New Jersey Devils: Things to Look At As NHL Trade Deadline Approaches
As the trade deadline approaches and the season is hitting the last stretch for the New Jersey Devils, the team still has a lot to prove. We will finally see some trades as teams try to get a head start after the Colorado Avalanche took an early initiative. While playoffs are out of the question, the Devils still need to win games and build some confidence. What should they do and what should fans be keeping an eye on?
The continued growth of Hughes and Bratt to NHL stardom
These two are by far the best offensive players on the team. As it sits now, Jesper Bratt would be on pace for an 84-point season and Hughes a 93-point one if both played a full 82-game season. The Devils have not had an offensive threat like these two in a long time outside of one season from Taylor Hall. These two are still young and just hitting their stride. If these two can maintain this pace and continue to drive the play through their primes, the team is in a far better state than people think.
When it comes to goal scoring, a thing the Devils have struggled with for ages, Bratt is on pace for 28 goals while Hughes would be on pace for a whopping 38 goals in a full 82 game season. This once again would be the best since the 17-18 season when Hall scored 39 and previous to that the last Devil to net 35 was Ilya Kovalchuk back in the 2012 playoff run season. The franchise has certainly never been known for goal scoring and these two have always been looked at as pass-first players, but if they can both net 25-30 during their primes it will be a very long way for the franchise.
Nico Daws
The goaltending position has been a disaster for years and it has driven fans insane. Mackenzie Blackwood should have been playing better and anyone over 30 has been so injury-prone it is just beyond bad luck. Watching Cory Schneider going from stud to worst goalie in the league hurt this franchise immensely. Then, Corey Crawford retired before playing a game, and now Jonathan Bernier is out with a hip injury which is probably the worst thing a goalie can suffer if they expect to come back and play at the same level.
Nico Daws has now played in 13 games and has a respectable record of 6-5. Currently, he is this team’s starter thanks to his performances and is probably turning some heads in the organization who likely did not expect to see him in the big league for a couple more seasons. He leads the team’s netminders with a 2.75 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. If the team had a starter with these numbers all season one could argue they would be in the playoff conversation.
Should the Devils have him written in as the starter next year? Probably not. Can he prove that he is ready now if he plays this way for a total of 30games? Absolutely.
Trade Deadline Defensemen
Damon Severson
Damon Severson is a player fans had a lot of varying opinions over the last few years. Some fans are starting to see his true ability. Without the top-man expectations, it seems like many are keen on keeping him through the trade deadline. When it comes down to it, the Devils shouldn’t move Severson. Even a 1st-round pick wouldn’t tempt the Devils.
The second the team moves him, they have lost the defensive depth that took them ten years to finally get and the right side would go to Hamilton and a bunch of wildcards next season, a season in which they are playing meaningful games on game 70. This team could also use a couple of older players who know how to handle the long season and provide guidance and leadership for the younger players so having guys like him, Graves and Hamilton should have a positive impact off the ice as well.
P.K. Subban
The writing is on the wall on this one after the organization flat out said that he will not be resigned next season. He has improved slightly since last season but with his tendency to take stupid penalties and play dirty over tough with the constant slew footing it is just not something that I like to see in the NHL let alone on the Devils.
The Devils will have to retain half his massive salary to make a move and this will hurt his value still but could the Devils get a 3rd-round pick and a middle prospect for him? It is hard to tell what the value is since veterans hold so much value some seasons and defensive depth is important but the real key here is to just get something if you know he is gone in a few months anyway.
The Youth Movement
Dawson Mercer
Dawson Mercer had a ridiculous start and cooled off but since joining up with Jack Hughes on the top line, he has once again looked really good. This is in part due to Hughes being so good but also probably an adjustment to the insane length and travel of the NHL plus the physicality level on a younger guy.
With his stats adjusted to the full 82 games, Mercer would be sitting at 19 goals and 47 points which is good for top five on the team. This is from a guy who was not expected to be on the team this fast. Where he slots in the future is in open to anything, but the fact that he can play 3C or slot on the wing with Hughes or Hischier makes him just a little more valuable and in the event of an injury in future seasons he is a guy that can be moved without a huge issue.
The Utica Comets and Alexander Holtz
The Devils finally have a good AHL team which once upon a time I put little stock in but after years of developing nothing it is something my opinion changed on a few years ago. Winning down there will eventually translate at least in a little way to winning up here and the Comets are a top-tier team in the AHL with the second-most wins currently and some players are looking fantastic.
For the sake of making things easier, we will look at Holtz’s stats if he had played 82 games as well and it shows just how good a season he is having being on pace for 48 goals and 93 points. The Devils drafted him for one reason and that is to score goals. He was probably the best sniper in his draft year. Since joining the Comets, he has proven that this is the case. When he comes up next season for good, Holtz should score 20-25 goals in season one and the team should be lining him up in the top 6 immediately.
Next. Devils Lose To Canucks. dark
He is also not the only player on the team having a great year as Fabian Zetterlund is sitting at 41 points in 38 games in his third AHL season and could make a good push for the Devils’ bottom-six next year. On the defensive end, Colton White has been up and downplaying 23 with the big club and Reilly Walsh has 34 points in 51 games. Both of these guys should be in competition for the final spot on the Devils defense core next season which will be up in the air with Subban gone.