New Jersey Devils: Lindy Ruff’s Up-Tempo System Already Nice To See

The New Jersey Devils already look good with their up-tempo new system.

We were given quite the treat on Sunday morning when the New Jersey Devils put on a scrimmage for the fans. It was broadcasted online and Devils fans got to see their favorite players play in an actual game for the first time since March. The red team took on the white team in a fun little matchup. There were clearly some things that are going well and some things that need work ,but the way the team was playing was the most notable thing. Lindy Ruff‘s presumed up-tempo system is being implemented and it showed right away.

For one, he ran his teams like that the last time he was an NHL coach. The Dallas Stars were certainly exciting a few years ago when Ruff’s system allowed their stars to grow their offensive games. It might not be the style suited for a team to win the Stanley Cup but it surely will be good for their development. Kids like Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt should be fun to watch in a system like this.

Speaking of Jack Hughes, he looks completely different from what he was last year. In 2019-20, he looked like an undersized rookie that was going to make some spectacular plays from time to time but would be outmanned at times as well. Now, he certainly isn’t Zdeno Chara or anything, but he looks bigger and stronger which should really help his game. With this new up-tempo offense, expect Hughes to have a huge year. On top of being put in a position to succeed, it seems like he is motivated to be the best version of himself.

It’s clear that the defense is going to join the attack in this system. With the New York Rangers last season, Ruff helped their defenseman reach the next level offensively. If he can do that for some of the offensive-minded blueliners this team has, they will certainly be able to score more goals. Players like P.K. Subban, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, and Will Butcher should really be able to excel if they play the system the right way.

If the defense and offense both play the game the way Ruff wants them to play, it should be a good way to take advantage of the roster’s strength. The glaring weakness with a system/roster like this is their play in their own end. Well, two elite goalies are getting ready to handle that weight. Corey Crawford and Mackenzie Blackwood both faced a lot of high danger chances with the Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils respectively and were both awesome.

All of these things are, hopefully, going to come together. There is nobody saying that this team is going to be playoff contenders or anything like that but they might be better than some people think. Although they probably aren’t going to win as many games as some other teams, there is no doubt that they are going to be fun to watch.