New Jersey Devils: Takeaways From Big Changes In Practice
After a slow start with a win, a loss in a shootout, and a regular season loss, it’s the nature of the beast to have some growing pains early in the season. A long offseason, young players on defense, new players on offense, and more led to an up-and-down start. It is straightforward to get upset in the comment section of a podcast and call out a guy like Timo Meier and say the trade and extension are a complete waste. Yet, there’s much more to it than overreactions.
Timo Meier Then and Now
First off, everyone not named Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, and Jesper Bratt have been struggling offensively. Not everyone is coming right off the hop playing like they are in midseason form. Tom Fitzgerald put a lot on the line for Timo Meier. Shakir Mukhamadullin, Fabian Zetterlund, Nikita Okhotiuk, a 2023 1st-round pick (Quentin Musty), and a 2024 2nd-round pick that could become a first if the Devils make the Eastern Conference Finals is a hefty price to pay.
To be fair, the timetable for Mukhamadullin and Okhotiuk wouldn’t have gelled with where New Jersey is this season. There would easily have been too many young defenders shooting for playing time if they stayed. Tom Fitzgerald used his asset management properly in trading them away while not hurting the Devils system at all.
Timo Meier’s comments on being sat in the third:
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) October 17, 2023
Lindy echoed these comments afterwards too. Said they talked, agreed, and you move on. https://t.co/oelKWA93at
The New Jersey Devils also picked up Santeri Hatakka in that trade. He looks like he could easily replace Brendan Smith on a call-up. He is truly well-rounded as a simple, hard-working Sasquatch of a defenseman. The other piece was Timur Ibragimov who is in Utica in more of an added depth role. Hatakka at some point this season could be added to the Devils defensive unit.
Meier played an essential role from the trade deadline and was a subtle X-factor in the playoffs against the Rangers. He’s still an important part of this team.
Timo Meier Now With Jack Hughes & Dawson Mercer
Yes, Meier is off to a slow start, and he is someone that doesn’t need to score 40 goals on this roster. He can be a 25-35-goal guy and still contribute successfully. What Meier needs to focus on is getting under the skin of players, being physical with defenders, and banking in those rebounds. When he wasn’t scoring in the playoffs against the Rangers, he was still contributing every night. He is also a force on the power play when he gets rolling with his confidence or as we call it “mojo.”
Lindy Ruff likes to mix the lines up like a mixologist making a gin and jam, but it’s also the chemistry of each player that can be an ingredient. If Meier is still slated to be with Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer on a line, they need to get going offensively, then the need for mixing it up as a cocktail recipe must remain the same. Meier brings that physical presence, he can shoot really well and fetch the puck winning board battles. Hughes can be so elusive and get guys like Mercer to be the main finishers on that line.
Toffoli with Hischier & Bratt
Tyler Toffoli hasn’t played all that poorly but is gaining confidence along with familiarity in a new system. It is more so repetitions, comfortability mixed in with skill and luck that will lead to success on this team. Toffoli is not the fastest winger, but he knows how to cheat up the ice when he gets ready to transition through the neutral zone. Nico Hischier is trying to get his timing down with his passes and improving his faceoff draws in the first three games. Jesper Bratt has been nothing short of amazing with his scoring in the past three games and could easily hit another 30-goal season.
Bratter brings us within one. pic.twitter.com/fPSrdbO8v4
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) October 17, 2023
Hischier brings a Selke-caliber style of play, but so does Dawson Mercer on the first line. This should help both top lines balance out properly and not be too defense-heavy. Toffoli and Bratt are both very highly skilled shooters and are capable of scoring at even strength and on the power play. Having Hischier around theoretically yields more counterattacks when getting the puck from opponents.
Next. Siegenthaler Quietly Becomes Defensive Stud. dark
Palat with McLeod and Holtz
Ondrej Palat is looking to have a bounce-back season after a lower-body injury last season hampered his play before the playoffs. The Czech winger is an all-out effort player who can score goals, win puck battles, and make phenomenal grade-A passes on a 3rd line. Alexander Holtz just needs to play well enough defensively in his own end like he has been. He’s looked good so far. Holtz on the forecheck and away from it has made his offensive presence known he’s looking to make his goal-scorer mark at the NHL level.
If Holtz and Palat both find the back of the net more consistently with Michael McLeod, who can also be a presence as a two-way forward, then there could be something good. There is a lot of creativity between those two players that can absolutely diversify the New Jersey Devils offensive attack.
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Defense
There is still a lot of time to get things corrected, and that is on Ryan McGill’s watch to turn the defense around. Every time you bring up a young defender like Luke Hughes who is an offensive defender he is gonna learn from making mistakes. Nobody is perfect, but he also is a year younger than Owen Power the top defenseman from his draft class.
Luke Hughes will learn quickly. He will get a feel for the non-NCAA level game where opponents anticipate his high-risk passes. He and John Marino also have to improve upon their decision-making because they are going to be the pillars in the long term. Kevin Bahl is gonna do his very best to play the puck first and play the body, but can also rip the puck on the net to create scoring chances.