New Jersey Devils: Midseason Forward Reviews
Nathan Bastian
Gp With Devils:22 G:7 A:1 Pts:8
It is no secret to say that Nathan Bastian is a fan favorite. He brings a lot of toughness shows up to every game ready to play and wears his heart on his sleeve on the ice. Since rejoining the Devils he has scored a ridiculous amount of goals and even if his pace slowed he is a keeper.
Rating: A
Micheal McLeod
Gp:41 G:3 A:8 Pts:11
Other than the top line with Hughes and Bratt, the fourth line has been the most impressive in the last twenty games. Michael McLeod is fast, hits, and has become a faceoff machine at a 58% win percentage, which is near the top of the league. No matter what the team is doing fans can expect at least to be entertained by the top and bottom lines.
Rating: B
Jimmy Vesey
Gp:37 G:6 A:4 Pts:10
Jimmy Vesey has been all over the lineup for a while now and it is not a bad thing to see, especially for a player who came in on a tryout contract. He was solid on the fourth line and while he shouldn’t be playing with Hischier, quite frankly he has brought more to the table than Tatar and Zacha have. The effort is always there his skill is at the NHL level and he might not be the prize of four years ago Vesey should be worth something decent at the deadline and would be worth bringing back next season to fill in when injuries happen.
Rating: B+
Next. A Few Mid-Season Trades To Consider. dark
Janne Kuokkanen
Gp:38 G:5 A:4 Pts:9
In another of the Devils’ disappointments, Kuokkanen went from last season’s point pace down to a twenty. Is it because he is not with Jack? Probably. But while this would impact his points being cut in half is pretty bad and his play in other areas has just been lacking. He was physical before, hard in the corners and puck retrieval was a strong part of his game. Now he is invisible like all of the middle six for most games and I have to question if he is out by the third period consistently.
Rating: D