Pucks And Pitchforks New Jersey Devils Season Preview
Every season, Pucks and Pitchforks prepares for what we hope is a great season of New Jersey Devils hockey. This season is different, however. The Devils have some serious expectations following them, so we decided to do our season preview a little differently. We asked the Pucks and Pitchforks writers five different questions, asking them to see into the future about what the season will behold. They look at the Devils specifically, and also the NHL as a whole. Without further ado, here are our predictions for the 2021-22 NHL season.
1) Where do you predict the Devils will finish in the Metropolitan Division?
Nick Villano: I think the Devils end up in fifth place this season. They will get exactly 90 points. It will be a fun ride, and they will end up ahead of the Flyers, Hurricanes, and Blue Jackets, but it comes just short of being in the playoff hunt.
Vinnie Parise: I believe the New Jersey Devils will have a much-improved point total but not good enough for the postseason. 7th place in the Metropolitan Division feels right as of right now.
Dan Rice: I think they’ll just miss the playoffs by 6-10 points. But will be in the mix past the trade deadline.
Mike Luci: Hard to say where the Devils (or any team for that matter) will finish in their division since it’s near impossible to make predictions like that accurately. I do believe the Metropolitan Division will be very competitive with 5-7 or so points separating 3rd-7th place, and very well expect the Devils to be in that mix.
Rob DeLuca: 6th place. This is of course not good enough for the playoffs. The team will be significantly improved from last year and will meet expectations of competing right to the end of the season and just fall short of playoffs. 87 points.
Charlie Borges Jr.: The Devils will surprise people but are still another year or so away from actually competing and having the young kids grow into their own. The Devils will finish 5th in the Metropolitan Division this season, finishing 5th in the division with 88 points, and miss the playoffs by 3 points. The Devils will finish ahead of the Rangers, Flyers, and Blue Jackets.
David Lebovitz: The Metro is this bizarre combination of teams on the rise, teams on the decline, and whatever the hell the Hurricanes are after that offseason. I’m thinking the Devils get third or fourth in the division and just squeak into the playoffs.
Steve Palumbo: This Devils team is poised to take a big step in the standings. That said, the playoffs are a long shot. Even with breakout seasons from the likes of Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich, the Devils will finish no higher than 5th in the Metro. No playoffs… yet.
Sam Woo: Clinch the last playoff spot in the Metro on the last game of the season against Red Wings with 98 pts.
David Holiday: Fourth place in the division and yes they will make the playoffs in the final week. The division will be tough and teams 3-6 should be closely packed but the Devils now have the defense to make it interesting.
2) Name a Devils player who will surprise people.
Nick Villano: Pavel Zacha is going to have another season where he is a reliable scorer on the power play, and he will contribute more at 5v5. He has skills, and he’s playing with Nico Hischier. so I think he will have plenty of opportunities to score.
Vinnie Parise: Michael McLeod is going to be a fantastic fourth-line centerman. His offensive production might show to be very valuable this year.
Dan Rice: Janne Kuokkanen will build upon last season’s success and could double his assist total from last season if his teammates hit fewer posts.
Mike Luci: If he capitalizes on his opportunities, I think Michael McLeod could build on his subtle breakout-esque season last year. I don’t expect him to produce at a point-per-game pace or anything like that, but think he could put up more points than expected for a bottom-six forward.
Rob DeLuca: Yegor Sharangovich. Or should I say SharanGOALvich? Bad puns aside, the kid is ready to explode this season. He looked explosive in the preseason and his shot looks so much better than last season. With Jack Hughes on his line, he will have a big year on the stat sheet.
Charlie Borges Jr.: The surprise player this season for the New Jersey Devils will be P.K. Subban. Subban’s third year in New Jersey will be his best by far. Last season he was much better than the more than forgettable 2019-20 season. He will finish as a half-point per game player and be a key role on the defensive corps now that there is much less pressure on him with Hamilton in the fold.
David Lebovitz: Miles Wood. I genuinely cannot believe I’m saying this, given that his offense for years was “enter the zone and shoot,” but he was a legit solid player last season. With some better players surrounding him, and hopefully less Stupid Stuff on his part, I think there’s a real chance he matches or surpasses last year’s numbers.
Steve Palumbo: The player I expect to surprise some people is Andreas Johnsson. He was a disaster last season and the fan base has no faith in him. I fully expect him to rebound and put together a solid offensive season even in a diminished role. 15 to 20 goals is not out of the question.
Sam Woo: Dawson Mercer. The kid will come through in the clutch in big games.
David Holiday: Alexander Holtz might not have made the team out of camp despite his showing but he should get a shot this season. Depending on injuries. he could get a good amount of games. With what he showed early, his production will catch people off guard much like Sharangovich did last season.
3) Which player won’t live up to his expectations?
Nick Villano: I think Miles Wood has a rougher season than he had last season. The head coach won’t rely on that line as much as he did last season because the other three lines are strong. Wood will have all the best intentions, but his desperation to make a play will lead to mistakes.
Vinnie Parise: Pavel Zacha had a fantastic season last year in terms of his goal-scoring production. However, I’m not sure that he will live up to it this year at all.
Dan Rice: Big prove it years for Bratt and Zacha. I’m not sure they can be consistent enough to warrant a spot over the upcoming talent (Foote, Holtz) if they don’t produce on a consistent basis.
Mike Luci: Just a gut feeling, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Pavel Zacha fades off a little, and struggles to eclipse last season’s numbers. I really hope I’m wrong.
Rob DeLuca: Janne Kuokkanen. I like Kuokkanen very much and think he is going to be a very good player in this league. He is not ready to handle the top-six workload that he is projected to get by staying with Sharangovich and Hughes. I would highly recommend switching him with Tomas Tatar on the lines and that would stabilize his production.
