New Jersey Devils: 3 Changes That Need To Happen Now
The New Jersey Devils are making a lot of mistakes, particularly defensive mistakes, but to write the Devils off entirely is a mistake in itself. The Devils are in third place in the Metropolitan Division (the Carolina Hurricanes are one point ahead but have played one more game). It’s still early in the season, but as it gets later, the team’s strengths and weaknesses have become clear.
The Devils have one of the best top-nine forward groups in the NHL. When all are healthy, they have a lethal power play. They have two of the top centers in the NHL. They have talent on the blueline, it just hasn’t fully clicked yet this year. They have one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. They have one of the most talked about rookies in the NHL. Even with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier out with injuries, the Devils are not in panic mode, nor should they be. However, there are things that need to change and improve.
Keeping the Puck Out of the Net
With 44 goals against this season, the Devils are tied for the fifth-most goals allowed in the NHL according to StatMuse. They’re averaging 3.67 goals against per game, which is fourth-most in the league. The only teams who allow more goals per game are the San Jose Sharks, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Minnesota Wild. Considering the records of the Sharks and Oilers, it’s remarkable that the Devils have won seven games while allowing so many goals.
Goaltender Vitek Vanecek has been a mixed bag for the Devils so far this season. His .893 SV% is subpar. His 3.29 GAA is inferior to his career average of 2.63 GAA. Yet, he’s 6-3 this season. He’s had some poor performances early, but he’s also had standout performances and moments when he’s really bailed out his team’s struggling defense. His unbelievable highlight reel-worthy save on Sunday night against the Chicago Blackhawks could end up being his best save of the year.
Some intriguing comments from #NJDevils GM Tom Fitzgerald on his goaltending situation.
— Ryan Novozinsky (@ryannovo62) November 8, 2023
LINK: https://t.co/6f0YJTwrrr pic.twitter.com/rfKKs2fBb4
Akira Schmid has only seen a few opportunities in goal so far this season, but his starts have also seen mixed results. In four starts, he’s 1-1-1 and was pulled once. His .887 SV% and a 3.51 GAA are obviously not great. Perhaps it’s an oversimplification, but the Devils need more consistency from their goalies. If they can’t get there over the next month, it might be time to make a trade. Schmid can spend some time in Utica, which is something Tom Fitzgerald is considering.
Defensive Pairing Changes
It isn’t all on the goalies. The defense is hanging them out to dry. The penalty kill has not been good. Even their strongest defensive defensemen, Jonas Siegenthaler and John Marino, have not been as good as they were last year. The Devils had a big test with Tuesday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, currently the top team in the Central Division. During the loss, the Devils’ weaknesses in puck possession, odd-man rushes, and their overall defensive zone struggles were on display. The Devils gave up 13 odd-man rushes on Tuesday.
How can Lindy Ruff improve the defense? It’s time to shake up the defensive pairings. As much as he’s insisted on keeping the D-pairings consistent this season, something has to give. Marino and Kevin Bahl are not working out together. Luke Hughes and Brendan Smith are not working out. This could mean it’s time for Luke Hughes to work with Marino.
Colin Miller needs to get a chance once he’s healthy. Aside from Miller, what about Cal Foote and Simon Nemec? It might be time to look into a defensive upgrade via trade if none of these options cut it. Smith is more serviceable as a seventh defenseman than a regular.
The Devils have a 7-4-1 record even though they’re among the worst in the league in goals allowed. They’re sixth in total goals scored this season with 46 goals. They’re fourth in goals scored per game with 3.83 goals. In other words, their offense has made up for their defense. Stellar offense won’t be able to outpace significant defensive mistakes down the stretch, though.
Replacing Production of Hughes and Hischier
By now, we’ve talked plenty about the losses of Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier to upper body injuries. We all know Hughes is the biggest offensive threat on the Devils. Hischier is a top-tier two-way forward. These are devastating losses for the team, especially with them both out at the same time. But Hischier and Hughes are far from the only threats on the team. The Devils are using a ‘next man up’ mentality in order to survive the blows they’ve been dealt.
Tyler Toffoli has been a rockstar so far in his first season with the Devils. Jesper Bratt is sixth in the NHL in points. Timo Meier had a slow start but has picked things up. Forward depth can also step up, and they’ll need to. Dawson Mercer finally broke through and scored his first goal of the season this week.
The Devils need all hands on deck to keep generating offense. This means finding offense from unexpected sources, too. John Marino is a defensive defenseman, but he’s already racked up eight assists this season.
Here’s the reality: the Devils can plug the Hughes/Hischier-sized hole and focus on getting by until they come back, but that’s short-term. The long-term goal has to be to improve defensively and not solely rely on potent offense to cover defensive mistakes. They cannot contend for the Stanley Cup if they do not clean up the defense and have consistent goaltending.
Overall, the Devils need more complete game efforts. The trend of having a poor start in the first period last season trickled into this season, but it’s now gone beyond that. Too many times, we’ve seen them fall into a gaping hole in the first period, only to play brilliantly in the second period, and then look sloppy again in the third…or some variation of this sloppy, inconsistent play.
The team has looked like two or three different teams in the span of one game far too many times already this season. There have been a couple of games that the Devils have managed to pull off wins despite sloppy play, but the games that have been the most exciting are the ones where the Devils have played the game from start to finish.
Next. Down Hischier and Hughes, Dawson Mercer Answers the Call. dark
With the talent on their roster, the Devils can compete with teams of the highest caliber. They do not need to panic and fear that they’re not as good as expected. They can be the contenders we hope they’ll be, but they’re not all the way there yet.