New Jersey Devils End of the Season Report Cards: Defensemen & Goalies

Eighty-two up, 82 down for the New Jersey Devils as their 2023-24 season has come to a close. The encore performance to a historic 2022-23 fell flat on its face as the team missed the playoffs yet again and finished with 81 points.

With the season finished and school almost out, it's time we hand out some report cards. We graded the Devils defenseman and goalies at the midway point of the season, but now it's time to give them a grade over a full 82 games.

Luke Hughes (GP 82 - 9G - 38A - 47P)

For all the highs Luke Hughes had in his rookie year, there were just as many lows. The hype surrounding Luke's first full NHL season probably set unfair expectations. He came into the league as a 19-year-old, led the team in TOI with 21:28, and played in all 82 games. That alone is impressive and enough to call it a successful year. Luke also broke the record for most points by a Devils rookie defenseman with 47.

For stretches at a time, he showed his elite skating in transition, his ability to walk the blue line by utilizing his hands and feet deceptively to throw off defenders, and his passing/playmaking ability. Where the issues lay were his lack of consistent in-zone defending, poor turnovers, and costly mental mistakes. What Luke has going for him is he just made it through the rigors of a full 82-game NHL schedule, and he is well-positioned to learn from his mistakes from this year and work on them in the summer.

Grade: B+

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Simon Nemec (GP 60 - 3G - 16A - 19P)

From one rookie to another, Simon Nemec's surprise rookie season showed why he was worthy of the second-overall pick. Had it not been for Dougie Hamilton's injury, Nemec likely wouldn't have made his NHL debut until much later in the season, but he played about as much of a pro-style game as a 19-year-old could. Nemec displayed a ton of craftiness rushing the puck up the ice and was good at moving the puck. His offensive game isn't at the level of Luke Hughes's, but there were enough flashes to see his path to 40+ point seasons when he's in his prime.

Nemec's defense is as good as it was surprising. His time playing pro hockey overseas and his year in the AHL have put him ahead of schedule when it comes to his in-zone defending, as well as his gap control when defending the rush. Like all rookies, he had his flaws, but it's positive to see the two pillars of the Devils defense playing big roles at such a young age.

Grade: B+

John Marino (GP 75 - 4G - 21A - 25P)

John Marino had an unreal 2022-23 season. His 2023-24 season, not so much. He did miss some time with injury, but even at full health, Marino was far from the player he was last year. He inexplicably decided not to battle in front of the net, often letting his man get inside positioning to tip in pucks or score off rebounds. What also made Marino so great last year was his ability to recover when he, or a teammate made a mistake, This season Marino looked uninterested at times making those same effort plays. He lacked the dominance he had last season and regressed into just a very average defenseman. With the return of Hamilton and the emergence of Nemec, Marino may find himself playing bottom-pair minutes next season.

Grade: C+

Jonas Siegenthaler (GP 57 - 1G - 8A - 9P)

The downfall of Jonas Siegenthaler needs to be studied. "Siegs" had a breakout 2021-22, where he looked like a bonafide top-pairing defenseman. In 2022-23, he continued his strong play but began to show some cracks, especially late in the season and the playoffs. His 2023-24 was a total collapse. Injuries certainly play a part (broken foot and a concussion), but Siegs was making mistakes with the puck that you see from AHL call-ups. He was sloppy with the puck and consistently lost his man around the net, which often resulted in goals. Siegs is locked up long-term and figures to be a big part of this team. Hopefully, a change in the defensive system will help turn things around for him next year.

Grade: C

Kevin Bahl (GP 82 - 1G - 10A - 11P)

Another member of the ALL-82 club, Kevin Bahl got his first full season of game time with the Devils. The results were a mixed bag that trended negatively. However, he showed flashes that he could be a quality bottom-pairing defensive defenseman, and if he can hone in and use his size properly, he can prosper at the NHL level. Bahl brings no offense, but when he's at his best, he uses his long reach to break up plays and separate his man from the puck. The issue: he doesn't do it enough. Next year is a big year for Bahl because while he is still young, he'll be in a contract year and can be easily replaceable on the third pair.

Grade: C

Brendan Smith (GP 63 - 5G - 10A - 15P)

Ah yes, Brendan Smith. Everyone's favorite defenseman. Smith should've been nothing more than a depth defenseman, but found himself in the lineup way too often, and getting way too much ice time. The two positive takeaways from Smith's season are he did find the back of the net five times and was also one of the Devil's better penaltykillers. That being said, he was pretty poor at the most important part of the job: defending. The decision to put Luke Hughes with Smith is what anchored a lot of Hughes's numbers. Smith made mistake after mistake, constantly out of position and leaving his man open for high-danger chances. Smith is a free agent this summer and, although beloved in the locker room, should not be back on this team in 2024-25.

Grade: D

Jake Allen (GP 13 - 3.11 GAA - 0.900 SV%)

Jake Allen ended the season as the Devils number-one goalie despite not being on the roster two months ago. In an attempt to give their goaltending room a facelift, Fitzgerald brought Allen in at 50% retained salary to be the Devils 1A for the remainder of the year before transitioning to a 1B role next year. Allen put together more good performances than bad, but the few stinkers he had really brought down his numbers. The assumption is the Devils won't be relying on Allen nearly as much next season, and if they can get similar performances in a backup role, they'll be in a much better spot.

Grade: A-

Kaapo Kahkonen (GP 6 - 2.50 GAA - 0.923 SV%)

The other goalie addition at the deadline was even more of a surprise than getting Allen. But during his brief stint with the Devils, Kahkonen was solid. His time here is highlighted by a 36-save shutout against the New York Islanders, as well as a couple of solid games against the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers sandwiched in there. The way Fitzgerald talked about him it seems like Kahkonen won't be back next season, but if he can land on a contender, watch for him to put up good numbers.

Grade: B+

Nico Daws (GP 21 - 3.15 GAA - 0.894 SV%)

Similar to his rookie year, Daws was called upon to carry the load while the Devils were in an injury crisis. His numbers say otherwise, but Daws was very good during his time in New Jersey and fell victim to overuse. He strung together many good games and gave the Devils a chance to win more often than not when he was in the net. His time with the big club this year will be remembered by highlight reel saves and winning the Devils Stadium Series game. Daws is still young and should play into the Devils' future in goal.

Grade: B

Akira Schmid (GP 19 - 3.15 GAA - 0.895 SV%)

Unfortunately for Akira Schmid, the magic of the 2023 playoffs couldn't last him into the regular season. It was a lot of up-and-down performances for Schmid this year. One night he's standing on his head on the road against the Flyers, the next night he's getting shelled at home against the worst team in the league. There are still flashes of a great goalie in there, there question is if he will get that opportunity in New Jersey to show it off.

Grade: C

Vitek Vanecek (GP 32 - 3.18 GAA - 0.890 SV%) TRADED

Tom Fitzgerald shocked Devils fans when he traded Vitek Vanecek at the last moment of the Trade Deadline. It was a great move that allowed them to move off of his $3.4 million contract next season. It also allowed them to move on from a goalie who was struggling - badly. Vanecek's 2022-23 season was a thing of beauty, but this past season was a total nightmare. Whether it be the shot of him starring off into the abyss after letting in a late tying goal against the Vancouver Canucks, or a harmless shot somehow squeaking through him and being put into goal against the Flames, things were bad. Vanecek proved that unless you're one of the elite, goaltending is fickle, and Vanecek got a case of the yips in 2023-24. The one thing Devils fans can agree on is that he always seemed like a good guy, and hopefully, he will get healthy and play well in San Jose next season.

Grade: D-