The New Jersey Devils' defense was really good at playing defense last season. Unfortunately, just about everyone got hurt at one point or another. Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce started the season on the injured list. They both ended up missing a month. Simon Nemec got injured before the season started in the Olympic qualifiers, and it ruined his season. Dougie Hamilton missed 18 games, and Jonas Siegenthaler missed 27. Both returned just in time for the playoffs. Meanwhile, Brenden Dillon and Johnny Kovacevic, the two Devils defensemen who played more than 80 regular-season games, were both injured early in their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
This year, the Devils expect to be healthier going into the season. Johnny Kovacevic is going to miss the start of the season, but the rest of the squad is expected to be healthy. Of course, Luke Hughes remains unsigned at the time of this writing, but that absolutely has to get figured out.
When considering the potential pairings, we must go in expecting Hughes to be a significant part of the equation. In fact, we expect him to be on the top line to start the season.
Line 1
Luke Hughes-Dougie Hamilton
We’re starting this off with a surprise. The Devils really needed offense from their defense more often last season. Sheldon Keefe’s new system was great to get the defense back to the playoffs, but if they are going to be true contenders, they need goals to come from unexpected areas.
Putting Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton together puts the Devils’ two best offensive weapons together. Imagine putting out Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Luke Hughes, and Dougie Hamilton at the same time? It won’t matter who the other winger is; the Devils could overwhelm other teams with their skill and defense won’t be an issue.
Even if one is still concerned about defense, Hughes and Hamilton were fine defensively under Keefe. Hughes was incredible at stopping two-on-ones the other way, using his speed to break up chances. Hamilton has lost some of his speed, but his size still allows him to break things up in front of the net, which is Hughes’s biggest weakness.
This will be an initial risk, but it could be the best pairing in the league if it works out. We’re serious, and that ceiling is worth taking an initial risk.
Line 2
Brenden Dillon-Brett Pesce
After the high-variance line of Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, the Devils put forth a line of Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon. There’s a concern with both of them who are coming off injuries to end last season, but they both hold enough of their own to pair well.
Dillon had a rough first year with the Devils, and Pesce’s first year was up and down. Dillon started out well, playing to his strength. He was hitting players hard and avoiding big penalties. Then, he started hitting less and mistakes grew. Pesce had trouble getting the puck out of his own zone, and it was the microcosm of a larger defensive problem.
This season, with Pesce starting with training camp, he could really get a better feeling of the Keefe system. Playing with Dillon gives him a better understanding of his role than playing next to Hughes. Dillon has to test out his neck and back, and Pesce is a much smaller risk than Hamilton or any other right-handed defenseman.
Line 3
Jonas Siegenthaler-Simon Nemec
The Devils have a choice to make between Seamus Casey and Simon Nemec this season. Casey looked incredible during the Prospect Challenge, and Nemec revitalized his career during the playoffs last season. Both are young with unlimited upside.
Casey still has work to do on the defensive side, and Nemec has a more well-rounded game. We think the season starts with Nemec on the defense. He doesn’t bring the upside offensively that Casey does, but he’ll help the Devils win more than Casey can early in the year with such a difficult schedule in October.
Pairing Nemec with Jonas Siegenthaler will help alleviate some of his mistakes. He’s the team’s best defensive defenseman. In fact, he is one of the best defensive defensemen in the league.
As you may have guessed, these aren’t the pairings most would predict, but we think Sheldon Keefe tries a lot of different pairs in October. This is just the start.