New Jersey Devils: 5 Facts From Media Day That Actually Matter

Folks, New Jersey Devils hockey is back. Well, kind of. It’s New Jersey Devils media day on Wednesday, which means that the players are taking pictures, taking part in promotional videos, and speaking with the reporters from across the media landscape. There’s a lot to learn about a team coming into training camp with questions.

Almost every big star on the Devils was hanging around the Prudential Center to spend time with anyone who wanted it. There were a lot of places to be and people to see. However, it was mostly an exciting day. There was no Nico Hischier injury over the heads of the players. The pandemic is obviously still here, but it didn’t force this entire operation to be had over Zoom.

When there are this many interviews happening, including with general manager Tom Fitzgerald and head coach Lindy Ruff, there are going to be some eye-opening answers. We are more informed as a fanbase after today.

Some of the answers tell us what we need to know about roster construction and lineup ideas, others might tell us about COVID protocols, and then of course there’s the inside info about the players themselves. We learned a lot about the Devils as a whole and their goals and plans after a very busy offseason. There are a lot of new faces and a lot of lineup decisions to make.

What were some of the biggest quotes of media day? Let’s take a closer look at what everyone is saying.

2. “It’s always great to be healthy.” –Nico Hischier

Nico Hischier’s health is second only to Mackenzie Blackwood’s ability to bounce back from last season when it comes to importance to this team’s chances to win on a nightly basis. He had the year from Hell last season, and he only played 21 games due to a broken leg, a broken jaw, and COVID-19 complications. Hischier was stuck in the mud for most of the season.

It was imperative for as many Devils players as possible to be available for the start of training camp after Lindy Ruff was forced to quickly insert his system during a truncated training camp last season. Hischier was not there at the start last season, and it really impacted his game on the ice. He looked like he was really trying to figure out his role for all 21 games.

This season, Hischier can relax and ease himself into whatever role Ruff has for him. Hischier has to find chemistry with teammates, and he has to see if Jesper Bratt is going to be his linemate again. They circle each other every season, and they seem to always end the season together.

A healthy Hischier is drastically important. Ruff even said he never had the real player last year because of all the injuries. That’s different this season. Welcome back to our Swiss King.

3. “I would say players make mistakes. Coaches make mistakes. My job is to show how bad a mistake that was.” –Tomas Tatar

Tomas Tatar is the Devils biggest addition at the forward position. There were some interesting PTOs in Jimmy Vesey, Frederik Gauthier, and Mark Jankowski signed over the past two weeks. However, Tatar is expected to make the biggest impact of all of them.

The issue that’s hovering over Tatar’s signing is what the Montreal Canadiens did to him in the playoffs. The Habs made a run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, but he only played five total playoff games with zero goals. He didn’t play a game after the Round 1 series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was forced to watch his team lose the Final from the owner’s box.

Tatar has everything to prove this season. There is never going to be more motivation for him to succeed than there is this season. Tatar was basically told by his team that he was not good enough to help them win. He was never given a second opportunity, and now he has a chip on his shoulder. The Devils are going to work as Tatar’s second chance, and it’s clear that is something that is driving him before the season starts.

The Devils made the right move bringing in Tatar. He could be the steal of the offseason. A team literally gave up on him when it matters most. Now, he has a chance to prove them wrong. It sounds like he is ready to prove exactly that.

4. “They are done being young and being in a rebuild and they just want to win.” –Jonathan Bernier

Jonathan Bernier hasn’t gotten the publicity that Dougie Hamilton and Tomas Tatar got when they signed, but his presence means the world to the New Jersey Devils. He comes into a goalie room that has been desperate for a good backup for years. Bernier was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Alex Nedeljkovic this offseason, but he opted to go for free agency and he signed with the Devils.

It’s clear what the free agents saw in New Jersey when they signed. Bernier, Hamilton, Tatar, and even Ryan Graves didn’t come here for a rebuild. They came to New Jersey to push this team into playoff contention in the Metropolitan Division. It’s not an easy task, but having two goalies with the potential of Bernier and Mackenzie Blackwood sure helps.

Fitzgerald told the players this offseason that the losing stops now. We’ve seen teams try to fast forward the rebuild before, and it doesn’t always work, but the Devils seem to have made smart signings and acquisitions to help the young players. This wasn’t a reactionary move. The Devils had money in an offseason with a star defenseman and a plethora of goalies available. Now, they just have to execute.

5.  “We are trying to help him through this.” — Tom Fitzgerald

Vaccination status was always going to be a topic on Wednesday. The Devils were one of the teams hit hardest by COVID-19 last season, and it really put their team into the basement of the standings after a promising start. Mackenzie Blackwood said it took him almost all season to get over the symptoms. Jack Hughes lost almost all the muscle mass he gained during the long offseason. It seemed to put a lot of the team’s positive progression on ice.

So, vaccination status is going to be very prevalent. When Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald revealed that there was one player in training camp who wasn’t vaccinated, it’s big news. This isn’t a personal decision. This is a hockey decision.

Fitzgerald said it would become very clear who was not vaccinated very quickly, and then he said this quote. “We are trying to help him get through this.” There could be a lot of reading between the lines that must be done here. Is he working with the player to try and get him to “do his own research”, a line we heard a lot in the NFL? Is he trying to dissolve some of the misinformation said player might be ingesting? Could it be a medical issue that’s forced this player to wait it out?

Vaccination status in a pandemic is relevant. It just is what it is until this pandemic is over. The prevailing fact, however, is that just about everyone is vaccinated, and that should help the team avoid the outbreak that derailed last season.