New Jersey Devils: Perfect Lineup For 2020-21 Season
The New Jersey Devils need to put together the right lines this season.
The New Jersey Devils are an underrated team going into the 2020-21 season. It isn’t going to be easy to have success as the division realignment isn’t really friendly, but they could still show improvement. They have some talented players, with some being cornerstones to the future of this franchise. Lindy Ruff and his coaching staff need to come up with the perfect lines and defense pairs for the team to reach its goals.
There is a chance that new Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald isn’t even done with the offseason. There are some really good players still available that are looking for homes ahead of the 2020-21 season. It is a strange year because of the pandemic, but some of these guys will be impact players on a new squad. The Devils have cap space and could easily take a chance on one or two to fill out their roster.
Their defense is slightly improved since last season, but it isn’t perfect yet. Some prospects might start to trickle in as the years go on which is exciting but it is going to take a little bit longer. There is potential for it to be a little bit better than some people think, but it isn’t going to be one of the best in the league by any means.
One thing to really be exciting about is the goaltending. There are two really good goalies on the roster now that could help them win a lot this season. We don’t know how long the duo is going to last, but for 2020-21, it should be really fun to watch. They could round out a lineup that looks something like this:
Forward Line One
Andreas Johnsson-Nico Hischier-Mikael Granlund
The New Jersey Devils have a fantastic player in Nico Hischier. He is going to be a star for a long time and he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential. He uses his skills to help the Devils win games in different ways. He can score, he can defend, and he can do everything in between. This team’s success starts and ends with Hischier in mind, so he will be the top-line center in 2020-21.
Some people might be surprised to see this, but Andreas Johnsson should start the season on Hischier’s left-wing. He was acquired over the past offseason in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He didn’t get a lot of playing time in Toronto because they have so many great forwards, but he will have a big opportunity to shine in New Jersey. It feels like he would be a good match with Hischier.
Another player to play with Hischier on his right side can come from either within the organization or via free agency. For the sake of development (and the best possible lineup), a free agent feels better here. Mikael Granlund is a player that would make sense for the Devils to sign. He has had some very good offensive seasons in the past that could help the Devils.
He also has skill sets that have seemed to help out some of his previous linemates. If he had a chance to play on this line, Hischier and Johnsson would really benefit. We don’t know for sure if they will go outside the organization for help, but Granlund would be a great option if they did.
Forward Line Two
Mike Hoffman-Jack Hughes-Kyle Palmieri
Jack Hughes is right there with Nico HIschier in terms of future plans. They are both going to be considered the two pieces that New Jersey builds around for years to come. Hughes could even explode offensively to the point where he becomes the top center. For now, he is the second line center behind Hischier. This is a big year for him to show some development to his game. Hopefully, he used this long break to get stronger and more ready for his second season.
Kyle Palmieri is one of the fan favorites on this team. People love this guy and he is a great player. The problem with him is that he only has this upcoming season left on his contract. It feels like he is the kind of guy to stay with the Devils, but we don’t know if that is the team’s best intention. For now, he is a great linemate for Hughes thanks to his sniping ability. Hughes can create offense very well but needs a linemate who can finish. Palmieri can take advantage of Hughes’ skill and he is very underrated defensively.
New Jersey has a lot of cap space. Adding Granlund to play with Nico would be awesome, but it would likely be a one-year deal. They have enough space to add another free agent that is still out there like Mike Hoffman. He has been awesome in his career so far and can score lots of goals. If he was brought in on a multi-year deal, he could help Hughes for years to come. Having two goal scorers on his line would really help him.
Forward Line Three
Jesper Bratt-Pavel Zacha-Nikita Gusev
The line centered by Pavel Zacha was the most successful down the stretch of the 2019-20 season. He takes a lot of grief because of where he was drafted and not living up to it. He hasn’t been the sixth-best player from his draft class, but that ship has sailed. He is, regardless of what people think, an NHL player. Landing one of those in the first round of any draft isn’t a guarantee. If Zacha can be put in a position to succeed going forward, he could be a really helpful player.
One way to put him in a position to succeed is by giving him great linemates. Jesper Bratt is a great NHL player. He has a chance to assert himself into the core of this team for a long time by having a really good year last year. He can score and make sweet passes which is always nice to have on a line like this.
Nikita Gusev was only tapping into his NHL potential as the season went on last year. He had a rough start to his North American career but came on strong around the New Year. He was a big piece of this line that was created down the stretch and had so much success. Some people might not want to see Bratt or Gusev on a “third line” but that doesn’t mean they get the least amount of ice time. Their chemistry is amazing and deserves another chance to shine together.
Forward Line Four
Miles Wood-Travis Zajac-Michael McLeod
The New Jersey Devils don’t need a fourth line that is going to rough you up anymore. Those fourth lines still exist, but they aren’t as needed as they once were. Some teams build their fourth lines with speed, toughness, and maybe even a little bit of skill. It will be good to not have guys like Kevin Rooney or John Hayden contribute almost nothing on the fourth line anymore.
One player who has been a staple to the New Jersey Devils lineup for over a decade is Travis Zajac. He has been the center of just about every line throughout the years. At this point, he would make a very effective defensive-minded fourth-line center. He can go out there with skilled players if needed at any point or win a big faceoff late but in normal five on five play, he could be a great fourth liner.
