New Jersey Devils Season Preview: Bold Predictions and Breakout Performers

The New Jersey Devils are coming into this season with something they haven’t had in a long time: hype. With that hype comes expectations, and we’ve tagged all of the Pucks and Pitchfork writers to see their predictions together. Let’s take a look at the annual Pucks and Pitchforks season preview!

1. Who is this year’s breakout performer?

Nick Villano: Kevin Bahl. Dude looked like a stud in the preseason, and he clearly is ready to hit another level.

Vinnie Parise: This year’s breakout performer will be none other than Luke Hughes. Few rookies are put in this type of situation where everyone around them will make their lives much easier.

Rob DeLuca: Those of you who always read our giant previews know I love getting under the skin of our short-tempered fanbase. Ondrej Palat is going to shut them all up. Deal with it.

Charlie Borges Jr.: Michael McLeod. While there are off-ice issues that could affect this, McLeod has come into his own last season and impressed this preseason. By year’s end, he will be one of the premier defensive centers in the entire NHL.

Dan Rice: Luke Hughes. That’s the easy answer, but also the right one. Without having to be the savior of a team, he will probably slightly exceed my expectations. He’ll make some mistakes, but the reward will outweigh the risks. I also think Lazar will be a great fit with this group following a full offseason and training camp to adapt to this team/system.

David Williams: I can see a breakout performance from Ondrej Palat this year. Being hampered by injuries early last season led to season-long struggles; look for Palat and his playoff pedigree to come into play this year.

Jonathan Bailey: Kevin Bahl is getting his first crack at being a top-four defenseman at the NHL level. He was arguably the Devils’ best blueliner in training camp, and now all he has to do is keep that up when the real thing starts.

Ethan Fink: Kevin Bahl is this year’s breakout performer.

Tyler Russell: I believe this year’s breakout performer will be Alexander Holtz. He had a phenomenal camp, and his time has come. Now, it is his job to perform at the highest level and I think he will.

Joe Stanislau: Luke Hughes is my breakout performer this season.

Marci Rubin: This year’s breakout performer will be Akira Schmid. We got a taste of what he could do during the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, and now is his time to reach the next level.

Luke Garrison: The definitive breakout performer will go to Jack Hughes. He’s 22 and now an NHL star, and I believe he will continue his incredible success on the Devils now that he has help around him.

Samanew Annaluru: This year’s breakout performer will be Dawson Mercer. Think he could crack 65-70 points.

David Holiday: Alexander Holtz. He has spent a lot of time with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier, and if that stands for part of the season, he could easily be looking at 40 points. The other option is placing him on a third line with some combination of Haula, Mercer, or Palat with some easier competition, and he should be able to handle that.

2. Predict which game will be the Devils biggest win of the regular season.

Villano: April 9, 2024 versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s payback for last year’s fiasco game, and it could clinch the Devils a playoff spot or even the division.

Parise: The biggest win of their season will be the win that clinched them the Metropolitan Division. If that were to happen, it would be the first time that the Devils have won the division in this format.

DeLuca: 1/20/24 vs Dallas. It’s going to be a very special night with the ring of honor returning. Not to mention the Stars are going to finish in 1st place in the central. This win will be huge.

Borges Jr.: The biggest win the Devils will have will be on April 11th, 2024, in Toronto. The Devils and Maple Leafs are nothing but destined to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals in the future. This will be a big final test before the playoffs start.

Rice: The biggest win of the season will be the one that clinches a playoff spot. It doesn’t matter where they finish as far as seeding goes. They just need to get into the dance.

Williams: I hope a December 30th win vs the Boston Bruins on the road will be the biggest win of the season. This game will close the book on a monumental 2023 calendar year for the franchise and hopefully be opening 2024 on the right foot toward continued postseason success for many years.

Bailey: Nov. 18 at home against the Rangers – set the tone for the season early and prove to the NHL you mean business once again.

