The New Jersey Devils had a rough season in 2021-22. They had a lot of negativity surrounding them from the fanbase because of how bad things got after a promising start. While battling COVID-19, injuries, and mediocre to bad play all season long, there were some positives to look at.
Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt lifted this team up offensively when they were healthy. There were some other good performances throughout the year but these three led the way. We can only hope that they build on this in 2022-23.
The defense was very mediocre but there is a chance that they take another step in 2022-23 as well. Ty Smith was awful in his second year which happens to a lot of guys before they make another jump in year three.
Dougie Hamilton was really good until he hurt his jaw. Following that, he looked like a guy who just needed the season to end so he can gear up for the next year. It will be interesting to see who on defense steps up to help these guys get this team going.
Goaltending is the biggest problem on this team right now. We all of the sudden don’t know if Mackenzie Blackwood can be the guy after going into the season thinking he can be a Team Canada guy. Now, they might need to add another good goalie.
The New Jersey Devils should consider adding some help in all areas of the ice.
There are also some good prospects in the organization in addition to this year’s second overall pick. With all of these guys coming along, they might consider adding some veteran leadership back to the group.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a team that has done a lot of winning over the last decade or so. Their star power is the biggest reason for that. However, some of those guys are unrestricted free agents now. If New Jersey wanted to consider adding a veteran with experience like that, they could choose from one of these two: