Pucks and Pitchforks
Fansided

New Jersey Devils: How To Become St. Louis Blues

By Vincent Parise

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 30: Goalie Jake Allen #34 of the St. Louis Blues makes a save as Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils looks over during an NHL hockey game at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Blues won 3-2. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 30: Goalie Jake Allen #34 of the St. Louis Blues makes a save as Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils looks over during an NHL hockey game at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Blues won 3-2. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The New Jersey Devils are near the bottom of the league as they head to play the defending Stanley Cup champions. How can they become the St. Louis Blues?

The New Jersey Devils are in a low spot in their history. They are at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division once again after going into the ear with a lot of promise. They did a lot of adding via the draft, trades, and free agency during the summer but it hasn’t worked out. They are now trying to figure out how to fix it going forward.

They are headed to Missouri to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues tonight. The Blues are that team that the Devils are trying to be long term. They went into the 2018-19 season with high hopes before finding themselves in last on New Years Day. They then went on a run all the way to the Stanley Cup final where they defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games. The Devils are not going to the playoffs after struggling as they did, but they can get this thing turned around as they did.

The Blues’ foundation is built on a good mix of everything. They have a Norris Trophy caliber defenseman in Alex Pietrangelo, a Vezina caliber goalie in Jordan Binnington, and a solid mix of forwards who score by committee. Binnington literally came out of nowhere to take the net. He was so good in the Blues journey to the Cup. That is what the Devils need from their netminders going forward.

They have Ryan O’Reilly playing like one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL which is exactly what the Devils hope Nico Hischier turns into. Jack Hughes is projected to turn into a top scorer, which the Blues are loaded with guys who can score.  The thing that is missing from the Devils organization right now is that Norris Trophy caliber defenseman. If they have to defend by the committee once they reach their potential, that is fine but it would be ideal to find that type of stud on the backend.

light. Related Story. The New Jersey Devils youth movement

In the present, the Devils should try to use this game as a measuring stick. They are enjoying what they are seeing from Joey Anderson and Nicholas Merkley in the NHL right now and would love to see that continue. Seeing them along with the other young players grow is what is important for every game down the stretch here.

Home/Editorials