Sure, there maybe some flak that people will disagree upon these lineup selections, but it’s come down to around 21 skaters that New Jersey Devils Head Coach John Hynes might summon for opening night. There are also injuries that will change things from time to time, but to clear things up this is a lineup that we feel confident could dominate by opening night at the Prudential Center.
With the season opener coming just around the bend on October 4th versus the Winnipeg Jets is coming faster than Jack Hughes on a breakaway. Speaking of Jack Hughes, the Devils top six centers are set since Ray Shero drafted Hughes on day 1 of the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. There are so many variables having gone through this past summer that will impact things that it should be ideal to have Coach John Hynes, and General Manager Ray Shero assemble the right players day in and out.
To put things into context, there is everything from players getting cut by October 4th for opening night to situations surrounding player contracts that could change this lineup around. We are building the best possible lineup for the Devils right now. Players will have to be sent down to the AHL, and or waivers to make way for other players etc. There are so many moving parts that build an “ideal lineup” for each line from forwards to defensemen that will be the guys helping Mackenzie Blackwood, and Cory Schneider in net this season.
Today, we focus on the forwards. How should Hynes build this team with so much newly-acquired talent? There are many directions he can go, but there’s this one direction that would be best served for the team: