New Jersey Devils End Of Season Defense Grades And Goalie Evaluations
Now that the forwards are done let’s take a look at the New Jersey Devils‘ defenders, the incredible amount of goalies used, and the coaching staff.
Coaching: F
Fortunately for the fans, the team had the same rating of its coaching staff and both assistants have been let go. While Lindy Ruff is still in his position as head coach, various reports are pointing to a 50/50 possibility he returns for next season. The team showed problems that related to the system all season, especially on the defensive end where they left players open in front of the net alone time and time again. No other team had this problem at this rate and none of the newer players to the team did it early on but it slowly crept into their games as the season went on.
When it comes to special teams, both were terrible with the powerplay finishing 28th at 15.6% and the penalty kill managing to get up to 14th at 80.2%. The PK got off to an awful start and did improve, but at this point, we should be happy it didn’t save anyone’s job. As for the PP, it let in an NHL leading 14 shorthanded goals. That speaks for itself. Everything that could be said has already been said, and it is and was time to change it up.
As for Ruff, with the names that could be available, including Barry Trotz, the Devils should be interviewing other head coaching candidates right away. There is also the chance to get Bruce Boudreau if he is let go. Either of these two would be a massive upgrade.
Dougie Hamilton
GP:62 G:9 A:21 PTS: 30
Pre-Season Prediction: GP:82 G:13 A:42 PTS: 55
Dougie Hamilton had a hot start and was everything that we knew he could be but the injury to his jaw really derailed his season. After that, he never looked the same. He also revealed at the end of the season he was playing with a broken toe, so his drop in play is understandable. He will be ready to go next season though and that is the most important thing and we can expect him to be the normal #1 defender.
Rating: B
Ryan Graves
GP:75 G:6 A:22 PTS: 28
Pre-Season Prediction: GP:76 G:5 A:19 PTS: 24
Ryan Graves came in and gave us most of what we wanted from a big, mean, defenseman, but it did feel like he was a little less than what we saw in Colorado. He was third in hits among defensemen and only three ahead of Hamilton, who played fewer games this season. While the numbers are not always counted accurately, it would be nice to see him throwing at least a few hits a game and to try and match the level thrown out there by the Devils’ fourth line. He was an intense guy and a competitive one in Colorado and while it appeared at times, especially early, it looked like the losing got to him so hopefully, if this team turns it around next year we will see it again from him.
Rating: B
Damon Severson
GP:80 G:11 A:35 PTS: 46
Pre-Season Prediction: GP:82 G:6 A:26 PTS: 32
Damon Severson has been on this team forever and has been a polarizing figure at times with opinions varying greatly. He can still make those big mistakes leading to goals but overall he is still a great NHL defender and does a little bit of everything and does it well. It was a career year offensively for him and with some other good NHL defenders, he didn’t have to shoulder the entire load of hard matchups which really helped him thrive. Hopefully, the team locks him up long-term for a reasonable number.
Rating: A
Jonas Siegenthaler
GP:70 G:1 A:13 PTS: 14
Pre-Season Prediction: GP:50 G:1 A:4 PTS: 5
Last season, Jonas Siegenthaler looked like Mirco Mueller 2.0. Tall and soft with mediocre skating and stick work, but he really proved everyone wrong this season. He might be the Devils’ biggest surprise on a disappointing team. His advanced numbers were strong, his stickwork vastly improved, and while not a physical force, he was third on the team in hits and didn’t back down in scrums. Right now he looks like a legit top 4 defensive defender and with his ability to stop zone entries should find himself getting a lot of minutes next year.
Rating: A+
Ty Smith
GP:66 G:5 A:15 PTS: 20
Pre-Season Prediction: GP:75 G:4 A:33 PTS: 37
To say Ty Smith’s season was a disappointment is an understatement. He was one of the worst defenders in the entire league all season. For some reason, he still managed to stick in the lineup. He was able to get some points late in the season but the poise and awareness completely left his game for the entire year and it was like watching a different player. Next season will be career-defining for him because this was one heck of a sophomore slump. His leash should be very short with the great defenders this team has coming.
