New Jersey Devils: Who Is First Defensive Injury Replacement?
By Nick Villano
The Devils would be in a strange situation if one of their defensemen got injured.
As of right now, the New Jersey Devils defense is pretty set in stone. Maybe there’s a chance they bring in a PTO before training camp, but it’s a long shot they make the team. The Devils brought in two new veteran defensemen this offseason, and they will likely get one more new player in the starting lineup when Ty Smith makes the team.
The issue with the Devils defense is depth. Well, that’s one of the issues. The defense as a whole is really an issue. However, for now, let’s talk about depth. The Devils have Smith, P.K. Subban, Ryan Murray, and Damon Severson to play in the top four. Then, Will Butcher, Connor Carrick, and Dmitri Kulikov will make up the bottom line.
That defense won’t put fear into opposing offenses, but it has fewer holes than last year’s unit had. Despite having more talent overall, with Andy Greene and Sami Vatanen on defense, the chemistry just wasn’t there. There were two major issues last season going into the season. One was Cory Schneider. The other was finding the right chemistry on defense. None of it worked out.
Replacing Vatanen, Greene, and Mirco Mueller with Murray, Smith, and Kulikov puts the Devils in a much better position. It seems pretty clear Murray and Subban are a much better pairing than Greene and Subban or Severson and Subban. Forcing one player to either play on his off hand or play too many minutes only hurts the team as a whole.
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Beyond the defense, as currently constructed, the Devils have a problem. The depth for the Devils is virtually non-existent. If the Devils suffer just one injury, they are in trouble.
If the Devils do suffer an injury, they have six defensemen to fill six spots. Seems okay, right? Not this season. There are going to be a lot of back to backs this season, and head coach Lindy Ruff will need more options for the back end. Playing the same six players doesn’t really work in a strange season like this.
With one injury, that leaves the Devils calling on Binghamton to get some help. There are a few options there, but they are either not ready or not good enough. Some players who have at least some NHL experience include Josh Jacobs, Matt Tennyson, and Colton White. White seems like the most appealing option. He can be decent, but there are more skilled options. Tennyson had the longest look in the NHL last season, with 20 games in uniform. He actually has 144 NHL games in his career, but his look last season was rough.
The other options are first-year players in Binghamton. Kevil Bahl, Reilly Walsh, and Nikita Okhotyuk will all likely spend time in the AHL. The Devils will likely give them all a hard look in training camp. It’s unlikely any of them at their age will be ready for the NHL.
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So, if the Devils suffer an injury, it’s likely going to be White or Tennyson getting the first look. If Bahl and Walsh show flashes, then they will likely get a callup, too. It’s not the best situation to be in, and the defense can once again be a huge problem.