3. Reliable Play from Depth Skaters
Looking at the big picture, the Devils have some of the league's most solid forwards in guys like Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier. Even Timo Meier makes consistent contributions on the ice despite a slightly slower offensive pace.
However, there's a fairly steep drop off in two-way play when it comes to the bottom six.
Curtis Lazar lost a chunk of the season to knee surgery, but the team's possession stats with him on the ice are weak. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Devils have a Corsi-for of just 41.2% at 5v5 with Lazar on the ice, which considers all shot attempts for and against. New Jersey is also being out-chanced 130 to 94 at 5v5 when Lazar is skating.
Lazar's big upside is his physicality, which is, of course, an important part of his role with the team. He has 74 hits on the season while being on the receiving end of just 33.
Meanwhile, Justin Dowling has bounced in and out of the lineup but has locked down more playing time with some key pieces out due to injury. That said, his possession stats are among the team's lowest. New Jersey has a CF% of just 45.8 with Dowling on the ice, as well as 123 scoring chances for vs. 146 against at 5v5, all according to Natural Stat Trick.
Injuries are going to be an unfortunate reality in the final stretch, so it's important to have skaters who can reliably step into a bigger role and continue to be effective.
With the NHL Trade Deadline rapidly approaching, it could be the perfect opportunity to beef up the forward lines and find more solid play on both sides of the puck.