New Jersey Devils: Projected Forward Lineup for 2023-24
As the Stanley Cup Playoffs are getting closer to an end, there are some players facing free agency that could return. Right now, the New Jersey Devils have just 12 players under contract. They need to get to 23 by opening night. So, let’s take a look at who we think will make the roster come October.
Cole Caufield’s 8-year, $62.8 million extension seems to be the benchmark for a player like Jesper Bratt in New Jersey. Speaking of which, let’s start off with the forwards. There are few guarantees when it comes to scorers. Let’s see who we think will play at each position.
Left Wing
Jesper Bratt
The elephant in the room is Jesper Bratt. Will his camp finally come to their senses and see there’s no reason to go to arbitration? We hope they look at Cole Caufield’s deal. Jesper Bratt and his camp will go somewhere in the four years and $7.25 million AAV range. Jesper Bratt finally breaks through in the NHL season and becomes the second of several Devils to make an All-Star game. Then, he finally breaks through as a goal scorer in the playoffs and helps propel the Devils through the second round.
Ivan Barbashev (Possible Free Agent Signing)
During free agency, the New Jersey Devils know that it’ll be harder to keep guys like Tomas Tatar around and need someone with more playoff experience. Ivan Barbashev is someone who knows what it takes to win a Stanley Cup. Per Evolving Hockey, he is projected for four years and $4.8 million per season. The 6’1, 195lb winger is a physical hitting sasquatch of a player during the regular season and raises it in the playoffs.
His hits per game are 2.17, and blocks 0.78 shots per game since joining Las Vegas. His SiD Rate (hits, blocks, and points per game) is 3.58 in the playoffs. 17 points in 19 games where his Sasquatch two-way play of 85 (hits, blocks, and points) in the playoffs is key to Vegas possibly winning the Cup. Barbashev’s two-way play is key in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Look forward to Tom Fitzgerald adding more physical veteran leadership to the lineup.
Erik Haula
The Finnish forward was very useful on both sides of the ice in the regular season, doing a lot of the dirty work for Jack Hughes. He lives in the dirty areas. He played a key role in helping play a stronger defensive game. Haula helped Hughes learn more about ironing out in the faceoff circle but is still a work in progress. In the playoffs, Haula took his game to another level. Haula has said that he wants to return and play in New Jersey and give his family some stability playing for a growing playoff-bound team.
Nolan Foote
The Devils have been very patient with the development of Nolan Foote’s game. Since coming over in the Blake Coleman deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, his skating has improved a lot, and his shot on top of his size can be used from a power forward standpoint. He is only 22 years old and a former 27th-overall pick and would benefit from being under Lindy Ruff and Sergei Brylin in a very friendly run-and-gun style of hockey and would benefit from the familiar face in Coach Brylin.
Centers
Jack Hughes
Jack Hughes after a phenomenal 99-point season and showing his draft skeptic doubters wrong. Not only did he prove skeptics wrong in the regular season, he scored six goals and 11 points in 12 playoff games. Hughes was a near .92 points per game in the playoffs, showing that he can adapt to all levels of hockey. He should be considered a candidate for the Hart Trophy every year.
Nico Hischier
The Swiss center played well above expectations with 80 points and a Selke Trophy nomination. HIschier scored 31 goals, 10 more than his previous career high. His strong play along the neutral zone and along the walls has been key in keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier is a phenomenal passer who leads his wingers and attackers to cash in on scoring chances. Hischier plays a Pavel Datsyuk style of hockey, stripping the puck and generating an offensive breakout that will be vital going forward.
Michael McLeod
Former Mississauga Steelheads forward Michael McLeod is a physical forechecking center. He hits opponents a lot as well as suppresses opponents’ shots on net. He is one of the best faceoff winners in the NHL for a good reason. He clocked in at 60.6% this past season. McLeod had 26 points and 22 assists in 80 games. He has improved his offensive point production by 6 points and could improve by another 6 points going forward. It’s not much, but it’s something. He did much better in the playoffs, with six points in 12 games.
Dawson Mercer
The young man from Newfoundland has proven why it was crucial for GM Tom Fitzgerald not to use Dawson Mercer in any trade deals. He has shown a very quick release and could be a good star in New Jersey. His two-way play and his silky stickhandling between stripping the puck, passing, and shooting is why he will be the Devils’ version of Patrice Bergeron as he ages and makes a lot of noise in the playoffs in The Garden State of Hockey.
Right Wing
Timo Meier
The Swiss power forward is looking at an $8.8 million per season deal, according to Evolving Hockey (subscription required). Meier’s bread and butter is being a physical menace and getting open near the slot and the faceoff dots. He has a lethal shot for a one-timer and a nice wrap-around technique. Meier’s point production translates over into the Devils offensive style of play, and his physical play on top of Bahl, McLeod, Bastian, and Siegenthaler make the New Jersey Devils a lot harder to beat up front.
Meier did get robbed multiple times against Igor Shesterkin in the first round but was chirping and thumping Rangers players on the forecheck and evading defensemen. He finally broke through against Carolina several times. Once he signs that long-term deal in New Jersey, it’ll be a very hard time for opponents to beat the Devils in the playoffs on top of who they add to this roster.
Nathan Bastian
One of two Mississauga Steelheads on this roster, Bastian has been very important physically on the bottom-six. He hits and blocks with ease but isn’t an offensive juggernaut that wows people. He brings that playoff hockey style of play which is critical. While not the kind of guy you would want to lose, he brings a certain something to the lineup every night. When Bastian is out of the lineup, we see the Devils lose that physical edge. Bastian is a must-have in the Devils lineup until they can possibly replace him down the road.
Ondrej Palat
The Czech veteran was out for a good amount of the season due to a lower-body injury. Still, Ondrej Palat scored 23 points in 49 games. In the playoffs, he scored seven points and three goals. When healthy, Palat is a very confident and very tough opponent to play against and is a key veteran in every other situation a growing Devils team needs to have around.
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Tyce Thompson
The New Jersey Devils need to add some size to the lineup. Tyce Thompson brings physicality and the ability to score. It has been a bit rough for the young winger making a few appearances, but it wouldn’t hurt to see him make a case for himself looking to pick a bottom 6 role with lower expectations. His time in Utica, where he has been the most productive, could translate more if Sergei Brylin becomes the associate coach for the Devils running the offense. Having Brylin around would help Thompson to use his size, scoring ability, and physical play to fully integrate into a new role in the NHL.