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New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Impacted By Ray Shero Firing

By Nick Villano

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 20: Ray Shero addresses the media prior to the game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers at the Prudential Center on September 20, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 20: Ray Shero addresses the media prior to the game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers at the Prudential Center on September 20, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Kevin Bahl

Say what you will about any of the other players on this list, Kevin Bahl is going to see major effects from this move. Bahl was the centerpiece player that Shero needed to have in the Taylor Hall trade. That was something that really confused Devils fans and national analysts. This is a really big defenseman, and they do need size, but you don’t use Taylor Hall to get size.

Bahl is slated to be a bottom-line defenseman at best. At best. There’s no dreams of him playing on the top line one day. Every so often, you’ll see a lazy Zdeno Chara comparison, but that’s based on size and size only.

Shero would have given Bahl every single chance possible. Every single advantage a players needs would be afforded to Bahl as he transitioned to pro hockey. He’d get one of the first chances to make the NHL team in the preseason, he’d get premo minutes once he’s here, there’d be no trading him. Bahl was the guy that got the Arizona Coyotes Taylor Hall.

Bahl lost all of his protection in this deal. He might still be a fine defender, however he has to work just as hard as Josh Jacobs and Nikita Okhotyuk to make the team.

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