5 Reasons New Jersey Devils Should Have Moved On From Pavel Zacha

1. The Penalty Kill would be fine without him

The reason why most people would like to keep Pavel Zacha on the roster is because of his presence on the penalty kill. However, they will be just fine if Zacha leaves. The penalty-kill unit is led and has been led by Travis Zajac for years. Even with his age becoming a topic of conversation, he showed last season he can still do it. Blake Coleman is a 2010s version of John Madden, seemingly getting a shorthanded breakaway every game. With a top penalty kill unit of Zajac and Coleman, the Devils should be fine.

On the other hand, one of the main reasons why the Devils go on the penalty kill is because of the sometimes inconsistent discipline of Coleman. With that being said, do not be surprised if Nico Hischier takes another step forward on the defensive side of the puck. He was given more defensive responsibility in his sophomore season, and don’t be surprised to see that role expand.

If Zacha were to leave, it would have opened the door for more players to earn spots on the roster on the penalty kill. Kevin Rooney is another prime candidate to see his role expand. He is a fringe player going into training camp, and with Zacha out of the picture his path to be a mainstay of the NHL roster would become clearer.

Other players than can see more time on the penalty kill include Jesper Bratt and Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds has also had spurts in his career for being a pest on the penalty kill as well as generating short handed opportunities. Then again, Simmonds has not been featured on the penalty kill for the last year. Maybe coming to the Devils and proving he can still compete includes working back on the penalty kill.