The New Jersey Devils' season is on life support, but truly, it’s time to pull the plug. After losing to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night, and with the Bruins-Penguins game going to overtime, the points deficit is now insurmountable, and the Devils need to look forward. The playoffs are out of reach, and this isn’t a team that’s good enough to make it, anyway.
It’s time to give players and prospects a chance to showcase their skills at the highest possible level. Players like Evgenii Dadonov, who nobody acquired despite going on waivers recently, and Dennis Cholowski have little to no reason to stay in the lineup or even on the roster. However, the Utica Comets have a few players who could have a bright future and might even have a spot on the roster ready as early as next season.
It’s not like the Comets are fighting for a playoff spot. They are eight points out of a playoff spot, and the only reason they are that close is that 23 teams make the playoffs in the AHL. That team is 20-27-5. It’s been a dreadful season across the board for this franchise. However, if they salvage some experience for the young players, there is hope for the future.
Who makes sense for the Devils to call up from the Utica Comets?
1. Ethan Edwards
Ethan Edwards has been as advertised this season, playing a really good two-way game for the Comets. He has 10 goals and 10 assists in 53 games. The University of Michigan product is currently playing on the third line for the Comets, but their defensive lines haven’t made much sense this season. Edwards is playing behind Colton White and Topias Vilen, two players whom we legitimately like, but we would want him to get more minutes than he’s getting.
Edwards doesn’t need long-term time in the NHL, but we’d like him to get at least one game to understand the cadence, the differences between the AHL and NHL, the speed of the professional game, and the value of playing alongside NHL teammates. The Comets could be having a bad influence on their prospects’ development. Getting Edwards some time in the NHL can help put him in a better spot moving forward without impacting his future contract status.
2. Seamus Casey
This one has a big asterisk on it, as Seamus Casey is still dealing with a lower-body injury (as reported by The Hockey News’ Kristy Flannery), but if the Devils' top prospect is back in the lineup at any point this season, he should be in the Devils’ lineup. He’s been in the Devils' lineup before. He played two games in the NHL this season and 14 games last season.
Casey has been injured multiple times this season. That can be frustrating, but they can salvage his development at the end of this season. The Devils already have a logjam on defense, and their inability to trade a defenseman at the NHL Trade Deadline only made things worse, but they can’t let that stop them from playing the prospects.
Casey might be an NHL defenseman, or they might have to re-evaluate what they do with him. Is he trade fodder? Is he better as a forward? It’s time to make a decision on the 22 year old.
3. Nico Daws
Something strange is going on with Jake Allen. Jacob Markstrom has played six games in a row. Jake Allen started the Devils’ first game out of the Olympic break, but then he hasn’t seen the ice since. Is he dealing with an injury? Then, this is the perfect time to play Nico Daws again.
Daws hasn’t had a good season in Utica, but the consensus is that it isn’t his fault. Every time he gets a shot at the NHL level, he plays incredibly well. This offseason, the Devils are likely saying goodbye to Daws, but maybe they can get a decent draft pick for him if he plays well down the stretch. In his one game this season, he stopped 30 of 31 shots for a big win and a .968 save percentage.
We don’t think he will sustain that save percentage, but if he showcases his talent at the NHL level like he has before, he can secure an NHL job elsewhere. It does a solid for the player and could secure a draft pick for the Devils. It’s a win-win. Allen will be here long-term, and Markstrom has been good enough to gain our trust again, but Daws deserves some starts.
4. Xavier Parent
The Devils have given multiple forwards from the Utica Comets a shot at the roster this season. Some have played so well, they stuck around, like Lenni Hameenaho. However, most are back with the Comets. This includes Shane LaChance, Nathan Legare, and Angus Crookshank. They all had different levels of impact on the team, but one player who stood out for his effort level was Xavier Parent.
Parent is the Comets’ leading scorer this season with 17 goals and 29 points. It’s not a terribly impressive number, but the leading scorer from your AHL team should be getting a look at the NHL level in a lost season.
The Devils still need help on the bottom six. Things are starting to get better next year, as Arseny Gritsyuk, Hameenaho, Stefan Noesen, Cody Glass, and Connor Brown should all be in the lineup next season. Can they find one more player in Parent?
5. Marc McLaughlin
Very quietly, Marc McLaughlin has been very good for the Comets since returning from injury. McLaughlin got hurt in training camp and didn’t return until after the New Year. Since returning, he’s had four goals and five assists in 12 games. If he played every game this season and kept that scoring pace, he would have 42 points and be the clear leader in scoring this season.
At 26 years old, McLaughlin is at a very different place in his career. He’s not going to grow much more than he already has, but the Devils need quality tweener players. That’s been a big issue in the past. There’s too much of a drop-off when a player gets injured, and the AHL players aren’t doing their part. It’s also why Utica has been so bad the last few years.
McLaughlin can be that transition player who helps the Devils get through injuries, but they need a little more proof. He’s played in the NHL for multiple seasons with the Boston Bruins and held his own. He has six goals in 28 games, which isn’t bad for a player who has mostly played in the minors. Let him show he can push himself further in the big leagues.