New Jersey Devils Midseason Report Card
Yegor Sharangovich
Goals: 10 Assists: 7 Points:17
This season, Yegor Sharangovich has not been getting enough time with the top line. We’ve brought this up before. He is on pace for 20 goals and is a defensive beast, especially on the penalty kill. Unfortunately, he has been stripped of all the opportunities he had earned and excelled in the spot with last season. Look for him to either net 20 plays all over or finally team up with Jack again and probably be sitting around 27.
Overall Rating: B
Ondrej Palat
Goals: 3 Assists: 0 Points: 3
Ondrej Palat finally returned after missing most of the season and was pretty invisible in all three games since his return. It was a big injury, so it could take time for him to get back to playing shape. It will take some time to get back into the swing of things, but he has a big contract for a long time to live up to.
Overall Rating: D
Fabian Zetterlund
Goals: 5 Assists: 9 Points: 14
Since being moved off the top line, the points have dried up for Fabian Zetterlund. There is still a good player here, and he is finding his way at the NHL level on a nightly basis while not looking like he is out of place. The kid has a really good shot. Moving forward, his skating could make him a very valuable asset in a depth role. He could even move up the lineup and be a responsible contributor. For a guy who was a question mark, Zetterlund has still exceeded expectations.
Overall Rating: B+
Micheal McLeod
Goals: 4 Assists: 14 Points: 18
The points have really dried up lately for the bottom six. Once again Michael McLeod is suffering without Nathan Bastian. He hasn’t been as physical and really all that he was contributing during the cold streak was some ok defense and faceoff wins. It is also worth noting that he has the worst Corsi on the team (for those playing at least two games). McLeod needs to get his line back together and pick it up fast but he can’t just fall off a cliff without Bastian like this again.
Overall Rating: D
Miles Wood
Goals: 7 Assists: 9 Points: 16
Much like McLeod, Miles Wood has just fallen off a cliff without Bastian, and he is obviously the other negative impact player on the team. The BMW line was all on pace for 40 points when together. While that wasn’t going to last the dropoff is insane. He has scored one goal since November 12, which is 26 games. On top of that, he hasn’t been hitting anyone and when Hischier was being hit, he should have been one of the guys fighting back. That was his role in other seasons. Even as a fourth liner, this is bad, but Miles is a guy who is looked at to move around the lineup and has been a complete disappointment for the last quarter season.
Overall Rating: D-
Nathan Bastian
Goals: 3 Assists: 5 Points: 8
The man might not have played since the quarter-season reviews, but let’s take a quick moment to say how good Bastian was and how good the BMW line was with him. Clearly, he was the main driver on that line, and he might be earning more money by how bad they look without him. The Devils need his size, physicality, and penalty-kill ability badly right now.
Overall Rating: Please get healthy
Jesper Boqvist
Goals: 4 Assists: 2 Points:6
After his solid end to last season, Jesper Boqvist faded back into obscurity. He’s done very little to show he is an NHL player. So many players have passed over him and with prospects always coming up, he will be on his way to the AHL or back to Sweden.
Overall Rating : D-
Alexander Holtz
Goals: 3 Assists: 1 Points: 4
Alex Holtz is probably still the best prospect this team has up front, but he is not NHL-ready yet. It is past time to send him down to Utica. We know what he brings at the NHL level, and it is not enough. Let him score more games in the AHL and build his strength and speed up.