New Jersey Devils: Final Forward Grades For 2021 Season

Miles Wood

Miles Wood came into this season as the most likely option to go to the Seattle Kraken. The season hadn’t even started yet, but some fans were finding ways to get rid of Wood. His schtick just seemed to grow old, and he wasn’t able to really take advantage of his speed and skill. This season, Wood really put it all together. He scored 17 goals and put up 25 points. He finally found a way to be a scoring threat. He led the Devils in goals, and he stayed out of the penalty box for the most part. He is now an integral part of the team, and there’s almost no chance the Devils leave him exposed in the expansion draft.

Grade: B+

Yegor Sharangovich

Yegor Sharangovich is the most exciting player on the Devils. After dominating the KHL on the score sheet, the 22-year-old forward was looking to make the NHL roster. He was undoubtedly one of the better forwards in training camp. The Devils gave him a chance right off the top. He had a couple of hiccups in the middle of the season, but overall he was awesome. He had 16 goals and 30 points in 54 games. In a traditional 82-game season, that would equate to 45 points. That’s great for a rookie, and the Devils have a new building block for the future.

Grade: A

Michael McLeod

This is where expectations come into play. Michael McLeod was a fine player this season. Not many people would expect McLeod to have more games than players like Nico Hischier, Pavel Zacha, or even someone like Andreas Johnsson. McLeod deserved to be an everyday player. He was good. He scored his first NHL goal this season, and then he added eight more. Nine goals in 51 games aren’t exactly something one would celebrate from a former 1st-round pick, but it’s definitely something that many are happy about after the start of his career. He’s not an “A” player, but he showed he can be a part of this team’s future.

Grade: B+