The New Jersey Devils have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, but we learned a lot about this team throughout the year. We also learned who will never spend another moment with the team again.
Right now, the New Jersey Devils are spending their last moments of the season before locker room cleanout on Monday. They will all go their separate ways. Captain Nico Hischier will spend a few months in Switzerland unless he decides to play in the World Championships first. Jack Hughes will likely spend time with family, especially his brothers who all had their seasons end in disappointing fashion. Jesper Bratt is heading back to Sweden while his new contract is negotiated. It’s like the last day of school. Everyone will go their separate ways, but when they come back, not everyone will be there.
The Devils had 41 players hit the ice for them this season. It’s actually not that much. The Colorado Avalanche had 39 players hit the ice. They are the best team in the NHL. However, every team is going to say goodbye to a player that’s never going to spend another minute in their jersey. It might be because they will get a better opportunity elsewhere, because the team no longer needs that player, or it might be because a player leaves the game entirely.
The Devils have a little bit of everything. They are the youngest team in the NHL, with 23 players under the age of 25, then another 10 players between the ages of 25 and 27, it’s not like the Devils have to get rid of most of the team. A lot of these players are nowhere near done with their development yet.
However, there are plenty of players who have had their last game in a Devils uniform. As with everything this dreadful season, it all starts with the goalie.