5 New Jersey Devils Players Who Could Help Playoff Teams Now
There are quite a few former New Jersey Devils players currently on the run for a Stanley Cup. The New York Islanders have the most recent Devils, as Lou Lamoriello spent the past two years getting Travis Zajac, Kyle Palmieri, Cory Schneider, and Andy Greene. Others from recent teams include Nikita Gusev on the Florida Panthers, Dmitry Kulikov on the Edmonton Oilers, Blake Coleman on the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Wayne Simmonds on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since the Devils have been bad over the past few years, they’ve been sending their veteran players to teams who have a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
But, what if there was a concept where the Devils could “rent” their best players to teams who needed them? Which teams would need them the most?
What if the Devils could rent its star players to other teams?
The Devils season went terribly, again, but if they could send their best players to get some crucial playoff experience, it would really help. With so many players on the team never getting a taste of playoff action (mostly because they are in their first or second professional year), if the rules allowed, the Devils could let them play for any team for a stretch run to the Cup.
This is obviously just something for fun because there’s no way the NHL would ever allow this, and the Devils probably want their players to rest while they prepare for next season.
Still, it is fun to have an open slate and figure out which teams would benefit best from certain Devils players. It’s very interesting since salary would not be a factor (there is no salary cap in the playoffs) and every Devils player is healthy enough to play right now (some were dealing with some lingering COVID issues at the end of the season, but those have subsided at this point).
Nico Hischier to the Penguins
The New Jersey Devils only got a few games of Nico Hischier this season. After dealing with a partially broken leg, a bout with COVID-19, and a facial fracture after getting hit with a deflected shot, Hischier only played 21 games this season. Now, he’s on his way to represent Switzerland in the World Championships along with teammate Jonas Siegenthaler.
What if he could stay in North America and instead go for a World Championship, he could go for the Stanley Cup? He would obviously choose to stay here and try and win the ultimate prize in sports.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently down 1-0 after losing to the Islanders in overtime on Sunday. Sidney Crosby had a great game, but in overtime, the Penguins couldn’t find the winning goal. They added Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen in the past year, and they had an impact on the game. They didn’t have the kind of impact Palmieri had, who opened the scoring and also ended the game with an overtime goal.
Hischier would provide that stat second-line center while Evgeni Malkin is injured. Malkin is dealing with a lower-body injury, and it’s not clear when he could return. Hischier would take that second-line role immediately, and if Malkin does come back, Hischier would do great between Jason Zucker and Evan Rodriguez. The Penguins would immediately become an intriguing contender if they had Hischier playing center.
Yegor Sharangovich to the Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild could use some scoring from the wings, and there was nobody who was doing it like Yegor Sharangovich at the end of the season. The rookie Belarusian forward had five goals in his last eight games of the season. He was always pushing the play, and he would get himself in a great position constantly.
The Wild will need all hands on deck to keep pace with the Vegas Golden Knights. They are the underdogs in this series, but that’s exactly where a former 5th-round pick could thrive in the playoffs. He was never supposed to make the Devils roster this season, but he ended up being one of their best players.
The Wild already have one rookie game-changer in Kirill Kaprozov, but now they could get another former KHL standout in the lineup. Minnesota would love the flexibility Sharangovich brings to the lineup. He could play with Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman, or he could help with scoring on the bottom six.
With Zach Parise out of the lineup as a healthy scratch, the Wild would love to replace the production they thought they were getting from the former Devils star. A current Devil could really help him do that. Sharangovich is a driver of play and someone who can put the puck in the back of the net. This series is going to be one where every goal is crucial, so getting Sharangovich might be the difference in Minnesota making it to the next round.
Miles Wood to the Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are dealing with so many injuries going into their first-round series with the St. Louis Blues. Nathan MacKinnon has played once since May 5th. Brandon Saad is a game-time decision for the beginning of the series. Bowen Byram is probably going to miss the first round. Matt Calvert is out on the team’s bottom six. That has them going into this postseason severely shorthanded.
Most analysts still think the Avs are going to roll through the first round. The Blues didn’t have much to play for at the end of the year as it became clear they were the fourth-place team (they beat the fifth-place Arizona Coyotes by nine points and they trailed the third-place Minnesota Wild by 12 points).
Miles Wood would provide an advantage for a team that’s looking for a major advantage in a very competitive hockey season. The Avs are taking on the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions in the first round, and that will be their easiest matchup of the postseason. Bringing in Wood, who plays with an edge but has really learned how to play smarter with it this season, would give them a secret weapon in their bottom six.
Wood had his best season ever this year. He scored 17 goals in 55 games. He wasn’t in the penalty box nearly as much as he was in previous years. Wood would be a perfect addition to the Colorado Avalanche, who when healthy don’t really need a ton of help anywhere else.
Ty Smith to the Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs are stacked this season in their bid to finally win a Stanley Cup. They added veterans Joe Thornton and Wayne Simmonds in the offseason. They also signed T.J. Brodie to bolster a defense that just lost Tyson Barrie. The Leafs don’t need a top-line defender, but they could use someone who could play on both sides of the ice.
The third line of the Leafs defense consists of Ben Hutton and Travis Dermott. They are both good players at times, although Hutton has been the bain of the fanbase as of late. If the Leafs could get another option to play there, it could be the difference in this year’s postseason.
Smith is an offensive dynamo, and before his injury, he was getting assists at a high rate. He did finish the season on the injured list, but it’s not something that would have kept him out of the playoffs.
The Leafs are looking to win their first round since 2015. They’ve had this stacked team that costs a ton of money, but they have nothing to show for it. Now, they’ll look to go all in to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada. Ty Smith is just over a year away from bring World Juniors gold to the Great White North. Maybe his presence could solidify a defense while also being able to find the many offensive weapons on the Leafs.
Jack Hughes to the Hurricanes
Jack Hughes was the Devils’ best player this season. He was the team MVP if there was one. He drove play better than anyone and was on another level when it comes to playing off the puck. His takeaway numbers were at the top of the league, and he provided a lot more than just offense this season.
Playing that way is exactly how head coach Rod Brind’Amour brought the Carolina Hurricanes from fun playoff teams to true Stanley Cup contenders. They are the number-one seed in the Central Division, and they are preparing for a meeting with the Nashville Predators. Maybe Hughes has a little edge in the series since he’s facing his former head coach in John Hynes.
This would be a move for the entire postseason. Putting out a 1-2 center combination of Sebastian Aho and Jack Hughes would be epic. They would be able to set up whoever gets paired with them. The way the lines match up right now, Hughes would probably get Andrei Svechnikov on his wing. Seeing Hughes with someone who has that skill set would be a sight to see.
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Hughes might push the Hurricanes to one of the favorites. They are currently fifth in Vegas odds, but there hasn’t really been a team that’s stood ahead of the pack. The Hurricanes adding Hughes to what’s already a top-seeded team would be hard to top of any team in the league.