Charlie Borges Jr.: Pavel Zacha. Zacha finished last year strong but will not be able to consistently score this season. For some reason, he has never been able to put a full season together. In some games he looks like the sixth overall pick he was and in the very same game will make you think how he is in the NHL. People are expecting a lot of things out of Zacha and a huge step. Like always, he will fail to live up to expectations.
David Lebovitz: Jimmy Vesey. This seems like a strange pick, given that he’s signed to a league-minimum contract, but a lot of fans seem to have this idea he’ll have a breakout after a strong training camp. Let’s not forget that this is a guy who has never scored more than 17 goals in a season, and only scored 14 goals in the last two years combined. He’ll be useful but we need to accept that his ceiling is lower than we all thought when he first signed in New York.
Steve Palumbo: As much as this pains me to say, I can see a significant sophomore slump and dip in play from Ty Smith. Being injured to start the season won’t help.
Sam Woo: Andreas Johnsson. He just takes up space.
David Holiday: Pavel Zacha either broke out last season or was a guy whose stats showed he overachieved based on underlying numbers depending on who you ask but personally I don’t see him having a repeat performance, though like all Devils players we will be cheering for him to succeed.
4) What is another NHL team you think will surprise people this season?
Nick Villano: I kind of like the Anaheim Ducks. Not sure why, but this one screams out to me. I expect a much better season from John Gibson, they will have some really good, young pieces ready to contribute, and maybe there is some magic in Ryan Getzlaf returning for one more year.
Vinnie Parise: A lot of people are expecting the Florida Panthers to be a good team. However, I expect them to exceed those expectations. An Atlantic Division title, President’s Trophy, and Stanley Cup are all realistic expectations for them in 2021-22.
Dan Rice: I think Detroit won’t be as bad as some think, and Seattle won’t be as good as some think.
Mike Luci: Dallas Stars I think have the best chance of rebounding after the way things went for them last year. They’re too talented to miss the playoffs.
Rob DeLuca: Seattle Kraken. I’m going to take this in a different direction though. They are going to be BAD. I mean they will be finishing in 6th place in the pacific level of bad, which is really disappointing considering how weak the pacific is this year. If you are a betting man/woman hammer every point total under for Seattle that you can and bet NO to making the playoffs.
Charlie Borges Jr.: The team that will surprise everyone will be the Boston Bruins. They will surprise people with how much of a step back they will take this year. The Perfection Line will carry the team, however, the loss of franchise pillars in David Krejci and Tuukka Rask will be bigger than people think. They will still somehow make the playoffs, but there will be a lot of downs before they get there.
David Lebovitz: The Dallas Stars. I know this is a strange thing to say about a team that made the Cup finals just the other season, but it feels like them missing the playoffs put them off everyone’s radar. That’s not fair — Jason Robertson would have won Calder last year if not for Krill, Suter improves their blueline at least in the short term, Seguin is back, and Khudobin is still a pretty solid goalie. It’s especially easy to see them in the mix with the Coyotes tanking and the Blackhawks Blackhawking.
Steve Palumbo: The biggest surprise will be the NY Rangers. They are going to be much better than people have them slotted. They could even challenge for the top spot in the Metro. (Editor’s note: gross)
Sam Woo: The Rangers. They will be the worst and in the lottery. Management took another direction and they will pay dearly. (Editor’s note: I like this better!)
David Holiday: Despite a good game one the Penguins roster on paper at least looks bad and with both star forwards health is a question mark, they will surprise people by missing the playoffs.
5) What is one bold prediction you have about the NHL season?
Nick Villano: The Devils will make a massive move in November. There is no waiting for Tom Fitzgerald now, and something is going to fall into his lap. Could it be Vladimir Tarasenko? The Blues are playing him on the third line, so it very well might be.
Vinnie Parise: The New Jersey Devils are going to be a top-10 offensive team this year. They are going to fill their opponent’s net as there are so many players who can contribute a good amount of offense now. The question will be their ability to defend.
Dan Rice: Toronto loses in the first round, again. Carolina won’t be as good as they were the past two seasons. A rested Dallas makes another deep playoff run. (Sorry I know you said one)!
Mike Luci: P.K. Subban has a lights-out season that causes Devils Twitter to do a complete 180 and demand he gets re-signed before free agency this coming summer.
Rob DeLuca: The NHL is going to demolish their viewership numbers this season. With TNT getting the piece of the pie and the return to ESPN/ABC people are excited just for the theme music alone to be back. With the addition of streaming services ESPN+ and Hulu coming in as well this can reach a broader audience. It will be good numbers going forward.
Next. Ways To Make Devils Stanley Cup Contenders. dark
Charlie Borges Jr.: Phil Kessel will be a New Jersey Devil by the end of the year. Just kidding. Not really. But the real bold prediction is that the Buffalo Sabres do not finish last in the league. They finish 31st, but they will not finish last. Craig Anderson will show Father Time he still has it. The team that finishes last? The Arizona Coyotes. This is why Phil Kessel will be a New Jersey Devil. It all fits together.
David Lebovitz: A “CM Punk” chant will break out during regular season play.
Steve Palumbo: You want bold? You got bold… Alex Ovechkin fails to score 20 goals this season. Injuries and a flawed lineup will do him in.
Sam Woo: Ryan Reeves and P.K. Subban will drop the gloves for charity.
David Holiday: Moritz Seider wins rookie of the year in Detroit. The Calder is either really easy or really hard to predict and with no superstar first overall pick coming into the league this season it has opened the door for a rare win by a defender. He will put up 30+points in his win and set the stage to be a top-pairing defender.