Pucks and Pitchforks
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How New Jersey Devils Can Improve In Standings This Season

By Joseph Stanislau

NEWARK, NJ - JULY 14: New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (86) Skates during the New Jersey Devils Development Camp Red and White Scrimmage on July13, 2019 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - JULY 14: New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (86) Skates during the New Jersey Devils Development Camp Red and White Scrimmage on July13, 2019 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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It won’t be very long until preseason hockey kicks off. By kicking off the potential and great expectations, it is time to look forward. New Jersey’s stock price is going way up this year. After all the trades, signings, drafting, and development, Devils G.M. Ray Shero should be excited with the team he put in place.

With all this excitement, where should we expect the Devils to end in the standings? Let’s take a look at the 2018-19 stats to determine where they might end up in 2020.

The Devils had 219 goals last season. That’s awful, but with the help of a mixture of talent including Jack Hughes, Taylor Hall and P.K. Subban, expect them to get closer to 280 goals scored this season. There are a lot of guys with speed, skill, and the will to win coming into the new season.

Last year Montreal and Columbus snuck into the wild cards at 96 and 98. So if you’re really looking at what the Devils need, it would be around 97 points. Say Jack Hughes was a major component to the Devils playoff push and increase in offense could put him up for a Calder Trophy.

The New Jersey Devils had a power play percentage of 17.7% last season and it didn’t get the team very far. They ended up in the bottom third of the league. Variables such as the injury to Taylor Hall and the lack of scoring depth ended with them below par. To put this into a positive light, don’t be surprised to see an uptick in power play scoring. Subban with his shot on net along with Damon Severson, Will Butcher, Ty Smith, and Sami Vatanen can help make a very potent power play start from the blue. This uptick can be around 19.5%, beating last years expectations.

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One thing the Devils did absolutely right last year that they can continue to grow on is the penalty kill. With guys like Blake Coleman, Travis Zajac, Pavel Zacha, and Jesper Bratt you can see a mix of speed, grit, agility, and hockey IQ on special teams. Those attributes can turn into a short-handed goals that turn the tide against opponents. That was one of the reasons teams couldn’t take the Devils lightly in the 2018-19 season. The Devils won’t be easy pickings especially with the moves Ray Shero can pull in the beginning or in the middle of a season like he did trading Adam Henrique in a deal for Sami Vatanen two season ago.

To put this into context, the 2019-2020 Devils should be aiming for 100 points.  The confidence John Hynes and Ray Shero have could bring a lot of positive vibes about the team that is put in front of them. This team can be a scrappy and very skilled bunch thats coming in with a lot of swagger, excitement, and perseverance. This seasons roster has a fanbase blood thirsty for a lot of wins, and they are ready to “Howl” to Gaslight Anthem on each home goal scored, and then celebrate with “Glory Days”- by Bruce Springsteen after a home win.

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