As we head into August, most analysts believe that NHL rosters are as close to set as possible. So, we should see some predictions and rankings come out. Some NHL journalists got together for the first Super 16 of the offseason. Now that most teams have a lineup, we can predict who would be best.
Where the New Jersey Devils land is actually really intriguing. Almost every analyst had the Devils within two places on the ranking.
There were 13 analysts who cover teams around the NHL, including former Devils beat writer Tom Gulitti who now covers the Washington Capitals, and current Devils reporter Mike Morreale. Morreale had the Devils ranked 10th, while Gulitti was more down on them, ranking them 13th in the NHL prior to any games being played.
Devils predicted to be just above average by NHL analysts
The highest the Devils were listed on the power rankings was eighth, which came from Tracey Myers, who covers the Central Division. The worst ranking came from Pete Jensen, who had them 15th in the league. Nobody had them unranked, meaning everyone on this list has the Devils as a playoff team.
Most analysts had the Devils ranked between 10 and 12. Nobody would think that is the case with how the fanbase is reacting to the offseason, but the fact of the matter is a team with Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes on offense and Jacob Markstrom in net is going to likely make the playoffs. Everyone has to stay healthy, but we’re predicting a relatively healthy season with these rankings.
The Devils puttered into the playoffs last season like an old Chevy pickup truck trying to make one last cross-country trip. This season, with a weak Metropolitan Division and a talented roster, the Devils should easily make the playoffs.
What they do beyond that? It’s hard to predict they would go far. The Devils haven’t gotten past the second round since they went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012. In fact, they only have one series win since then. That was 13 years ago at this point.
Predicting the Devils being more than above average is not smart at this point, but not many think this is going to be a disaster, as proven by these rankings.