New Jersey Devils: Recapping A Dreadful Season With Pucks And Pitchforks Crew
The New Jersey Devils season is over, and we brought on the Pucks and Pitchforks writers to tell us what they thought about how it all went down.
Question 1: Who is a player who exceeded your expectations this season?
Nick Villano-Site Editor: I will start with the obvious. I had semi-high hopes for Jesper Bratt, but putting up north of 70 points in 76 games is phenomenal. He’s a true part of this team’s core, and he is one of the few things that actually have us excited for next season.
Dan Rice-Beat Reporter: Definitely, Jonas Siegenthaler – who played bigger minutes than I anticipated and excelled, and also Dawson Mercer – who I didn’t think would make the team and will play in all 82 as an 18-year-old. Siegenthaler moved ahead of Smith on the depth chart, which I didn’t have on my bingo card.
Vinnie Parise-Head Writer: Jesper Bratt was that guy for me. I knew how good Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes could be and they are only getting better. However, I did not see Bratt reaching these offensive heights.
Luke Garrison-Staff Writer: The player that exceeded my expectations was Yegor Sharangovich. Usually, sophomore slumps happen with a lot of players. Seeing Sharangovich having a fantastic season shows the type of potential he could be a Devils superstar in the future.
Charlie Borges Jr.-Staff Writer: The easy answer here is Jesper Bratt, so I’ll go with someone else. Yegor Sharangovich has been good but not great for the Devils this season. He started off slow and looked to have a sophomore slump, but has been much better and surpassed his rookie season last year.
Rob DeLuca-Staff Writer: Yegor Sharangovich. As stated in the writing team preseason I had called this from a mile away. After a slow start, Sharangovich reunited with Jack Hughes and completely took off. Hughes was just too easy of an answer that’s no fun. Sharangovich did exactly what I expected and became SharanGOALvich.
David Holiday-Staff Writer: Andreas Johnsson. While I expect the answer here for most to be the stars like Bratt, Hughes, and Hischier, I did think they would move forward in their games whereas Johnsson I expected to be off this team. He had a bad first year but playing with Mercer early really got him going and even though at the end of the year he tailed off so did the whole franchise and he is still the guy who ended up doing far better than expected in my eyes.
Jeremy Goldstein-Rookie Staff Writer: I really loved what I saw this season for Jonas Siegenthaler. While the offense did make plenty of strides, I think Siegenthaler emerged as one of the more important young pieces of the Devils this season. If he can continue to be both flexible and available his shot-blocking ability will be one of the Devils’ defense’s most valuable assets.
Derek Fleming-Rookie Staff Writer: Who is a player who exceeded your expectations this offseason? Jonas Siegenthaler. Last season, the few games he played with the Devils he looked okay at times, but also terrified when it came to making a breakout pass. Not only did he improve on breakout passes, but became a shutdown defenseman.
Sam Woo-Let’s Go Devils Podcast Host: Nico Daws. When the 2021-22 NHL season began, Daws was two years away from seeing him at the NHL level and was called in as a full-time emergency goaltender to fill the void of Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier both being out with significant injuries. He filled in admirably after having a stellar start with the Utica Comets. He has done a lot in his first professional season in North America. That is a big ask and he performed well under the circumstances. The kid has a bright future with the Devils.
Which player was the biggest disappointment on the New Jersey Devils?
Villano: There are so many to choose from, but I’ll go with Pavel Zacha. We thought he finally figured it out when he led the team in points last season, but it was clear that was a blip on his career radar. Now, it appears he’s likely out the door this offseason.
Rice: Ty Smith had a sophomore slump, a really big, bad one. but hopefully, that’s all it is. Mackenzie Blackwood and Pavel Zacha close second. Hamilton wasn’t the same player after taking the puck in the face, he came back but he never really came back.
Parise: Mackenzie Blackwood for me. He missed some time due to injury but wasn’t amazing when he did play. However, I believe he can turn it around.
Garrison: The player that had the biggest disappointment for me is Ty Smith. After the rookie season he had, I thought he could improve on his flaws, but he’s made many mistakes on defense and hasn’t shown up. I still have faith he will get it right next year.
Borges: Ty Smith. There are sophomore slumps and then there is whatever Ty Smith is having. From Calder Trophy hopeful to “does he know how to skate” is not what you want to see from a recent first-round pick.
DeLuca: I could be a showoff and say I called Janne Kuokkanen from a mile away too. But I won’t. The correct answer here is Ty Smith. He was statistically the worst defenseman in the NHL by a large margin for a long portion of the season. He had been a healthy scratch multiple times this season. It has unfortunately led to major questioning on his future here from many fans.
Holiday: Ty Smith had such a strong first year. It wasn’t just his offensive play. He showed a poise beyond his years which is something not seen in a Devils defender since Severson broke in. Smith’s fall from grace has just been incredible. He should have been a lock to be on the second pairing and at worst been putting up insane numbers sheltered on the bottom pairing against easy competition and quarterbacking the second PP unit.
