Pucks And Pitchforks New Jersey Devils Season Preview

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.