The New Jersey Devils had a mostly positive night on Sunday night. Coming into their game against the Anaheim Ducks on a four-game losing streak, vibes were very low surrounding the Devils. They were playing well for the most part, but the goals were not coming. Things were starting to feel familiar.
However, the old Devils would not beat up on the Ducks in this same situation. Just last year, the Devils had the season on the line, and Jack Hughes mishandled a gift penalty shot that ended the game with a regulation loss. This time, the Devils were relentless in the second period, and that was more than enough to win.
The win was great, but it came at a cost, and one they might not be able to afford. Curtis Lazar was injured after a collision, and it looked rough right away. He couldn’t put weight on his left leg, and he went straight to the locker room, never to return.
Curtis Lazar going down the tunnel. Couldn’t put much weight on one leg.#NJDevils pic.twitter.com/PESbSw0KnD
— Daniel Amoia (@daniel_amoia) October 28, 2024
After the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe told the media that Lazar will miss “some time.” It’s not good that he revealed that, as the Devils are often very tight lipped about injuries and the timelines around them. Having this much clarity of the situation, even if it’s vague clarity, is not a good sign.
Now, the Devils have to figure out how to address the situation if Lazar is out for a long time, which it sounds like is a good possibility barring positive tests on Monday or Tuesday.
One option could be to keep the roster as is and find another center with the players already in place. This would allow the Devils to play both Nathan Bastian and Kurtis MacDermid, giving them a real bruiser line as their fourth line. Bastian has played center in the past, and he even won 52 percent of his faceoffs last season, but that’s not the best option.
The Devils could really put the lines in a blender and move either Dawson Mercer or Paul Cotter to center. Cotter makes sense because he’s already on the third line, which would allow Erik Haula to center Bastian and MacDermid. It also gives the Devils the option to call up a winger, which really opens the door. We’ll get to the Utica Comets in a moment.
This gives the Devils those four solid lines they target, and it could be an option to bring Nolan Foote back up. He’s been playing decently well, especially this weekend where he had a three-point night against the Laval Rocket. Foote was a surprise cut during training camp, but there’s an opportunity to see if he’s ready to be an NHL player. Brian Halonen, Max Willman, and Adam Beckman are other possible options who have NHL experience.
Down in Utica, the top two centers are Justin Dowling and Ryan Schmelzer. The latter is the team’s captain, and he has been a good soldier since signing with the Devils when he left Canisius College in 2018. He started his career with the Adirondack Thunder and worked his way up to being a regular with the Comets/Binghamton Devils.
We talked about Schmelzer possibly getting a shot this season, and what better opportunity than now?
Let’s call a spade a spade. These aren’t the best options. It’s trying to make something out of the situation in front of you. The Devils did not have the resources to build depth around the center position. Instead, they chose to build defensive depth, which was necessary since they started the season with Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes on the shelf.
Still, the loss of a fourth-line center shouldn’t hurt a team with this much talent. If they have to rely on three lines, then so be it. It’s not the ideal situation, but Sheldon Keefe has to deal with the hand he’s been dealt. He could also go 11-7, but he notoriously hates that. Still, Simon Nemec is the best player who isn’t in the lineup right now. It might turn out to be the best option, and one center can double shift with the fourth line.