The New Jersey Devils are finally getting healthy. It seems like they have so many more problems than that going into the Christmas break, but at least the stars are coming back. In the two weeks, the Devils welcomed back Brett Pesce, Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, and Arseny Gristyuk. They are still waiting on Evgenii Dadonov, Zack MacEwen, Johnny Kovacevic, and Simon Nemec.
When Dadonov and MacEwen return, the Devils have some very hard decisions to make. We don’t have a timeline on either, but we learned that we can’t exactly trust the timelines we get anyway. The Devils announced that Jack Hughes would miss eight weeks, but he returned in about six weeks.
Knowing this, the Devils have to prepare for more bodies to return. We’re not talking about the salary cap implications of a full lineup. We understand what that could look like, but assuming the Devils are working with their current lineup, who would be removed from the lineup to fit either MacEwen or Dadonov?
The most logical option is Paul Cotter, but that comes with some impactful losses. Obviously, the Devils shouldn’t make their lineup choices based on the shootout, but it is really nice to have an elite shooter to start things off. Cotter has been great in the NHL parlor game.
He also brings a level of toughness, and he has used his speed to avoid icings and keep possession alive during line changes. These are the moments that aren’t captured on a stat sheet or in advanced analytics.
The most logical option when looking at the body of work is Luke Glendening. The Devils' PTO turned roster player has been mediocre at best during his Devils’ tenure. He’d be a fine extra who jumps in when the team absolutely needs a center, but he’s played 37 games this season, and he has three points.
The New Jersey Devils will have a hard decision to make when Evgenii Dadonov and Zack MacEwen return.
Obviously, neither MacEwen nor Dadonov is a center, and the Devils still haven’t added a third-line center to give them an optimum lineup. That could keep Glendening in the lineup. The Devils could try Paul Cotter or Stefan Noesen at center, but that’s not a long-term solution. That would make the Devils’ situation in the trade market even more dire.
Noesen is another “solution,” but Tom Fitzgerald didn’t sign him to a contract that pays him $2.75 million per season to watch from the stands. He has been a little better as of late, scoring two goals in his last six games.
A trade could fix this problem that’s going on Sheldon Keefe’s desk. Ondrej Palat, Dawson Mercer, or any other forward being added into a trade would open the door for Dadonov and/or MacEwen to return without issue.
That really is the only other option. A fully healthy lineup as currently constructed means one regular (not including Glendening) will be out of the game every night.