One thing that might make this feel like more of a modern fourth line is some speed and grit. Miles Wood can provide that. He also takes lots of grief but a lot of it is unwarranted. It isn’t his fault that he has been misused for most of his career. He doesn’t have the best hands to take advantage of his speed which is exactly why he should be on the fourth line. He will have plenty of chances to score playing on a fourth line and you might see the pressure being lifted really help him take his game to the next level.
Michael McLeod has one more chance to prove himself. He isn’t ever going to crack this team’s top six as so many others have come in and passed him by. If he can solidify a bottom-six role for himself in 2021, he will be well off. Playing on the fourth line like this could be really good for him as he will have an opportunity to develop his game offensively and defensively playing with these guys.
Defense Pair One
Will Butcher-P.K. Subban
The New Jersey Devils don’t have a true number-one pair on defense. They could honestly end up going in any direction based on how the team plays once a few games are in the rearview mirror. To begin, a pair of Will Butcher and P.K. Subban should be the number-one pair. They both find themselves in a position with a lot to prove. It sounds like a cliché, but it could either work out very well for them or they could fall flat.
Subban’s first year in New Jersey was not a good one. He seemed like he was either lost out there or try to do way too much. The new way of playing was difficult to do for him. He was around a bunch of other great defensemen in Nashville but didn’t have that luxury in New Jersey. It showed. He is not as bad as he looked on most nights last season and should be able to somewhat bounce back this year.
Will Butcher is a wild card. We had high hopes for him when the Devils were able to snag him in NCAA free agency after he chose not to sign with the Colorado Avalanche. He had a good rookie year but has been trending down ever since. He never was really given the opportunity to come out of his shell so the new Lindy Ruff system might really be able to help him. Hopefully, this is able to form a great pair for the Devils.
Defense Pair Two
Ryan Murray-Damon Severson
The New Jersey Devils have two pairs that would be second pairs on a top team. This second pair of Ryan Murray and Damon Severson could, however, develop into a good number-one pair as time goes on. It is hard to guess how a defenseman is going to play over a long stretch of time if they are unproven. This could very well start as the team’s second pair and end as their undisputed top-pair.
Damon Severson gets way too much heat sometimes. He has a lot of flaws when defending but he does have 136 NHL points in 430 NHL games at 26 years old. Sometimes it takes guys a long time to find the right game in their own end, but those 136 points from a young defenseman don’t grow on trees. He might never be Duncan Keith in his prime or anything like that but he could be an impactful player on this team for a while.
Having Ryan Murray there with him could really help. Murray is all about defending which would mesh well with a player like Severson. Murray was acquired by New Jersey in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has had some injury trouble lately but he is still a very good player. He was a second overall pick for a reason, but the Devils need him to actually play to get the most out of him. If he stays healthy, he should be a really great addition to the team.
Defense Pair Three
Dmitry Kulikov-Ty Smith
The third pair is going to be a wild card for the Devils. It could be really good by the end of the season or it could be really bad. The hope is that it has Ty Smith on it playing well, regardless of who his partner is. In this case, we have Dmitry Kulikov playing with him. It could be a pair that helps Smith develop at the NHL level because he is a really highly regarded prospect.
Smith has been a top New Jersey Devils prospect since he was drafted with the 17th-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Since his draft, he has dominated the WHL as a member of the Spokane Chiefs. We all thought that he would have made his NHL debut by now, but the Devils have been very careful with his development. There is a good chance that this is the year that he makes the team out of camp.
As for Kulikov, he is a ten-year NHL veteran. He has spent most of his career with the Florida Panthers before bouncing around over the past few years. Now he is with the Devils and could very well play on their third pair with Smith. Hopefully, if given the opportunity, he is able to play well and help along with his young partner.
Goaltending
Mackenzie Blackwood and Corey Crawford
It is amazing that with one signing, one of the biggest issues with the team became one of it’s biggest strengths. They were a team that had an unstable backup goalie last season with Cory Schneider going back and forth from the NHL to the AHL. Mackenzie Blackwood carried the load for the team and was awesome while doing it. Now, they have added in Corey Crawford to help him out in 2020-21.
Saying Blackwood carried the team in 2019-20 is an understatement. The Devils came in the last place of the Metropolitan Division with a record of 28-29-12. Blackwood, however, went 22-14-8. That means all of the backup goalies combined for a record of 6-15-4. You have to think that if the goaltending was just a little bit better, they would have been in the return to play bubble.
The addition of Corey Crawford should really help them. There are going to be a lot of back to backs this season because of how condensed the schedule is going to be. If Blackwood and Crawford both play as well as they did last season, this could be a team that surprises a lot of people. Goaltending is the biggest key to winning in the NHL and the Devils have a pair of great goalies.
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Not only is Crawford a fantastic goaltender, but he is also wildly experienced. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks. This is a very young Devils team that is only going to get younger before it gets older so having a veteran champion like Crawford should be really nice for a couple of years. This duo could mask some of the defensive deficiencies that the Devils might have this season. Hopefully, it allows them to win more than they lose.