New Jersey Devils: Which Players Need to Prove Themselves This Season?
The New Jersey Devils 2023-24 roster could undoubtedly be one of the best in the NHL. With a lot of young core talent and some of the best veterans who know the game and still have a lot of talent left, there is no doubt the Devils have a product they can look forward to this season.
However, not every player is perfect and will get pressured to prove themselves as mainstays. Some players are still looking to become part of the primary team, while others hope they can improve and fix whatever issues are holding them back. Here are a few players that need to prove themselves for this season.
Alexander Holtz
Alex Holtz is an exciting prospect who has been in the organization for three years. He’s been trying to make the NHL roster since coming to North America in 2021. In the last two seasons, he has three goals and three assists for six points total in 28 games. Holtz got his first NHL goal in the opening game against the Flyers last year. Despite that, each year ends up with him being in Utica to finish the year.
While he’s succeeded in Utica, this season will focus on him trying to get on the roster for an entire season. There are excellent hopes that he will do so. Holtz’s development has been outstanding over the past few seasons. His shot (which in the draft was one of his strengths) continues to be great, whether it be a wrist shot or a slap shot. He’s getting more involved in the play by getting chances, and in this preseason alone, he already has two goals.
That leaves one question. If Holtz does make the roster, what line could he play on? From what we’ve seen so far, he could end up being linemates with Timo Meier and Nico Hischier. When they are all on the ice together, they make some solid chances, and each of them adds a lot of scoring opportunities. Because both Meier and Hischier are now long-term veterans, they can help the young guy prove himself to be a solid RW for the team for the next several years. Ultimately, it’s up to Holtz to showcase himself as a talented NHLer, so this season, he needs to showcase that if he ends up on the roster by opening night.
Vitek Vanecek
There is one position holding the Devils back from being the league’s top team. Goaltending has been an issue for the Devils for the past several seasons. However, the Devils got a taste of solid goaltending in Vitek Vanecek last year.
In his first season, he had a very good year, with a .911 save percentage and a 2.45 GAA, which is the highest of his career. He had three shutouts the whole year, including one against the defending Stanley Cup Champions in the Avalanche. If he can replicate the same regular season he had last year, the Devils can finally end their goaltending woes.
His biggest concern, however, is in the playoffs. Against the Rangers, he allowed nine goals in the first two games and couldn’t stop most of their shots. Because of the bad performances, Ruff decided to take Vanacek out before Game 3 and put in Akira Schmid. However, against the Hurricanes, the same thing happened to Schmid, and Vanecek was inserted into Game 3 and won.
Unfortunately, in Game 4, he was again taken out after giving up five goals. This season means a lot for Vanacek because it could go one of two ways. If the Devils get there, Vanecek could have a solid regular season and a strong postseason. However, if things go wrong for him by March, Vanaeck could end up being replaced by a particular Winnipeg goaltender who could make himself available by the trade deadline. Vanecek needs to prove that he wasn’t the lousy goalie everyone saw in the playoffs and showcase he can do it in the regular season and playoffs. That’s the goal of what Vanacek needs to prove this year.
Ondrej Palat
When the Devils acquired Ondrej Palat during last year’s offseason, there was a big reason for getting him. The idea was that he would be a guy who would make a clutch play and be that veteran who could lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final. When the Devils paid Palat a five-year $30 million contract, you should expect solid results.
He didn’t exactly turn into what they were looking for in his first year. For a guy getting paid all that money, he only scored 23 points. He didn’t look that great, mainly due to his groin injury at the end of October. Palat ended up being out indefinitely for two months, returning at the beginning of January of 2023. He did have great moments, like scoring two goals against the Canucks in February.
Despite not having a successful regular season, he continues to be clutch in the playoffs. In game 5 of the Rangers, he scored the first goal to put the Devils up 1-0. In game 7 of the series, he made an excellent play to set up Michael McLeod to put the Devils up 1-0 and help win that game.
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Palat also scored a powerplay goal in Game 3 against the Hurricanes. So there’s no lack of clutch plays that Palat can pull off. Now, in the 2nd season of his contract, he needs to showcase he can be a great player in the regular season, helping the Devils young core to be great. This contract cannot be the one that Tom Fitzgerald will want to regret. So it’s up to Palat to stay healthy and have a solid year. If Palat does that, we could see him helping the Devils become the best team in the NHL in a few years.