The New Jersey Devils will not be playing games for at least the next few weeks, possibly months. What are some of the options coming out of this suspension of play?
It’s a sad time in the sports world, and the world in general as we deal with a global pandemic called the Coronavirus, also known by the name COVID-19. Instead of looking back, we’d like to look ahead at what could be when the New Jersey Devils come back.
Of course, we have no idea what the options even are. There probably hasn’t even been longstanding conversations in upper management because there’s no point right now. There are so many variables, but we want to dive in to those possible variables.
There are some interesting storylines surrounding the Devils right now. There’s the rise to starter-level goalie of Mackenzie Blackwood. On top of that, his contract is due at the end of the season. Speaking of contracts due at the end of the season, Jesper Bratt has been much better in 2020. He’s been playing out of his mind and he’s due to get paid this offseason.
There’s also the much better play of P.K. Subban. We say much better as in still not up to his $9 million salary, but he’s been much closer to the top-line defenseman the Devils traded for. Honestly, anything is better than the rough start.
There’s Cory Schneider trying to resurrect his career. Nico Hischier is trying to become a team leader. Jack Hughes wants to end his rookie season on a positive note. Nikita Gusev wants to show he’s much more than just a Russian standout. Kyle Palmieri is working on a 30-goal season. Will we ever see this play out? It depends on the options that end up happening.