Pucks and Pitchforks
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5 Candidates To Be Next New Jersey Devils Captain

By Nick Villano

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 13: Andy Greene #6 of the New Jersey Devils and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins take a ceremonial puck drop from former New Jersey Devils and newly inducted Hockey Hall of Fame member Martin Brodeur before the game at Prudential Center on November 13, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 13: Andy Greene #6 of the New Jersey Devils and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins take a ceremonial puck drop from former New Jersey Devils and newly inducted Hockey Hall of Fame member Martin Brodeur before the game at Prudential Center on November 13, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) /

5. Travis Zajac

This might seem really low for a player who’s basically the veteran presence for the forwards and is a life-long New Jersey Devils player. He’s closing in on a total of 1,000 games in a Devils uniform. He’s quickly rising up career milestone charts every season.

Right now, Zajac ranks 6th in games played, 5th in goals, 4th in points, 5th in power play goals, 4th in short-handed goals, and ranks in the top ten for many other categories. A player with that kind of clout on the roster will be an easy leader. Star players will listen to him. Young, skilled rookies will listen to him. Even players that are older than him will listen to him because he’s been through just about everything in his 13-season career.

The reason he’s so low on this list is because of his contract situation. The Devils don’t want to keep changing captains in such a crucial time. The Devils you see today could one day become a dynasty if everything falls right.

Zajac has two years left on his current deal. One of those years will be spent with Greene as captain. That leaves Zajac coming in on a contract year. He will be 36 at the end of that contract, and his skill will be two years older. There’s a good chance that he takes his $60+ million in career earnings and goes become a coach. Then the Devils will be right back where we are now.

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