Pavel Zacha: 32 Points
My Prediction: OVER
Pavel Zacha is an interesting case. Despite not living up to bring a player that a 6th overall is supposed to be (yet), Zacha is still a good player for the Devils. He is a huge asset to the penalty kill and shows flashes his offensive capabilities. Zacha’s numbers improved from the 2018-2019 season to the 2019-2020 season by scoring 32 points in 65 games. One of the big concerns about Pavel Zacha is the consistency of his offensive production. If Zacha can be consistent with his production, he can help significantly strengthen the Devils’ offensive depth. I can see Pavel Zacha improving his point production. However, I can see Pavel Zacha scoring a little over 32 points this season by scoring around 34 points.
Yegor Sharangovich: 35 Points
My Prediction: UNDER
Yegor Sharangovich has been a pleasant surprise for the New Jersey Devils as of late. The Devils’ 5th-round pick from 2018 came back from a stunning stint with the Dynamo Minsk of the KHL, where he scored 17 goals and 25 points in 34 games. Before that, Sharangovich found his touch during the second half of the AHL season when the Binghamton Devils were pushing for a playoff spot. During training camp, he was one of the biggest standouts of all the players who were fighting or a spot on the opening night roster. With impressive play in most of the scrimmage games, he earned himself a spot on the Devils’ starting roster. Besides, Sharangovich might play on the top line on opening night.
With Sharangovich’s very impressive performances recently, it is reasonable to say that Yegor can produce at the NHL level. However, I do not see Yegor scoring 35 points this season. He obviously doesn’t have a lot of NHL experience yet. He might face similar struggles as Gusev in his first season; however, Yegor has experience on a smaller ice surface by playing in the NHL. I think Yegor will be placed in a middle 6 role, most likely the third line, despite him starting on the top line. Therefore, we’ll say that Yegor will get 27-30 points this season.
New Jersey Devils center Travis Zajac (19): (James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports)
Travis Zajac: 25 Points
My Prediction: HOLD
Travis Zajac is a key and aging veteran for the New Jersey Devils. He is the best on the team at taking faceoffs and also does very well in the defensive end. However, his production in the offensive end dwindled by scoring 25 points in 69 games. Zajac is expected to play a middle or bottom-six role with the team again and will be crucial at the defensive end. On the offensive end, Zajac will make one last push to be a productive player. Zajac will score the same amount of points as he did last season (25) in 56 games, a slight increase from last season. Don’t be surprised though if he produces less.