Pucks And Pitchforks New Jersey Devils Season Preview

Every year, we stand before you at Pucks and Pitchforks trying to breed positivity despite knowing there’s a chance the team can fall apart and we’ll all be miserable together come February. That’s no fun. We like looking at the bright side (when it at least has somewhat of a reason to be).

This season, it seems like we have a reason to be excited. The Devils look like a different team, and all those young studs are becoming impact players on the NHL ice. So, as we head into another season covering your New Jersey Devils, we bring in the whole team to come together for a massive preview. We’re just a few hours from puck drop (or a few hours after if you’re reading this tomorrow), so let’s get ready for the season with a deep dive into the Devils season with the Pucks and Pitchforks crew!

Who do you think will be the breakout player this season?

Nick Villano: Alex Holtz. Jack Hughes is so good, he can make anyone look just as good. He doesn’t need players who did the work. However, Holtz did the work this offseason. And that will show in his play.

Vinnie Parise: Tomas Tatar had a brilliant preseason and camp. He looks healthy and motivated to be an impact player. Expect him to score some goals.

Dan Rice: Dawson Mercer will take on 20-25 points on top of the 42 points he posted last season as a rookie.

Charlie Borges Jr.: This may be a cliche answer, but the breakout player is Jack Hughes. He could not stay healthy last season and if he had stayed healthy all of last season he would have been statistically among the league’s best. Having him healthy and with solid linemates, he could really become just the fifth player in franchise history to hit 90 points or maybe even more.

Rob DeLuca: Dawson Mercer. The Devils have the luxury of Mercer being able to play both wing and center if need be. It seems likely he will spend most of the year with Jesper Bratt and captain Nico Hischier. How can you not cook with guys like that setting you up? Not saying he’ll suddenly score 30 goals, but there will be a lot of points on the sheet.

Samanew Annaluru: I think the breakout player will be Kevin Bahl. Maybe not offensively, but certainly defensively.

Luke Garrison: I feel that Alexander Holtz will be a breakout player. Holtz played exceptionally well in the preseason. I love the H2O line, and I hope we get to see Holtz sharing the point totals and scoring the most goals on that line.

Jon Bailey: Tomas Tatar had a lot of problems last year; bad shooting luck, inconsistent line combinations, inconsistent playing time, and a lot of blocked and missed shots. After that, Tatar became a trade candidate during the summer, and most wanted him gone. With a moderate improvement in those areas, Tatar should easily clear 20 goals and 50 points and potentially flirt with 30 goals.

Sam Woo: John Marino. He is an underrated player like Brian Rafalski was. He will play big minutes and will be asked to help be the tireless stopper against tough opposing lines.

David Holiday: Jonas Siegenthaler took a pretty good step last season and was a good shutdown guy versus his first few games in Jersey where he looked like Mirco Mueller 2.0 and an AHLer. He looked poised to take another step and could be a top shutdown guy on a vastly improved defense.

Who do you think will be the fan favorite by the season’s end?

Villano: John Marino will be the apple of everyone’s eye. He is sticking around, and his defensive acumen will be something fans have been clamoring for a long time.

Parise: Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes are the best forwards on the team but Jesper Bratt will assert himself as the true fan favorite on the team. He is already on his way to being a star but the fans gravitate toward him.

Rice: Probably Fabian Zetterlund if he isn’t already.

Borges: I think John Marino will definitely become a fan favorite. He is incredibly versatile on the back end, something Devils fans have not been used to in recent memory. While Damon Severson is sure to be moved, either by the trade deadline or before free agency, Marino will be a good replacement for him. Unless he has a completely terrible season and Ty Smith wins the Norris, this is an easy bet to pick.

DeLuca: Jack Hughes. Yeah, it’s the lame and cop-out answer, but you all know it’s the right answer. The top-line center is already the fan favorite and we are fully aware of what he can do on the ice and the production he will likely put on the ice this season. There’s zero reason to believe he doesn’t retain his title as the fan favorite.

Annaluru: Miles Wood, who’s been a bit out of favor, will become a fan favorite again

Garrison: I feel Jesper Bratt will be a fan favorite by the end of the season. He could have a fantastic season by signing that one-year deal. If that happens, not only would he gain more fans, but it would get Fitzgerald to sign him to a huge extension.

