New Jersey Devils: Three Players To Watch After COVID Pause
The New Jersey Devils started the 2021 season off much better than people thought. At 4-3-2, they could be in the mix by the time the season comes to a close. Despite all of that, it has been a tough year so far for this team. They had to deal with contract, visa, and/or quarantine issues with Jesper Bratt and Sami Vatanen, an injury to Nico Hischier, and COVID-19 running wild through the team. All of these things have led to them being put on pause again.
The New Jersey Devils can’t seem to catch a break this season but they keep racking up points.
Earning points in six out of nine games (four of them wins) is certainly good based on the circumstances the team has faced. The three guys who were mentioned before are all super important to this team. They have treaded water thanks to the play of the guys who were in the lineup before the pause. Most of them are on the young side and could be a part of the team for a long time.
The pause back in March that eventually canceled the Devils season was no fun to see. It did, however, allow some guys who had tough starts to their NHL careers take a step back. They’ve come in and made a major impact. It has been really fun to see some of these young kids come into the lineup this year and be difference makers.
Fans were iffy on on some of these players coming into the season, but those are the ones who have been the most fun to watch. They have also been the most important to the success of the team in 2021. Their play when they return is very important so here are the three players that everyone should keep an eye on when New Jersey Devils hockey resumes:
Jack Hughes. 86. player. 85. . C. New Jersey Devils
Jack Hughes did not meet the expectations that everyone had on him in his New Jersey Devils rookie season. There were plenty of times where he looked like an elite player but he was quiet for a lot of the year. It was clear that the tools were there but he needed to get bigger, work on his decision-making, and just have another year of experience. That has all worked out well for him as you can argue that he is the best player on the team.
Jack Hughes is still 19 years old. He is already one of the best players in the organization and there is a good chance that he can be one of the best offensive players in the world. The sky’s the limit for him and he is only going to get better. New Jersey out chances/outshoots their opponent at even-strength when Jack Hughes is on the ice. He has a CorsiFor of 54.1 which is really good. In nine games played this year he has three goals and five assists for eight points.
In a season like this, it is important to have a leading scorer that can make people better around them the way that Hughes can. It looks like the things that made him look nice in 2019-20 are allowing him to be productive in 2021. Hopefully, he is able to bloom into the star that he was drafted first overall to be. By the time he is 25-26 years old, the league will have something to worry about when Jack Hughes is on the ice.
player. 85. . C. New Jersey Devils. Michael McLeod. 20
The most pessimistic fans of the New Jersey Devils wrote off Michael McLeod a long time ago. Even some of the more mindful Devils fans were starting to do the same going into this season. He was only 22 but he showed no sign of ever belonging in the NHL on a full-term basis until this year. He was the 12th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft and some people can’t seem to get over it. He is a fourth-line guy now who can relish in that role if he is put with the right players.
Getting a star at pick 11 is far from guaranteed but even getting a full-time NHL isn’t guaranteed. You should get one but it is by no means a lock. McLeod probably isn’t going to be a star but if he is a really good fourth-line center then New Jersey is set with Hughes and Hischeir taking care of the position in the top-six. He has been really good to start this season and we have to hope it continues.
An experimental line of Miles Wood and Nathan Bastian on McLeod’s wings has been really fun to watch. It has resulted in McLeod looking like a pretty good NHL player. Now, he needs to keep it going otherwise he is going to be passed by other prospects in the organization. He has three goals and one assist for four points in nine games so far. If this player (and line) can keep bringing energy, physicality, and a bit of offense to the table, their forward group is looking really nice.
Miles Wood. 44. player. 85. . LW. New Jersey Devils
One of the players on McLeod’s wing, as mentioned before, is Miles Wood. He hasn’t played in that spot all season but his best game came playing with them. It feels like that might be the trio on the fourth line for a while as long as they continue to bring the energy. Miles Wood has had no shortage of energy in his game since his rookie season but fans have been very hard on him.
He is very fast but his hands don’t always match his speed. He has created plenty of offensive chances in his career because of his speed and that is something you don’t just teach. When it doesn’t result in a goaltender interference penalty, it is something that New Jersey wants to see continue. So far this season, he has five goals and three assists for eight points. His CorsiFor of 51.6 percent also suggests that the Devils are a better team when he is on the ice at even strength.
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Fans who rip on his play this year just clearly haven’t been watching. He has been one of the best players on the team and it shows as he is tied with Jack Hughes and Ty Smith for the team scoring lead. He probably isn’t going to end the season as the scoring leader but he should be a constant contributor. He, along with Hughes and McLeod, is a player to keep an eye on when the league lets the Devils resume. If these three pick right back up where they belong, the Devils will remain competitive.