New Jersey Devils: Most Important Players For Rest Of The Season

Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on April 17, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Nico Hischier #13 of the New Jersey Devils skates against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on April 17, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils left wing Andreas Johnsson (11): (Catalina Fragoso-USA TODAY Sports)

Andreas Johnsson

Yeah… Andreas Johnsson has not been good in a New Jersey Devils uniform. Has some of it had to do with pure and utter bad luck? Yes, absolutely. He’s fourth on the team at 5v5 CF%. He’s been on the ice for 89 high-danger chances, which is third among forwards only behind Jack Hughes and Miles Wood. The good chances have not turned into goals, whether it comes off his stick or the stick of one of his teammates.

Johnsson finally broke his goalless streak on Tuesday with a bad-angle goal off the foot of Tristan Jarry. Sometimes, that’s all a player needs to break the ice. Johnsson could go off after this. He isn’t going to his double-digit goals, which is really what the Devils will want, but if he can add three more goals in the last 11 games, it will at least feel a little better.

Johnsson will be exposed in the expansion draft. That is going to happen no matter what happens over the next few weeks. There’s not a good chance he gets claimed, though. There will be better players available to the Kraken than taking a chance on Johnsson.

So, the Devils are looking to see what they have here. Johnsson might be a part of the future, and this could be a season we just throw out because of the pandemic. Or, maybe this is just a bad trade, and Joey Anderson was lost for nothing. The next few weeks will be interesting for Johnsson.