New Jersey Devils Guide To The IIHF World Championships
The New Jersey Devils have most of their best players going to the World Championships, as well as a few potential draft selections.
It is fair to say that it is good to be a fan of the New Jersey Devils fan right now. It might not be easy to say if you just base it off of how the 2018-19 season went. They were last in the Metropolitan Division and third to last in the entire National Hockey League. Unlike most of the teams they were around in the basement of the NHL, the Devils have a few fair reasons why.
Taylor Hall is still the reigning Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s most valuable player, and he didn’t play a single minute in the second half of the season. They didn’t get great goaltending until it was too late. None of that matters anymore because of where they are going.
The Devils even have their head coach going to this to IIHF World Championships. He will be an assistant for the United States. This is a chance for Hynes to pick up things from other coaches/players and get to know some new coaching techniques.
The fact that so many people associated with the Devils organization are going to this tournament tells a lot about where this team is and where they could be if they keep it up. You get invited to these things if you are worthy of representing your country.
They have the first-overall pick in the NHL Draft after winning the lottery in April. The player they will choose, on top of a bunch of their good young players, will compete in the IIHF World Championships Tournament. This group of New Jersey Devils players spans over different hockey countries looking to win. These are all of the countries the Devils and their fans will need to keep an eye on throughout the tournament.
United States
We will start with our home country. The United States of America is well represented on the New Jersey Devils. In fact, they are one of the league leaders in total Americans on their roster. This includes their goaltender, Cory Schneider. Schneider had a rough calendar year of 2018. He spent most of it either injured or in a major slump that saw him lose his job as the starting goalie for a while.
In the second half of the season, however, he really found his game and got back to being the Cory Schneider we have become accustomed to. He will be rewarded for his efforts by USA hockey and as the veteran netminder on the team, he should see lots of playing time. Devils fans should be happy about this because it is more opportunity for him to play well and come into training camp with even more confidence.
Schneider will be joined by a potential new teammate that you might have heard of. His name is Jack Hughes. Hughes is likely going to be the guy the Devils take with the number-one overall pick in the draft. He is the type of offensive player that can transform a franchise, and this is an opportunity to see him play with men. He will have guys like his brother Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, and Patrick Kane to help him grow.
Hughes just got done dominating the U-18 World Championships for Team USA. He broke Alexander Ovechkin’s record for most points ever in that tournament. He is poised to have a good tournament and show why he deserves to be the first overall pick.
Switzerland
Everyone knows about the Swiss kid Nico Hischier. He was the first ever first-overall pick to come out of Switzerland and now he gets to put on the red and white sweater in the Men’s World Championships for the first time ever. Nico has quickly grown into one of the best players on the Devils and is turning into one of the best two-way centers in the world.
He will represent the Devils well in this tournament leading the Swiss, and he will look to improve his offensive skills so he can contribute even more offense to an already great two-way game. When Hischier was one of many Devils who was injured during the stretch of the season and then came back, it was clear right away home much of a difference maker he is. He proved that he can carry his own line without Taylor Hall in 2018-19 as well.
This tournament will give him a platform to showcase his skills to the rest of the world what Devils fans already know. The Swiss might not be as deep as the United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland, or Russia, but Nico Hischier will make sure that the effort is there.
Sweden
Jesper Bratt is going to play for his native country of Sweden at the Worlds. Bratt had a great year for the Devils when he wasn’t hurt. If he can stay healthy for a full season, this could really be a fantastic scorer for the New Jersey Devils long term.
Playing for the Swedes in this tournament will give Bratt some touches on the power play and if the team succeeds he could come into training camp feeling himself again. He has the potential to be a very good player in the NHL, and being even better in a tournament like this will give him the confidence he needs to be that good in the NHL.
In only 51 games played for the Devils in 2018-19, he had 8 goals and 25 assists for 33 points. That is only two less than the 35 points he had in his rookie year in which he played 23 more games. He took a significant step forward for the Devils and now he looks to take it even further. Representing Sweden at the World Championships might be just the way to do it.
As a former 6th-round draft pick in the NHL Draft, Bratt has a serious chance to be a part of a group that can do a lot of things with its offensive talent. Hopefully, he keeps it going this spring with team Sweden and can carry it over the summer into training camp.
Canada
Canada always has a great team at any hockey tournament. They seem to have the ability to ice lots of great players no matter which tournament they participate in. If they were allowed to make two teams at the Olympics or World Cup, they would likely have the two best teams. This year for the World Championships, which isn’t considered best on best, they have a team that might not be as strong as usual, but still pretty good.
There are two New Jersey Devils that will play for Canada in this one as Damon Severson and MacKenzie Blackwood will suit up in the red and white. Both of these guys being selected is great news for the Devils fanbase, as that means Hockey Canada also recognizes them for the seasons they just had.
Severson sort of had a rough go of it in his first few seasons. The offensive talent was always there, but he struggled to be consistent. In 2018-19 he had a career year. His 11 goals and 28 assists for 39 points really showed the Devils that he is the real deal offensively and has taken the next step. Injuries to the team as a whole derailed their chances and if they can all stay healthy Severson could really put up some nice numbers from the back end.
This tournament will give him a chance to get some touches on the power play and 5v5 with some great players. There is some real skill on the team that can help him grow his game and have it ready for training camp.
MacKenzie Blackwood making the team is really great news as well. The goaltending was a touchy subject for the Devils leading up to Christmas time. Then they called up Blackwood and along with Schneider, they made a great duo down the stretch, despite lots of injuries to the team. It is great to see Blackwood make it where both Devils goalies get the nod to participate in this tournament.
Now, Blackwood is likely going to start as the third goalie of this team behind Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray and Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart. Blackwood vs Hart might be something we see for many years to come and Murray is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion netminder. This is a great opportunity for Blackwood to learn from a great champion like Murray and compete with a truly outstanding prospect like Hart.
Finland
Finland doesn’t have a member that is currently on the New Jersey Devils. They don’t even really have any star players at all this year. Usually, Finland is loaded with players that are recognizable by NHL fans but this year is a bit different. Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Henri Jokiharju might be the most recognizable NHL name and he only has 38 games under his belt for Chicago.
The name that everyone will be looking at on Finland is their teenage sensation Kaapo Kakko. The Devils are going to have an eye on him throughout the tournament for one reason. He is one of the top two prospects entering the 2019 NHL Draft and the Devils have the first-overall pick. They will almost certainly select Jack Hughes first overall, but they will certainly do their due diligence on Kappo.
Kappo is an incredible future star and if the Devils do in fact take Hughes, the New York Rangers will for sure take him second overall. The Devils are still going to want to scout him and make sure their decision is the right one. This is also an opportunity for the Devils fans to watch him and actually enjoy his skills before he dawns the red, white, and blue logo of their biggest rival.
Overall this should be a great World Championship tournament and all fans of hockey are always encouraged to tune in. Those who cheer for the New Jersey Devils should be even more excited for this year’s edition than usual. There are lots of great times ahead thanks to these great players.