As the New Jersey Devils return from the Olympic break, reality has hit them once again. With 25 games remaining and 11 points back of a playoff spot, things are bleak. Any fan would look at a situation like this and struggle to find reasons to keep watching the team. Having Golden Goal scorer Jack Hughes and several other Olympians returning helps ease the disappointment of the season. On top of that, there are three other players that stand out that are ones to watch the rest of the season for one reason or another.
1. Jacob Markstrom
If the Devils want to have any chance of potentially getting back into contention, Jacob Markstrom must find last year's playoff form. He has some momentum after a fairly strong Olympics with Sweden. This was capped off with a great performance in the Quarterfinals vs Hughes and Team USA, despite losing in overtime. The problem with Markstrom, as the Devils have come to know, is that the veteran netminder can be very. hot and cold.
This year, he's been colder, posting a 15-13-1 record, a 3.20 GAA, and a .882 save percentage. While he's not the only reason why the Devils are where they are, he's certainly one of them. It should be mentioned again that the Devils' general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, gave Markstrom a two-year extension at $6 million AAV and a modified no-trade clause. Bottom line is that the Swedish goaltender has to be better, not just now, but long-term, to help this team.
2. Luke Hughes
To say that Luke Hughes has had a disappointing year would be putting it nicely. He has struggled a bunch and has had his fair share of embarrassing moments. This is after missing all of training camp before signing a long-term contract with the Devils. On top of all of that, he dislocated his shoulder just over a month ago and has been on IR since. The good news is that because of the Olympic break, he was able to rest and rehab without missing many games. He's been practicing with the team for the first few days back from the break, but can't be activated until February 28th.
Once he returns, he'll have a chance to end this campaign on a high note. A lot of eyes will be on him, especially with both his USA hockey legend brothers coming back from the Olympics and being the talk of the league. Everyone will want to see him reach the levels his brothers have gotten to. He has plenty of motivation and the skill to become a major contributor down the stretch for this team.
3. Arseny Gritsyuk
Arseny Gritsyuk has been everything we had hoped he'd be for years. His transition from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) to the NHL has been seamless. While he likely won't win Rookie of the Year, he's still been one of the most impactful newcomers in the league. So far, the Russian winger has potted nine goals while adding 23 points. He has the talent and hockey IQ to be a dominant player long-term.
These final 25 games will be huge for him to finish his rookie season strong. On top of that, he'll want to do well to earn more money in the offseason. He signed a one-year ELC with the Devils prior to the start of this year. He will be an RFA at season's end, and he'll almost certainly be back long-term with New Jersey baring something crazy.
There aren't a lot of positives at this point for the Devils, but these three players and several others give fans something to watch that gives them hope. Hope that after this year, this team will make the right steps forward to finally become a playoff and Stanley Cup contender.