New Jersey Devils: Alex Holtz Must Be Top Six Or AHL Bound

The New Jersey Devils were ready to play top prospect Alexander Holtz on the fourth line during the team’s game against the New York Islanders on Thursday before the game got canceled due to a power outage. He would get some time with Michael McLeod who is an NHL player, but after starting the preseason playing with Jack Hughes, this is definitely an unfortunate turn of events.

Things got even worse for Holtz’s chances to make the team on Friday when the team returned to practice. He was put on the fifth line with Chase De Leo and Jesper Boqvist. De Leo was placed on waivers immediately after practice, and Boqvist has been struggling to prove anything. Meanwhile, his fellow rookie Dawson Mercer is on the third line as Pavel Zacha was moved back to left-wing. It shows what the coaching staff thinks about their two young guns.

Honestly, if Holtz is fighting for a fourth-line spot on this team, they should just send him down to the AHL now. That is not the right place to make Holtz better. He’s coming off a season where he struggled with new expectations, but he clearly showed his talent. When the light shines brightest, however, he shrunk. At World Juniors, he just wasn’t the dominant force many expected for Team Sweden. The whole team did not live up to expectations, but Holtz was expected to pull them out of it.

Now, the Devils have this asset that is looking really good in the preseason. No forward on the Devils have had more minutes in the preseason than Holtz. He’s been on the ice for 37:46 at even strength. His total chances for and against are very close to even (36 to 38). His high-danger chances percentage looks great. He was on the ice for 12 major chances and only saw 8 go against him.

When looking at his individual stats, he’s second on the team to Mercer for individual high-danger chances. Does it help that Jack Hughes hasn’t played much this preseason? Sure, but give Holtz credit. He’s done what he needs to do with the minutes he’s been given. When adding power-play time, he ties Mercer with four.

Holtz needs time. That is his most important element as a 19-year-old forward. He needs time on the ice, and he likely doesn’t get that if he sneaks in as a fourth-line right winger. It also doesn’t help if he gets stuck with McLeod and Miles Wood, who are often starting faceoffs in their defensive zone because of their ability to break one the other way. Holtz CAN go on breakaways, but it’s definitely not the option that leads to his best offensive output.

The only argument for Holtz to start the season on a lesser line is coaches in the past have been much quicker to move a player up in the lineup over moving him up from the AHL to the NHL. If he proves himself on shortened ice time, he will get more. That’s just how they work, and they are never changing.

Just start Holtz in the minor leagues. It’s not a demotion. This is a progression of his development. If he dominates the AHL, he will eventually get called up to the NHL. He needs minutes, and he will get those in Utica. Then, if something happens to the NHL roster and a spot opens up on the top six, then he can get his shot.