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New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Who Can Solidify Their Spot For Next Season

By Nick Villano

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 21: Jesper Boqvist #90 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his second goal of the game which became the game winner at 15:57 of the third period on the powerplay against the New York Islanders at the Prudential Center on September 21, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Islanders 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 21: Jesper Boqvist #90 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his second goal of the game which became the game winner at 15:57 of the third period on the powerplay against the New York Islanders at the Prudential Center on September 21, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Islanders 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Jesper Boqvist

This one seems kind of obvious, but it’s definitely not a lock to see Jesper Boqvist in next year’s lineup after what we saw from him this season. For one, it depends a lot on what the New Jersey Devils do in the NHL Draft and free agency. If they sign two top-six forwards, where does that put Boqvist? Then again, if they trade someone like Travis Zajac this offseason, it almost guarantees him a spot in the top nine, which is crucial for his development.

Boqvist has not had a good season, even if it’s not entirely his fault. He spent most of his time in the NHL on the fourth line, where he was getting an average of under 11 minutes of TOI per game. He only scored four goals over 35 games, which is obviously atrocious on paper for a kid of his caliber.

In the AHL, he’s a dominant force. B-Devils play-by-play guy Rob Lippolis told us on the Let’s Go Devils Podcast last week that he’s almost always the best player on the ice on both teams. There, he has eight goals in 18 games, and most of them have come recently as he’s settled in with his new linemates.

It’s pretty clear that Boqvist is extremely close to NHL ready. If this were baseball, we’d call him a quadruple-A player. He’s right on the cusp, but the good news is he’s just 21 years old and playing his first season in North America. No matter what, the Devils have to find a way to get this kid on the power play, because he is going to thrive there. The fact he only had three power play shots in 35 NHL games is a crime. If he keeps playing the way he’s playing in the minors, it will be hard to keep him there another season.

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