One of the core struggles facing the Devils recently has been optimizing the forward lines to give the best offensive output while still making defensive play a priority. Some trios have been a success, while others need some shaking up on the part of coach Sheldon Keefe.
Nico Hischier, always the team's most versatile center, has skated between many different pairs of wingers throughout this season. But the latest combo featuring Tomas Tatar and Stefan Noesen has been solid in the last two games they've spent time skating together.
This may come as a surprise -- after all, Tatar is only averaging 10:38 per game, while Noesen has floated up and down the lineup. The numbers from Natural Stat Trick don't lie, though -- in a tough game vs. the Avs, that line registered a Corsi-for of 56.3% with seven scoring chances generated at 5v5, the most of any line on the team.
Looking back to the 5-0 win over the Predators, that group of forwards generated 7 SOG while allowing just three against at 5v5. They produced four scoring chances in 9:01 together, including a goal scored by Tatar. Granted, it is a small sample size, but this two-game experiment has been working out nicely so far.
It'd be tempting for Sheldon Keefe to throw Hischier on a line with Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes and call it a day. After all, they did play 4:37 together in the loss against the Stars and that resulted in a goal. But dividing the team's best talent throughout the lineup is crucial in being able to run multiple consistent lines on a nightly basis.
Considering the struggles Ondrej Palat has had playing on the first line, the trio has had varying success. Palat, alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, had mixed results, being significantly outplayed against Colorado and then thriving against the Predators (although both of those were following the trend of the overall team game).
Therein lies the problem: Keefe isn't testing out any other wingers for that top line. It's clear that Hughes and Bratt have earned the "Peanut Butter and Jelly" moniker, and they need a better option for the third skater on that line. Without Palat, the duo has a Corsi-for of 56.5% while outshooting opponents by a huge margin of 113-87.
Hear me out: try Paul Cotter up there again. In 33:58 TOI together, that iteration of the top line has solid possession numbers at 5v5, including a 56.9 CF%. They've also outshot opponents 20-15 and out-chanced them 21-12 with 6 high-danger scoring chances.
Individually, Cotter has been quiet as of late with just three goals in his last 17 GP. That's while skating an average of 13:46 per game. In general, his offense has been spotty, too. But he's mostly skating with Nathan Bastian and Erik Haula, who are being dominated when they're together with a CF of 32.5%. It'd be worthwhile to give Cotter another chance up top and move Palat into a more fitting - and effective - role.
This switch would have reverberations down the lineup, shaking up the bottom 6 in a big way and giving those skaters a better chance at finding something that works.
The Devils have all the ingreidients for success and with a few tweaks, it could mean a winning recipe for the team.