Nasreddine will need to work extra hard the help Mueller take the skill that made him a first-round pick and turn them into the tools of an NHL player.

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