The New Jersey Devils have some sweet centermen to develop. They need to make sure that they get Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier some more wingers to help them.
The New Jersey Devils have two centermen that they hope to see as the foundation of winning hockey for a very long time. They struck gold twice when they won the Draft Lottery in 2017 and 2019. They got Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes out of it and they are going to be the top-two centerman for this team for a very long time. They both have a lot of development to go still but they are well on their way.
They both have all of the potentials in the world and if things go their way, they can both be top-20 centers in the league. A lot of it is going to be reliant on their wingers. They both are capable of driving their own lines which is a good sign because they can do it and are both under 22 years of age. It is important that they both have steady linemates for most of the 2020-21 season.
There are some interesting options for them on the wing this upcoming season. Obviously, you can look to their current roster and find some worthy candidates. Of course, now that Taylor Hall has been traded away, Kyle Palmieri is looked at as the most consistently good winger on the team.
There are also people who like the duo of Jesper Bratt and Nikita Gusev. They played very well down the stretch for the Devils with Pavel Zacha as their center. That very well could continue to be a trio if the team makes some additions to bolster their top six so they have lots of scoring depth. These two wingers could absolutely be capable of playing in the top six with Hischier or Hughes if they decide to break up that trio.
They also have some young players in the organization that has yet to crack an NHL top-six full time but have that sort of potential. Jaane Kuokkanen, Jesper Boqvist, and Nolan Foote are just a few names that come to mind. They all have that potential that could see them be impactful scorers on a good NHL team.
There is also the possibility of the Devils looking to free agency for some veteran help in their top-six. Taylor Hall might be unlikely but there are still some good players that will be available whenever the NHL declares free agency. Players like Mike Hoffman, Mikael Granlund, Alex Galchenyuk, and Tyler Toffoli are available for teams to look at and the Devils very well might. The salary cap might take a hit because of the season’s pause and the Devils should be one of the few teams that can take advantage.
Regardless of who it is, the Devils really need to make sure that they are consistent with who they play with Hischier and Hughes in 2020-21. Their continued development is the most important thing for this team’s present and future. The good thing is that there are plenty of above-average options for this team. They need to find the right coach and make it happen.