Rating: F
P.K. Subban
GP:77 G:5 A:17 PTS: 22
Pre-Season Prediction: GP:70 G:6 A:13 PTS: 19
We all know what P.K. Subban is now. He is the shadow of the Norris Trophy winner he once was, but later in the year he looked settled in for the first time with the Devils. He was nothing special, but as a number six defender, he didn’t look bad by the end. He will always make those bad passes and turnovers that kill you, but it won’t be a problem for the Devils next season. He will probably sign for $2 million by someone who is fine sheltering him.
Rating: C-
Kevin Bahl
GP:17 G:1 A:3 PTS: 4
Pre-Season Prediction: GP:25 G:0 A:3 PTS: 3
Kevin Bahl got in a good number of games at the end and ran only slightly in the negative on some advanced stats such as Corsi and Fenwick compared to the team which is expected of such a young player with little experience. He had 28 hits in his 17 games which is something that he needs to do and might give him a shot at sticking next year though the competition for the final pairing will be fierce.
Rating: B
Now let’s get to the disaster that was the New Jersey Devils goaltending. This is the big reason this team is in the draft lottery once again. With league average goaltending, this team would have been within a stone’s throw of the playoffs. GM Tom Fitzgerald made good bets two years in a row with veteran goalie backups, but this offseason he really needs to strike gold.
Mackenzie Blackwood
GS(GP): 24(25) W:9 GAA:3.39 Sv%: 89.2
We all knew he had to have a resurgence and starting the season he was supposed to be healthy and ready to go. The Blackwood we got however was still a fraction of the guy we got in his first year and as a result, this team was bad. They only got 25 games from him but even those were too much as he continued to cost this team games and keep fans on the edge of their seat for the wrong reasons. He has now gone from the future of this team in net to will he even is returning for another year and in my own opinion, going with him as the starter again is a bad plan.
Nico Daws
GS(GP): 23(25) W:10 GAA:3.11 Sv%: 89.3
The 21-year-old Nico Daws had the most wins for this team which is insane to think about and while he did have some good starts it is clear that he is not ready. He should have been in the AHL as planned but things got out of hand quickly as one can see with the number of goaltenders started. He still does have a bright future though and his 91.6 save percentage in the AHL looks good.
Jonathan Bernier
GS(GP): 8(10) W:4 GAA:3.06 Sv%: 90.2
Another year and another goalie over 30 who just can’t stay healthy for this team. His numbers weren’t great and he played so few games to be an impact guy this season. Next season he may or may not be back and we need to hope he gets healthy.
Jon Gilles
GS(GP): 14(19) W:3 GAA:3.76 Sv%: 88.5
Not an NHL goalie and there is not much more to say about this.
Andrew Hammond
GS(GP): 7(7) W:1 GAA:4.66 Sv%: 86.0
A good attempt to fill the void late but was just awful each and every game which Devils fans should probably be happy about. At 33 he was never going to be the goalie long term so him playing good would have just ruined draft position anyways and this is the last time we will see him in Jersey and probably the NHL
Scott Wedgewood
GS(GP): 2(3) W:0 GAA:3.19 Sv%: 88.0
The Devils lost him again and despite the numbers, he was left to dry by the defense in both his starts. He ended up playing for a terrible Arizona team and had a 91.1Sv% then was moved to Dallas where he continued to improve to 91.3% which speaks for itself.
Akira Schmidt
GS(GP): 4(6) W:0 GAA:4.83 Sv%: 83.3
Another fantastic AHL guy, not nearly NHL ready. Much like Nico Daws, he has been solid in the AHL with a 91.1 save percentage. At 21 he has a bright future but hopefully, the team keeps him where he can develop properly for at least another year or two.