Équipe: 2022-23 Devils du New Jersey

Date de création initiale: 18 mai 2022

Publié: 18 mai 2022

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

1st line: Throw Holtz into the fire right off the bat. Don't start him on the third line with Boqvist; put him with the teams two best playmakers so he has chances to finish and show his scoring ability.

2nd line: Since Hughes gets Holtz, I think Nico should get Sharangovich. Sharangovich has played mostly with Hughes, but looked good with Nico towards the end of the year. Honestly, think Mercer fits with any of the centers in the top 9 and because of his work ethic and playmaking ability, I think he'll slide in nicely next to Nico. With Hughes and Hischier as the centers for years to come, Mercer needs to make the full transition to RW.

3rd line: Very good chance Juraj Slafkovsky doesn't start the year in the NHL, but if he did, I think this would be a good spot for him to start. Playing with fellow countryman Tomas Tatar would be a nice way to get introduced to the NHL. They have played together over the past few weeks at the World Championship so there is also previous chemistry. If he were NOT to make the roster, I think his spot in the lineup could be filled by Kuokkanen, Foote, or Zetterlund (my preference would be Zetterlund or Foote). Boqvist finally broke through the second half of this year. We'll quickly find out if that was a fluke or he can be a reliable 3rd line center for years to come. He has great speed and a scoring touch we haven't completely seen yet; hopefully he figures it out and locks down the 3C role. If not, it may force the Devils to once again move Mercer to the 3C role forcing other guys to draw into the lineup as well.

4th line: Think the BMW line gets reconnected to start the year; McLeod had a poor year but his faceoff percentage and penalty killing ability keeps him on the team at least another year. Bastian has great work ethic and good scoring ability for a 4th liner; could slot into the 2nd PP for net front presence

D1: Before Dougie got hurt, these two guys were great together. They complemented each other well and were playing at high levels. I'd like to see them reunited.

D2: I think we saw Siegenthaler's best when playing with Severson. As with the first pairing, these two complement each other extremely well.

D3: Think it's time to give Reilly Walsh a shot from the beginning. In order to do this, you need to provide him with a reliable shut down LHD which is what you're getting IMO with Soucy. Soucy also counters Walsh's smaller stature which is one of the main reasons I traded for him rather than playing Smith on the third pairing.

G: Campbell has had two good years in a row now and I think the Devils are a perfect fit. I'm willing to give Blackwood another shot as a 1B; hopefully he plays well, but if he's mediocre, we'll look elsewhere next year.

Scratches:

Zetterlund: Great year in 21-22; should be first guy in the lineup if Slafkovsky isn't ready for the NHL or there is an injury to the forward group. Can play up and down the lineup

Kuokkanen: Bad year in 21-22. Really disappointing tbh. Don't see him in starting lineup to start year, but think he's more than fine to step into the lineup if someone goes down with injury or a player is underperforming.

Smith: The biggest disappointment of all. Someone who Fitzgerald grouped with Nico and Jack as part of the core has turned into a player that most Devils fans would be okay with shipping out. Smith lacked effort, had costly giveaways, and played an atrocious defensive game mostly due to his small reach. Can produce good stretch passes and has good hands, but his defensive play is so poor. Willing to keep him around, but don't think he should be in the lineup come October.

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