Pucks and Pitchforks
Fansided

Will This Be One Of New Jersey Devils Worst Seasons of All Time?

By Steve Palumbo

NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 3: Jonathan Marchessault #81 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates scoring his second goal of the third period as Nikita Gusev #97 of the New Jersey Devils skates away during the game at the Prudential Center on December 3, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey.The Knights defeated the Devils 4-3. (Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 3: Jonathan Marchessault #81 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates scoring his second goal of the third period as Nikita Gusev #97 of the New Jersey Devils skates away during the game at the Prudential Center on December 3, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey.The Knights defeated the Devils 4-3. (Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The New Jersey Devils have just nine wins through its first 30 games this season following another listless effort in Dallas Tuesday night. Poor performances have been a recurring theme throughout much of this disastrous season. There is little doubt this team is bad, but are they entering rarefied air as one of the worst teams in franchise history?

If we were to ask the “Magic 8 Ball” the most likely answer would probably be “It is decidedly so.”

This version of the Devils is on pace for 25 wins. If they were to finish somewhere in that ballpark, they would join some pretty awful company. In each of its first three years after relocating from Colorado, the Devils never won more than 22 games. The current roster could become the only New Jersey team since then to not win more than 25 games in a non-lockout shortened season.

The 1987-88 team was the first to win more than 30 games and the first to qualify for the playoffs.  Since then the Devils fell short of the 30-win mark only three times. One of those seasons was during a lockout abbreviated 1994-95 season – which happened to be the same season they won their first Stanley Cup.

Since those first few bumpy seasons, the franchise has been a model of consistency. Up until the 2009-10 season, that meant winning. In the nine seasons since, it’s been a whole different story. The Devils have been consistent losers with only two trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But, none of those non-playoff teams can even hold a candle to this season’s squad. This team has the potential to be the worst one of them all – by far.

Next. When Do We Start Pointing The Finger At Ray Shero?. dark

The 2019-20 New Jersey Devils are hockey’s version of The Walking Dead. They simply cannot match the compete level of the teams they face on a nightly basis.

It’s reached a point where it’s not even about being an embarrassment. Watching this team play is just sad. It’s sad for the fans that invest so much of their time, passion and money, and it’s sad for the owners that gave the front office a green light to make this team a winner. Also, it’s sad for general manager Ray Shero that thought he was constructing a competitive roster. It’s sad for two coaches that had no chance of keeping this Titanic afloat.  Lastly, It’s sad for the players that have become the punchline to an 82-game joke.

There are 52 games left in the season to turn things around, but morale is so low that forfeiting the rest of the season doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Is this going to be one of the worst New Jersey teams of all time? Only time will tell. But regardless of the final record, it feels like they’re already in a category of their own.

Home/Editorials