5 Lineup Changes To Help New Jersey Devils Scoring
By Nick Villano
Sit Janne Kuokkanen
The New Jersey Devils have a lot of struggling forwards right now, but nobody is struggling quite as much as Janne Kuokkanen is this season. He has 11 points in 42 games this season. He’s taken an incredible step back. Last season, he had 25 points in 50 games. This season, he has basically half.
He’s found himself between the last line next to Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian or on the third line next to Jesper Boqvist or Dawson Mercer. He just hasn’t clicked anywhere. Last season, he was on the top line with Sharangovich and Hughes. This season, he can’t fit anywhere.
The Devils need to sit Kuokkanen down and let him re-evaluate what he’s been doing this season. Make him watch all of his shifts on tape and see where he’s making his mistakes. He can take a look at the ice from the owner’s box which multiple other players have said has helped them in the past.
Kuokkanen isn’t a player who’s making a ton of money, so if he does end up being a bad investment it doesn’t matter. He’s making less than $2 million next season. However, he truly is an asset as a prospect and NHL player. He’s still just 23 years old and he’s salvageable, but he’s not helping the offense right now.