The New Jersey Devils had a great showing on Saturday afternoon, scoring four goals against the Vancouver Canucks in a big bounce back from two disappointing games against the New York Islanders and Utah Mammoth. Now back at hockey .500 at 2-2, Devils fans are feeling a little bit better about the team.
There was some doom and gloom after the loss to Utah, but it’s way too early to get too down on this franchise. It’s just been a long decade of Devils hockey, and fans are getting quicker and quicker to jumping to conclusions.
With the fears quelled for just a moment, the Devils can focus on what is working. One thing that has worked incredibly well for the Devils is the insertion of Jesper Boqvist in the lineup. For a team struggling to score, having a fourth-liner score two goals in two games is important.
And that’s especially important since the Devils started the season with Stefan Noesen on the fourth line. Noesen had a really good preseason, but that did not translate to the regular season. Now, Noesen has been through waivers and is expected to play in the AHL soon.
Boqvist joined the lineup against Utah and immediately made an impact. He actually scored one of the Devils' three goals.
This player could have been on waivers himself, but that was unlikely given how he played in training camp. The Devils would have found a way.
But now, they have to find a way to keep Boqvist in the lineup when Connor Brown returns.
Sheldon Keefe is about to have an impossible lineup decision when Connor Brown returns to the lineup
Reports indicate that Brown is close to returning after sustaining an injury during training camp. But, with Boqvist playing so well, it would be shocking if Brown took his spot. Boqvist scored again on Saturday against the Canucks, a very important goal that ended up being the Devils’ game-winner.
So, if it’s not Boqvist, then who?
The obvious answer is Amadeus Lombardi, but he’s been really good to start his career. Despite some cracks one would expect with a rookie (like his two penalties against the Islanders), he’s been a clear NHL player. The Devils have relied on their fourth line, including starting them against the Canucks.
Okay, so then who? Dawson Mercer hasn't played particularly well, and most of his special-teams duties have been replaced. He’s still playing on the penalty kill, but the Devils' kill has been bad, and Brown could replace him there.
Unfortunately, there’s no way Sheldon Keefe is going to bench Mercer when he is on a franchise-best consecutive-game streak. He also hasn’t really hurt the Devils. He’s just been quiet, which is understandable for the streaky Mercer.
Another option, at least in the short term, is to bench Anthony Mantha. He’s struggled to figure out his role in the offense alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. However, the Devils’ biggest free-agent acquisition is not coming out of the lineup for Brown.
One interesting option is Evan Rodrigues, who put the Devils in a bad position when he speared Marco Rossi before a faceoff at the end of the second period. The play was originally called a major, but it was downgraded to a double minor.
But would the Devils be able to do that with a dearth of centers on the NHL roster? Lombardi played center with the Grand Rapids Griffins last season, so theoretically, the Devils could move Cody Glass up.
It feels like Lombardi is the most likely option to sit, at least at first. However, there are options.
Add us as a preferred source on Google