5 New Jersey Devils Players Who Could Raise Their Stock In Preseason

Will Butcher

Will Butcher is in an interesting space. He avoided arbitration this offseason when he signed a new three-year deal worth $11.2 million total. That clearly shows the Devils have big hopes for the 24-year-old defenseman. The issue is, the left side of the Devils defense is completely in flux.

The right side is absolutely stacked. They could honestly put out P.K. Subban, Damon Severson and Sami Vatanen on the top three lines. They could also play Vatanen on the left and put rookie Ty Smith on the right side.

So, where does Butcher fit? He’s played the last two seasons as the power play quarterback and the third-line defenseman at 5v5. This season, it would behoove the Devils to put Andy Greene on the third line with Smith, then they’d have to move Butcher up. He’s probably slotting in as the second-line defenseman next to Severson.

When really looking at it, could Butcher prove himself to be a top-line defender? The question of who is playing next to Subban won’t be answered until close to opening night. Butcher has a legit chance to show Hynes he’s grown on the defensive end to become someone who can play on the top line. Subban is good enough to let Butcher make a mistake here and there. If Butcher shows a certain amount of upside, Hynes could give him that shot.

Then, there’s the power play issue. Butcher was clearly the best power play defenseman coming into last season. His play on the ice fell off, and he eventually lost the spot to Severson. Now, not only is he competing with Severson, but he has Subban who has 178 career power-play points and Smith who had 24 PP assists last year for the Spokane Chiefs. This, on a team that likes to play their power plays with just one defenseman.

He has a lot to gain this preseason, but Butcher could lose a lot, too. He might be the one player who could end up on any line, including special teams.