After being eliminated by the Canes in the 2023 playoffs, the New Jersey Devils are back (and better than ever). What a year a difference makes... Before the start of last season, the Devils were seen as a Wild Card bubble team, then they lost their first two games of the season in horrible fashion (Sorry Lindy!). Then they go on a historic win streak, Jack Hughes has a monster 99-point season, acquire Meier, finish in a divisional spot, and beat their hated rivals the New York Rangers in the playoffs. The season was a success, and there's more coming from this young Devils team.
New players on this roster include Tyler Toffoli (acquired via trade from Calgary), Chris Tierney, and Tomas Nosek. Toffoli is coming off a career year in Calgary and looks like he has great chemistry with his new teammates. Tierney and Nosek fill in as depth forwards, effectively becoming upgrades over Miles Wood.
Players to watch:
- Luke Hughes: After impressing in the playoffs, Jack's little brother will certainly be making a name for himself as a rookie this season. He impressed with Michigan and he's ready to do so again with the Devils
- Akira Schmid: After an excellent showing vs. the Rangers and a shaky performance vs. Carolina, Schmid is looking to bounce back and become the Devils' #1 goalie. Keep a close eye on how he and Vitek Vanecek perform throughout the season.
- Dawson Mercer: His sophomore season saw him score 56 points. Having not missed a game yet in a Devils sweater since his debut, he will be challenged to fight for minutes this season with Toffoli's arrival, making the Devils' top-6 forward group one of the deadliest in the NHL.
Also look out for potential call-ups like Simon Nemec and Graeme Clarke. Nemec has been impressive in the preseason and will certainly get minutes in the NHL later on, while Clarke has impressed in Utica and could be due for some minutes as well.
Notable outgoing players like Ryan Graves and Tomas Tatar are certainly missed at the moment, but with the new arrivals in their roster, fans of the Devils will surely be quick to forget them after a few games into the season. Wishing them the best of luck with their new teams!
My prediction for how they do this season? I understand that I have been very positive in this article so far. After all, they are my favorite team. However, the Metro is a bloodbath and any team (except for the Flyers) can make the playoffs. Each division game will be tough, and now the whole league knows what to expect from Jersey. I think the Devils finish in a division spot again, but Carolina will be the big test, and don't count out the Rangers to bounce back either. The Devils should at least make the second round of the playoffs and make their matchup in that round competitive, unlike last year.
If you made it to the end, thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
None of these lines really are anything close to what we are going with. Not sure if you were using those for the season description of the season, or this was just about the story.
None of these lines really are anything close to what we are going with. Not sure if you were using those for the season description of the season, or this was just about the story.
This was just about the story. I wouldn't put Mercer and L. Hughes out of the lineup for sure.
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