Fink: The Stadium Series game vs. the Flyers will be the biggest win of the season, simply due to the team bonding and memories that come with it for the entire organization.

Russell: Any one win over the Hurricanes will be huge. Every prediction you see for the Metro will have either the Devils or Hurricanes finishing up top. It will come down to the wire.

Stanislau: The Outdoor Game vs Philly. Rivalry, plus outdoor game, plus fans and players don’t like each other.

Rubin: Biggest win of the regular season will be Saturday, March 9 at The Rock against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Garrison: The most significant win will come when the Devils play the Flyers at MetLife Stadium on February 28th. This game is a big chance to showcase the Devils’ great team, not only on national TV but outdoors.

Annaluru: The December 10th game against Cup favorites Edmonton Oilers will be the Devils’ biggest win.

Holiday: In the big outdoor game, the Devils will crush the Flyers, scoring over six goals.

3. Which NHL team (besides the Devils) will be the biggest surprise? Biggest disappointment?

Villano: I may be crazy, but the biggest surprise to me is going to be the Vancouver Canucks. Demko comes back to form, and Pettersson goes nuclear with a new contract on the line. The biggest disappointment is the Florida Panthers. That playoff run has us ignoring the fact the Penguins had to lose to Chicago just for them to get in.

Parise: The biggest surprise will be the Columbus Blue Jackets. They can’t be worse than they were last year, and the additions they made are nice. The biggest disappointment will be the Detroit Red Wings. Many people expect them to take a step, but it doesn’t feel like they will.

DeLuca: Buffalo appears to be getting all of the hype surrounding nonplayoff teams finding their way back to the dance with ease. Don’t overlook those Detroit Red Wings, though. That’s your surprise team. Disappointment: Winnipeg. This is going to be a very ugly regression! Sell on them as fast as possible.

Borges Jr.: The biggest surprise in the NHL this year will be the Arizona Coyotes. They will not be near the playoffs, but they will not be even close to the bottom feeder we all know them to be. The biggest disappointment will be the Boston Bruins. They have lost too much, including the heart and soul of that team, Patrice Bergeron.

Rice: I think the biggest surprise will likely be Nashville or Detroit contending for a playoff spot. The biggest disappointment will be either Pittsburgh or Edmonton – neither will be as good as some of the pundits believe.

Williams: The popular answer would be the Buffalo Sabres, but I’m going to throw a dart here and say the Detroit Red Wings will be the NHL’s biggest surprise this season. The Boston Bruins cannot sustain last year’s success, and due to some key departures, they will be the biggest disappointment in the NHL.

Bailey: The Stars seem to be heavily slept on after a really efficient summer, while the Kings’ addition of Pierre-Luc Dubois has only set them up for failure and further disappointment.

Fink: The Vancouver Canucks will be the biggest surprise this season, and the Boston Bruins will be the biggest disappointment.

Russell: I believe the Blue Jackets will surprise NHL fans. With Fantilli, Johnson, Gaudreau, and others, they have a young but underrated lineup.

Stanislau: Biggest disappointment is the Pittsburgh Penguins 🐧, they are very old yet slower, and have few prospects to lean on. The Buffalo Sabres will shake up the Atlantic Division with their young guns and veteran talent.

Rubin: Biggest Surprise: Pittsburgh Penguins – Many people are counting them out due to age, but they reloaded on talent in the offseason. Biggest Disappointment: Boston Bruins – As if last season’s first-round playoff exit following a phenomenal regular season wasn’t disappointing enough, they will take a step back this year due to a significant roster downgrade.

Garrison: I think the Red Wings will be the surprise team because they certainly have a lot of young talent that can showcase well in the season, plus they have a great scorer in Alex DeBrincat. The team that will be a big disappointment will be the Florida Panthers due to a regression of having a good run last year, and losing Aaron Ekblad will hurt them in the long run.

Annaluru: Biggest surprise: Ottawa
Biggest disappointment: LA Kings

Holiday: The Buffalo Sabers have been bad for a long time, and this is the season they get it all together and make the playoffs. The biggest disappointment will be the Bruins falling from a record season to missing the playoffs.

