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New Jersey Devils: Ben Lovejoy’s Final Tour Could Be A Good One

By Nick Villano

TAMPA, FL - APRIL 12: Ben Lovejoy #12 of the New Jersey Devils skates against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on April 12, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette /NHLI via Getty Images)"n
TAMPA, FL - APRIL 12: Ben Lovejoy #12 of the New Jersey Devils skates against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on April 12, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette /NHLI via Getty Images)"n /
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The New Jersey Devils did not do much to sure up a below average defense this offseason. One may hope they could get a good final season from Ben Lovejoy.

The New Jersey Devils signed Ben Lovejoy two years ago to a three-year deal. At the time it seemed like an interesting choice, with Ray Shero choosing to bring over one of his cronies from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then, he was completely misused in his first season with the Devils. It contributed to just how bad the team was in 2016-17.

Then last year, it seemed like something magical happened. Maybe it was because Lovejoy was turned into a third-line defenseman instead of a first-line defender. Maybe it was because John Hynes decided to sit Lovejoy for a large majority of the start of the year, and he knew he needed to earn his spot. It’s also possible that Lovejoy saw how bad he was, and made improvements to his game.

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Lovejoy was great as a mentor to Will Butcher. The two made a formidable pair on the bottom pairing. However, Butcher will likely not be on the third pairing this year, so Lovejoy will get a new partner.

So, what can we expect from Lovejoy? Honestly, it will have to do with who he ends up playing with. Is he going to be playing with a young guy like Steve Santini? That could go wrong quickly if they both make mistakes at the same time. Will he be with a high-upside play like Mirco Mueller or Yegor Yakovlev? That seems like the best option at this point. The worst possible option would be to pair him with Eric Gryba. They are both flawed defensemen who don’t seem like they’d mesh.

Lovejoy needs to have a good pairing to be a good player. Who knows how much Hynes will rely on Lovejoy this year, but if he puts him in a position to succeed, he will succeed.

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