Goldstein: Pavel Zacha is someone who I expected big things from after his performance in last year’s COVID season. Instead, the 25-year-old barely eclipsed his point total from last year and has not found a line of forwards that he meshes with. This year has proven that New Jersey is better off going with someone else in his place next season whether that’s someone like Alex Holtz or a veteran they add this summer.
Fleming: Dougie Hamilton. I’m not writing him off yet, not even close, but the start to his Devils’ tenure was not what I was hoping for. He looked solid in the first few months, but since returning from the jaw fracture, he’s looked far from a $9 million guy.
Woo: Pavel Zacha. We expected more from him and build on his 2020-21 campaign. He disappeared at times and does not use his big frame to his advantage. I thought we’d see more production and impact from him.
What should the Devils do about the goaltending situation?
Villano: This comes down to what the Devils should do with Mackenzie Blackwood. If he really is unhappy with the franchise and everyone needs a change of scenery, then the Devils should go all in on getting a netminder. Does that mean spending big on a Kuemper-Holtby combination? Nope. Trade for Carey Price. It could actually work.
Rice: If they can’t find a way to steal John Gibson, Binnington, or even Ulmark, then have to try to get a vet like Holtby, Khudobin, Fleury to stabilize. They cannot go into next season with a Blackwood-Bernier tandem and Schmid-Daws as the next men up.
Parise: I would bring Mackenzie Blackwood in along with another player to be his backup in case of injury/bad play. Bernier could be that guy if healthy but I’m not convinced.
Garrison: If the Devils want to fix the goaltending, they should keep Blackwood for one more year. I still see Blackwood as a good goalie; even with the injuries, he can play well, maybe with a new year. As for Bernier, they should release him and go after a guy like Vitek Vanecek, who is still young and has good enough stats for a backup.
Borges: There are plenty of things the Devils could do, but I’m a firm believer in Blackwood. Vaccine status/political beliefs aside, he was the future a year ago and he should still be the future. But Darcy Kuemper would be okay.
DeLuca: Mackenzie Blackwood needs to be pushed to his absolute max potential next season. They need to bring in a goalie capable of doing this such as Alexander Georgiev or Semeon Varlamov to name a couple. There are many more. Jonathan Bernier may have had his career come to an end due to his injuries, I hope I am wrong about that.
Holiday: This is the toughest call because the Devils have so many and so few options. They are locked in with Bernier and Blackwood. Tom Fitzgerald has done a great job getting stuff done, but a possible career-ending injury and a retirement in back-to-back years is rough. The Devils should go big after Ville Husso first and Darcy Kuemper second. The Devils could easily tempt Husso with an offer of $5+ million a year for 2-3 years. This would be incredibly risky, but he has looked amazing this year and at times has stolen the starter spot. He is 27 years old and before this season had under 20 games played. Goalies can take time, but this is his prime and we have seen goalies fall apart at 30 many times.
Goldstein: Spend. Obviously, the Devils have a lot of depth at the goaltender position. They have some young guys with potential in Akira Schmid and Nico Daws as well as veterans like Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier. While the depth is there, the reality is the Devils need to spend. Whether it’s Vanecek, Kuemper, or anyone else, NJD needs to add a proven winner to the roster to be a competitive team in the Metro next season.
Fleming: I still want to see a healthy Blackwood. However, I also want competent goaltending, and doing a Blackwood/Bernier tandem may not give us the results we want. There are a lot of question marks on the two, and the Devils’ best bet may be trading for a proven goaltender like John Gibson. His last three years haven’t been Gibson caliber, but the Ducks could be looking to trade him and it may not hurt to try him out.
Woo: This decision will make or break Tom Fitzgerald’s legacy as Devils GM. I believe Nico Daws is the future but believe he still needs time in Utica. I consider Bernier to be out of the picture and the Devils would be lucky if they could trade him (or his contract). Mackenzie Blackwood does deserve one more chance but has to prove he can be consistent and healthy. I think he should find a trade to get the right goaltender. One that can have an immediate impact for the one or two years as a bridge to Daws. Maybe three times the charm for Fitzy?
What was your favorite moment from the season?
Villano: Hmmm. I really think it was the Lightning win. I live in Tampa, we did a pregame podcast with Ken Daneyko, I got denied access to the arena (despite not having a ticket), and I went home and watched a huge win. A wild day that ended with elation.
Rice: Hughes OT goal opening night. All downhill after that. But seriously, Hughes emerging as an alpha player that can make something happen 7/10 times he touches the puck. Bratt finding that consistency (finally). Hischier proves that he is on the cusp of being an elite two-way center. Boqvist finally scratching the surface of his potential.
Parise: Opening night. Jack Hughes scored an overtime game-winning goal and threw his stick into the crowd. It was clear from that moment on that Hughes has arrived.
