New Jersey Devils Player Grades For October
By Nick Villano
![NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 27: New Jersey Devils left wing Taylor Hall (9) skates during the second period of the National Hockey League Game between the New Jersey Devils and the Florida Panthers on October 27, 2018 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 27: New Jersey Devils left wing Taylor Hall (9) skates during the second period of the National Hockey League Game between the New Jersey Devils and the Florida Panthers on October 27, 2018 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/2fbcd772c486d384f4693cab4a9de80acc4f8848142b7d8bcfa0d60cc31667ef.jpg)
John Quenneville: C
I’m still happy with what John Quenneville has brought to the Devils, even if it wasn’t good enough to keep him on the roster. Quenneville is now down in Binghamton because of his inability to score. He went five games without even a secondary assist. After his lethal shot showed itself in the preseason, something that got him a spot on the roster, we thought he could be the secondary scorer we needed.
It did not work out that way. Quenneville will be fine at defense, passing, and all the other parts of the game that don’t show up on stats. However, if he’s going to stay on this roster, he’s going to need to score. Having zero points over a five game span is unacceptable. Hopefully, he finds his shot while he’s in the AHL and he can return for the next version of player grades.
Marcus Johansson: C-
Listen, this isn’t all his fault. Marcus Johansson hasn’t been awful this year, but things just haven’t worked out. He’s been on a line with Pavel Zacha, and a revolving door of right wings. It’s never really worked. It should have worked, but Jepser Bratt got hurt. That put a wrench into everything.
Johansson has one goal and one assist in nine games. This isn’t the player the Devils traded for last season. Again, it’s not all his fault, but his grade is his grade. He doesn’t deserve better because Zacha can’t score and his right wing never makes it work. Things will likely work out better now that he is with Wood and Zajac. They’ve had great chemistry together. Hopefully, Johansson can find chemistry with them and produce like a serious second line.