The New Jersey Devils did not have a good year. Mirco Mueller became a team weakness thanks to a tough season.
Things were not good for New Jersey Devils defenseman Mirco Mueller, this season. He had a tough year all around for New Jersey and that puts his future with the organization in doubt. They can’t expect to win if they continue to ice defenseman who can’t get it done for them in any way. Mueller started off his Devils career as the guy who was pretty good in his own end, but since then,he has fallen off dramatically.
The Devils are dramatically outshot when Mueller is on the ice. His CorsiFor was 42.1 at even strength, which is brutal even for a bad Devils team. He doesn’t even produce much offensively, so the fact that he isn’t that good defensively is worrisome. He only had two goals and five assists for seven points in 50 games and was -13. Obviously, that’s bad.
The Devils have some young defenseman in the pipeline and you never know who they draft. Mueller is going to be a restricted free agent once they declare the season over. He made 1.4 million dollars in 2019-20 and it is hard to see the Devils giving him a raise. He went from a player that was drafted in the first round to a guy who the Devils gave a decent amount away to acquire and protect in the expansion draft, to a guy they might let walk.
The Devils could be looking to bring in a free agent to help them on their blue line and it is time to give the younger players more ice. Ty Smith and Kevin Bahl are prospects who might see some time in the NHL next season and it is time for the Devils to allow it. That might come at the expense of Mirco Mueller.
It isn’t fun handing out F’s but that has to be the case with Mueller. He just wasn’t very good and he has a spot in the lineup that can’t be filled with someone who can’t get it done any longer. The Devils need to start moving on from the players who aren’t helping them win. It is unlikely that Mueller returns to the Devils next season but you never know.