Pucks and Pitchforks
Fansided

New Jersey Devils: 20 Reasons Why 2021 Will Be Better Than 2020

By Nick Villano

Confetti rained down on an empty Times Square in Manhattan after the ball dropped, marking the start of the New Year Jan. 1, 2021. Times Square, usually packed with thousands, was closed to all but a select few due to COVID-19 restrictions,New Year S Eve
Confetti rained down on an empty Times Square in Manhattan after the ball dropped, marking the start of the New Year Jan. 1, 2021. Times Square, usually packed with thousands, was closed to all but a select few due to COVID-19 restrictions,New Year S Eve /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils left wing Jesper Bratt (63): (Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports) /

Reason #16: The Eventual Return Of Jesper Bratt

The fact that Jesper Bratt is starting off his year in a country that isn’t the U.S. He hasn’t signed a new contract, and rumors are he’s still in Sweden, which means he needs to pass very specific quarantine measures before he can join the team. When he does return, let’s hope he’s the same player that scored 16 points in the last 20 games of the season. If he comes back with the reckless abandon he was playing with before, then he will be a legitimate top-six player.

Reason #17: Returning To The Rock

Right now, the NHL is returning with no fans at certain arenas. One day, that will change. On that day, it will be a celebration. The COVID-19 vaccine is in distribution as we speak. Eventually, the state of New Jersey will feel there are enough people with the vaccine to safely reopen the Prudential Center. It’s more than likely that won’t happen until the 2021-22 season, but what a glorious day it will be to go back to The Rock. It will be great to hear Arlette sing the National Anthem, play along with whatever the goal song ends up being that season, cheer for a Hughes goal and a Subban hit. We can’t wait to hold Pucks and Pitchforks night for a Devils game.

Reason #18: The End Of The Mike Cammalleri Buyout

You probably didn’t expect to hear the name Mike Cammalleri on this list, but here we are. The Devils bought out Cammalleri back in 2017. It feels like a lot longer ago, but the Devils are finally going to get that cap penalty back once this season is over. They have been paying $1.67 million since he left the team. Thankfully, that ends the second the 2020-21 season ends.

Reason #19: Lindy Ruff Will Allow Chemistry To Build

Most fans were not happy with the addition of Lindy Ruff as head coach. He seemingly came out of nowhere when it came to the coaching search. Now that he’s hired, let’s look at the positives. Ruff has a lot of experience building great offensive lineups. He will allow these young players to build relationships on the ice. That’s something the previous coach didn’t do.

3 Options To Replace Nico Hischier. dark. Next

Reason #20: Hockey Is Back

It’s been 10 long months since the New Jersey Devils were on the ice playing professional hockey. The Devils didn’t get invited to the 24-team playoff tournament. They weren’t able to play spoiler. They went home and stayed home. But in 2021, the Devils will be playing hockey. We couldn’t be happier.

Home/Editorials