4. What is one bold prediction you have for this season?

Villano: Luke Hughes finishes the season with more points than Dougie Hamilton. I feel like this power play split will eventually go the rookie’s way.

Parise: The Tampa Bay Lightning are going to sell at the trade deadline, and Steven Stamkos is going to be traded.

DeLuca: Devils sweep the regular season series against Carolina. Revenge will be sweet. I don’t believe that will reflect the division, though.

Borges Jr.: A bold prediction for this year is that Steven Stamkos will be traded at the trade deadline. The Lightning will be without Andrei Vasilevski at the beginning of the year, which will set a bad tone for an old team. The Lightning will be dealing their longtime captain while missing the playoffs for the first time in a while.

Rice: Like last season, I’m banking on Dawson Mercer taking another big step this season. My bold prediction is he will put up 30 goals and 68-72 points.

Williams: My bold prediction is the Devils will turn the oft-questioned goaltending position into a strength of this club. The duo of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid will run laps around the Metropolitan Division this season.

Bailey: John Marino finishes with more points than Luke Hughes.

Fink: Kevin Bahl emerges as one of the most effective defensemen in the East.

Russell: I would not consider it bold at this point, but I truly believe the Devils will make a really strong push for the Cup and I think Jack Hughes will win the Hart trophy. 

Stanislau: Akira Schmid and Vitek Vanecek win 25-30 plus games each in net. Goals Saved Above Expected will be top 5 because of the defense, too.

Rubin: Dougie Hamilton will break Scott Stevens’ franchise single-season points record for defensemen.

Garrison: My bold prediction is that Jack Hughes will reach over 100 points for the first time in his career. Considering he had 99 points last year and continues improving every season, he will get that 100-point milestone.

Annaluru: Logan Cooley wins the Calder Trophy.

Holiday: I would love to go 3/3 picking the Calder here, but Bedard is not a bold prediction, and neither is Jack Hughes getting 100 at this point, so I am going to go with Luke Hughes is the runner-up for the Calder and pushes himself to .5ppg.

5. What is your points prediction for the Devils at the end of the season and where do they finish in the Metro?

Villano: The Devils will finish with 105 points, good for second in the Metropolitan Division. They face the Rangers in the first round again.

Parise: I believe the Devils will win the Metropolitan Division with 108 points.

DeLuca: This team is good and has to remain in the top 3 race. They will. 103 points, which is good enough for 2nd in the Metro.

Borges Jr.: The Devils will finish with 104 points and finish third in the Metro behind the Carolina Hurricanes (114) and New York Rangers (107). The Hurricanes, who dealt with the Devils with relative ease in the second round of the playoffs, got even better without losing much. The Rangers still have the edge in goaltending. So it is easy to see a scenario where the Devils fall a little behind the Rangers, setting up a Hudson River Rivalry matchup in the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Rice: 101 points. 2nd place in the Metro.

Williams: The Devils will finish with 116 Points and edge the Carolina Hurricanes in the standings. The Devils will win the Metropolitan Division by 5 points.

Bailey: The Devils probably won’t win 13 games in a row again, and they’ll regress defensively, too. Despite that, they can still easily reach around 105 points and win a Metropolitan Division that hasn’t improved much at all.

Fink: 120 points, 1st in Metro.

Russell: I think the Devils will finish with 114 points and finish first in the metro.

Stanislau: 125 Points taking over first in the division. Carolina falls 5 points behind.

Rubin: 114 points. 2nd place behind the Hurricanes

Garrison: For the points prediction, the Devils will reach 110 points this season. The Devils will also finish second in the division behind the Carolina Hurricanes.

Annaluru: I think the Devils finish with 108 points and 2nd in the metro, behind Carolina.

Holiday: The Metro has three strong teams, and they will probably all finish within 10 points. As of right now, I believe the Devils are a lock for 2nd once again behind Carolina.