Alexander Holtz was once expected to shine in a top-six role, but the 2020 seventh-overall draft pick now faces an uphill battle to find a place in the New Jersey Devils lineup. With how the Devils’ roster is currently constructed, Holtz’s window of opportunity with this team is closing.
Holtz will unlikely be able to crack the top six next season. The Devils strengthened their group of forwards this offseason by trading for Tyler Toffoli. Essentially, Toffoli takes the slot that Holtz was trying to win.
Like Holtz, Toffoli is a scoring winger. He scored 34 goals and contributed 39 assists last season with the Calgary Flames. A key difference between him and Holtz is that Toffoli skates well. The addition of Toffoli means Holtz is once again looking at a bottom-six role.
The top six likely consists of Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes, and Tyler Toffoli. The Devils also have Ondrej Palat who is a top-six player and will probably play up and down the lineup as lines get shuffled around. This begs the question: what will the Devils do with Alexander Holtz?
Prior to the Toffoli trade, Holtz was probably already heading into his last chance with the Devils. Despite playing well in the AHL, Holtz has yet to make an impact at the NHL level. He played in just 19 games with the Devils in the 2022-23 season, spending the rest of the season as a healthy scratch or playing in the AHL. Frankly, Holtz still has a lot to prove.
In 2022-23, Holtz only tallied four points in 19 games. Scoring three goals and contributing one assist in 19 games just doesn’t cut it. In his defense, this is partly due to his line placement. His inability to crack the top six meant a lot of time in the bottom six with low-scoring linemates. The bottom six has not worked out for him so far.
Another young winger, Nolan Foote, is expected to factor into the lineup. Following a big season in Utica, Foote is ready to make an impact in New Jersey. Plus, he’s no longer waiver exempt. The Devils love what they’ve seen from Foote so far, and he has the makings of a solid bottom-six winger. Between Foote and Holtz, Foote seems like the better fit for the roster with its current construction.
A scenario that could see Holtz in the top-six is if the Devils slide Dawson Mercer to the third line. This is a possibility, as Mercer has seen plenty of time on the third line before. However, he proved during this past season that he’s meant for a consistent top-six role. Mercer was just three goals shy of hitting 30. He’s very valuable playing up with Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes.
The Devils might be focusing more on a top-nine than a top-six because they have so many dominant forwards. If Holtz ends up on the third line, though, who would his linemates be? Ondrej Palat would be on the other wing. Erik Haula might center them. Playing with veterans could be helpful for Holtz. If this line struggles to find chemistry, though, Holtz might be out of options.
Ultimately, coach Lindy Ruff shuffled lines around a lot last season. Some players saw time on the first, second, and third lines. Ruff will keep moving guys around the ice, trying to find chemistry and the best lines for each moment. This could be what helps Holtz stick around. If one alignment doesn’t work, Ruff isn’t afraid to shuffle the deck.
Still, there’s a reason to be concerned about Holtz’s future as a Devil. Ryan Novozinsky recently reported that the Devils told Holtz during his exit interview that the 2023 offseason could be “career-defining” for him. Is the organization at a point where they are seriously considering moving Holtz? If they aren’t there right now, they might once they see how things shake out this fall.
Holtz could benefit from a change of scenery. There’s still a lot of belief in him as a player, but perhaps he’d be a better fit on another team.