Bailey: Erik Haula is something the Devils haven’t had in a while: a bottom-six guy that can score and do everything at an above-average level at multiple positions. His presence will be a shot in the arm for a Devils team that has had no scoring threats in the bottom six since Brian Boyle.

Woo: Kevin Bahl. He is a beast with a lot of beef.

Holiday: Jack Hughes will be the number-one guy here for 10 years, deservedly so, and after he breaks the point-per-game mark again the league will give him the respect he deserves while half the fans will be in Hughes Jerseys for home games though I would like to give a shout out to wildcard Miles Wood. After missing the entirety of the season but three games with an injury last year he should be healed up and ready to go. We all love scrappy role players and this year Miles has a good shot at hitting 20 goals for the first time and will lead the team in fights and hits getting big cheers from the fans all year.

What is one bold prediction you have for the Devils’ season?

Villano: Let’s do one that we aren’t putting in an article. Jonas Siegenthaler scores seven goals. Despite having three career goals, Siegenthaler has never been paired with someone like Dougie Hamilton. He will have more offensive opportunities than he thought possible.

Parise: Nico Hischier will compete with Jack Hughes for the team scoring lead this year but come up a few points short. They are both outstanding players.

Rice: Tomas Tatar will come close to his career-high 61 pts in a season

Borges: Either Jonathan Bernier or Mackenzie Blackwood is traded. The Devils will have three goalies on the roster come Thanksgiving, barring any setbacks for the injured Bernier. It would make sense for Bernier to be moved on an expiring deal, but then again who would want a mid-30s goalie coming off hip surgery? Blackwood looks like a prime candidate to be moved. Now for the bold prediction for the league as it ties into the Devils’ bold prediction. The Toronto Maple Leafs will miss the playoffs. Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov are their goalie tandem and it could either be perfect or a disaster. I am leaning toward the latter. Blackwood in blue and white? It should not be removed from the realm of possibility.

DeLuca: Tomas Tatar returns to form. This really isn’t that bold but most fans will think it is so I’m taking that opportunity to my advantage. While he will likely spend most of the year on the bottom 6, Tatar is going to be a pesky bottom 6 player for most teams to deal with. I fully expect a bounce-back year and god forbid an injury occurs he will be one of the first guys put into a bigger role and he will excel as he has done in previous seasons.

Annaluru: Devils finish 4th in the Metropolitan Division and make the playoffs as a Wild Card.

Garrison: Jack Hughes will lead the team in points this year. Hughes had a fantastic year last year before the injury. Seeing him return will showcase significant improvement in his point totals. However, the bold part is predicting he will stay healthy all year.

Bailey: Jack Hughes will have 100+ points and win the Hart Trophy.

Woo: Vitek Vanecek will be a Vezina trophy candidate. He will get 35 or more wins this season.

Holiday: After nailing this question last season going with Seider for the Calder, I am going to pick Matty Beniers to win it and be the first Kraken to bring home an award.

What will be the Devils’ biggest win of the season?

Villano: March 30th versus the Rangers. The Devils will still be in the race at this point, they will desperately need a win to keep themselves in the playoff race. The Rangers are in a similar point, and the Devils take their last meeting with their Hudson River Rivals at the Rock. We’re not predicting what comes next, but Devils fans are on Cloud 9 after this win.

Parise: The Devils biggest win of the season will come late in the season as they clinch a playoff berth on the back of their new young core.

Rice: Their biggest win will be if they aren’t ravaged by injuries & sickness again.

Borges: October 30th at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets for absolutely no reason whatsoever…

DeLuca: February 11th in Minnesota. Book it! Let the standings do the talking.

Annaluru: Devils crush the Rangers on December 12th, putting the league on notice.

Garrison: The biggest win of the year will come against the Boston Bruins on December 23rd at home. Last year, the Devils were 0-3 against Boston. If they want to prove something to the NHL, a dominating win against them would be huge.

Bailey: The one that clinches a playoff spot. The makeup of this Devils team could give teams like the Maple Leafs serious fits in a seven-game series.

Woo: Last game of the season. It’s against the Capitals and a win gets them in the playoffs with the third spot in the Metro.

Holiday: On January 7th, they have the Rangers at home in an afternoon game. So let’s go bold with this one and say the Devils put up seven goals, we see multiple fights and the teams move into a tie for a wildcard spot.