Garrison: My favorite moment of the season is the OT winner in the home opener with Jack Hughes throwing his stick in the crowd. I was in attendance when that moment happened, and the Prudential Center had a colossal pop-off. It was an excellent play where he deked the goalie, but the celebration was unforgettable and fun to witness.
Borges: Kind of hard to have a favorite moment when the team sits bottom-5 in the standings. We’ll go with the Nathan Bastian waiver claim since it brought the whole fanbase joy for just one day.
DeLuca: The emergence of Jack Hughes was really special to witness. The guy was undoubtedly a superstar and the Devils’ best player. That contract extension is worth every penny.
Holiday: The Jack Hughes stick flip OT winner. This was the high point of the season and it was all downhill from there as he got injured in the game after. The kid loves to score and loves to win and have fun which is fun for us to watch!
Goldstein: Despite the failure, there are a handful of great moments from the season, however, my favorite has to be the 3-0 comeback against the Colorado Avalanche on March 8th, 2022. Going in, the narrative was definitely a negative one, and to see the energy inside the Prudential Center ascend as a 3-0 deficit became a 5-3 victory was special to watch. The moment shows that this Devils team can perform at a high level when they click and hopefully that comes more consistently in 2022-2023.
Fleming: There aren’t many to choose from, but I’d have to go with their OT win against the Oilers. Usually, the Devils are the team who blows the lead late and loses in overtime thanks to bad goaltending, so it was nice to get one for once.
Woo: When the Devils came back and beat the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 20th in Tampa. They were at 8-5-3 at that point and the Utica Comets were steamrolling the AHL. Then the 3rd jerseys were revealed a couple of days later…
Now that the season is over, what should the team’s biggest priority be in the offseason?
Villano: Crush the draft pick. The goal is to stop picking so high up in the NHL Draft after this season. So, do all the research you can, and pick the player who’s going to help this become a true contender. Remember, when this year’s kid is ready, a lot of the best players on the Devils now will be entering their prime. The hope is to be like Cale Makar coming into the Colorado Avalanche (cough, cough take Simon Nemec).
Rice: If they somehow win the lottery again I would seriously consider trading that top pick for an established goalie, and if they’re lucky maybe include Zacha in the deal in a swap of forwards. I might even consider a deal like that if it’s a top-5 pick. The Bratt contract should be done relatively quickly. he’s earned whatever he’s asking for.
Parise: The biggest priority this off-season should be landing another very good prospect in the draft. Utica was outstanding this season and there are some good young players to thank for it. Adding more would be nice!
Garrison: The biggest priority of the offseason must be signing Jesper Bratt to an extension. After the last few seasons, he is way too important of a piece for another team to get him. I hope whoever agent Bratt has must get Fitzgerald to agree with him on a significant extension to keep him as a Devil for a long time.
Borges: The biggest priority for this team is getting new voices on the coaching staff. Mark Recchi needs to go, Alain Nassredine needs to go, and most importantly Lindy Ruff needs to go. Ruff has posted win% numbers that have not been seen since Ken Daneyko’s playing career began, which is not good. And it’s not just “the goalie”. Also, get Zacha far from this team as possible.
DeLuca: Sign Jesper Bratt. Now! Outside of Hughes, there was not a single player more consistent than Bratt. He belonged at the All-Star Game and was snubbed. He has shown he belongs with this franchise long time. He has the potential to be one of the greatest draft steals of the last 10 years.
Holiday: Coaching staff changes. It is pretty clear that this team will never succeed with the insane defensive lapses they keep making, and right now the finger should be pointed at Coach Alain Nasreddine. He has been here a long time, and while there was the excuse of the core not being good before they gave him Ryan Graves and Dougie Hamilton, it is just nuts that the same mistakes keep happening like leaving players open in the slot multiple times a game. This team on the powerplay is a disaster still as well. Playing Severson over Hamilton on PP one was absolutely nuts. Not putting your best shooter in Sharangovich on PP one, is absolutely nuts. Fans might not always be right but if you can’t see these are the smart choices on the bench I’m sorry but it is time to go.
Goldstein: Last summer, the Devils proved that they were not afraid to spend last year when they inked Dougie Hamilton to a long-term contract. With the space to do it again, New Jersey needs to make a big-time move and continue that trend. Whether that’s extending the contract of Jesper Bratt or Yegor Sharangovich or signing someone like Johnny Gaudreau, a major improvement has to be the number one priority. This free agency is pretty deep and I would love to see the front office, regardless of who’s there, be one of the more aggressive groups throughout the entire league.
Next. 3 Free Agent Goalie Options. dark
Fleming: Sign some veterans who know how to win. This franchise has developed a culture content with losing and they need more guys in that locker room who won’t let that slide. Go out and get five Pat Maroons for all I care. Just build some type of culture in New Jersey.
Woo: The biggest priority this offseason is to bring in a big power forward that is a leader in the locker room. We saw what Bastian brought to the table with his size and tenacity upfront. Fitzgerald beefed up the defense and goaltending with size. He should do the same especially when Zacha never uses his size to his advantage.