Final Play Ratings For New Jersey Devils Players

Brendan Smith
GP:63 G:5 A:10 PTS:15

Brendan Smith should be able to fit in as a 6/7 guy, but he drove me nuts all season. He sometimes plays physically but almost always takes a stupid penalty. He was supposed to be a defensive guy, but he makes awful pinches all the time. He was one of the most frustrating players to watch this year, and ironically, the team that needs toughness needs to not sign him.

Rating: D

Kevin Bahl
GP:82 G:1 A:10 PTS:11

Kevin Bahl finished second on the team in hits behind Lazar, was a positive player and had a lot of defensive zone starts. He sure was not perfect but if he can box guys out in front of the net and up that physical play he should continue to be an effective enough depth defender.

Rating: C+

Santeri Hatakka
GP:12 G:0 A:2 PTS:2

In only 12 games, Santeri Hatakka was really impressive as a defender, and that is what the team needs, not an offensive guy. It might not be a big sample size but he was in position more than the other depth guys and he should be given the chance to compete for a 6/7 spot next season.

Rating: B+

The Devils goaltending made a full-scale change way too late to save the season, and while the other goalies in Daws and Schmid deserve a D, we are just going to touch on the other two who are currently here quickly. First of all, the main thing to say is that even though the others I would rate poor, the overall team defense and coaching should be an F, and it was what killed the season and the goaltending. No one but prime Marty Brodeur would have had a shot at even being .900 for 50 games, and the team should feel embarrassed, not the goalies. Jake Allen came out hot and cooled off a ton, dropping to a .900 as a Devil in 13 games played, while Kahkonen fared really well with a .923, but only in 6 games. Both of these guys deserve at least a B, if not higher, for bailing the awful team in front of them out, and it will be interesting to see if they are both back or not.