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It’s crazy how much can change in 24 hours, isn’t it? Jared’s Final Thoughts Yesterday’s rise, New Jersey Devils out Acquired Jacob Markstrom from Calgary to bolster their goaltending. The games will have to be played to see if that’s true, but on paper the Devils are better in goaltending. In return, the team’s 2025 first-round pick now belongs to the Flames (unless it’s picked in the top 10), and Kevin Barr is also headed north, screwing up not one, but two, of Jared’s predictions.
Since so many unexpected moves happened yesterday (come on, no one saw Pierre-Luc Dubois replacing Darcy Kuemper on their bingo card this summer), I’ve decided to just do a summary overview today. I’ll take a quick look at where the Devils are right now, what they still need to do, and add an overall outlook at the end. Instead of analyzing individual players today, I’ll break down what skills or areas the Devils are still lacking and what they can do to address that.
Where is the Devil?
Forwards (12): Nathan Bastian, Jesper Bratt, Erik Haula, Nico Hischier, Alex Holtz, Jack Hughes, Curtis Lazar, Kurtis MacDermid, Timo Meier, Ondrej Palat, Nolan Foote (RFA), Dawson Mercer (RFA)
Defense (5): Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes, John Marino, Simon Nemec, Jonas Siegenthaler
Goalkeeper (2): Jack Allen, Jacob Markstrom
While two of the Devils’ 12 forwards are technically unsigned, it’s unlikely that they’ll start the season without Dawson Mercer as part of the lineup; I also think Nolan Foote could be at full strength this season in the top six. The Devils have more than enough firepower to compete with most teams on any given night. Health and player contracts/ability will be important for the Devils so that they can play more like a 22-23 team than a 23-24 team.
On the back end of the ice, the return of Doug Hamilton should help the Devils significantly. Even if he’s not the same player he was before the injury, he’ll still be better than some of the players the Devils had last season. Also, unless there are other moves over the summer, Siegenthaler and Marino will still play big minutes now; one of them, or preferably both, will need to have a stronger record. Hughes and Nemec will also need to be more consistent and better in their endeavors. Fortunately, the players behind them should be an improvement from their inconsistency last season.
What else does the devil need to do?
Obviously, filling out the roster is the answer, but the most important item on the list, “goaltending,” has now been picked. Unless the Devils think they have two in-house backups like Santeri Hataka and… Yeah, this list of non-NHL defensemen is looking a little thin right now. Defense has become a new area that needs to be addressed, especially with Barr being moved in the Markstrom trade. Not only do the Devils need a defenseman who plays every night, but they also need a seventh as a backup/injury.
Now, maybe a player like Hatakka who has performed well in limited games could fill one of those roles, but he’s just one guy. Also, given how tough things were at times for Siegs, Marino and the rookies last season, maybe the Devils would be better off pursuing an impact defensive player. We looked at some possible Possibly acquired through tradeWhile there may not be big-name players who can become unrestricted free agents, there are still The players there Can provide assistance to the entire team.
The Devils still need to fill out their top six forwards, and while they have players on four lines, I think most of us would like to see Bastien and McDermid pushed into the “not every night/wasted to the AHL” realm. If the Devils want McDermid’s toughness and size and… whatever Bastien brings currently to the table to still be usable, they just need to sign two more and keep that duo in the press box until one of them needs a game or two of their skills. A little more “playable grit” wouldn’t hurt either, and Jared and I both have a few of those options on our team. Four pieces (the first three are in this link) Six solutions are discussed. Toughness, physicality, and using those assets to make your team difficult to handle is great, but the guy has to be able to actually play. More than five minutes a night.
Overall Outlook
Obviously, not all the details of the 2024-25 season are known yet, so it is difficult to make general predictions about the fall season. However, what is certain is that Sheldon Keefe is a new voice off the bench. His ability to integrate players into his system and get the best out of each player individually and collectively may ultimately determine the future of this season and the franchise.
I’m disappointed that the team didn’t clear out some of the other coaches (at least the one in goalkeeping, who drew a lot of ire), but maybe this is the “last chance” to prove they are the right guys to get the best out of the Devils players. Tom Fitzgerald has already upgraded the team, and it’s not even July yet, so hopefully with a few more upgrades this team can find a way to maximize their results.
As for the on-ice group? Again, the players need to live up to their known potential as well as their contracts. The biggest thing the team needs to work on, in my opinion, is correcting common mistakes; last season, the same issues, like players not being in the right position or committing stupid fouls, kept happening. While some of that is the coach’s responsibility, some of it is the players’ responsibility, and they need to work on putting themselves in better positions or not committing the same stupid fouls. The Devils had a lot of puzzle pieces for success last season, but they couldn’t make them all fit together; this season, they need to put those pieces together for the bigger, bigger picture. Failure in 2023-24 is not an option in 2024-25.
Your opinion
Now I’d like to hear your expectations for the 2024 New Jersey Devils offseason and free agency; have your priorities changed for the team since Markstrom joined? Have you always been more concerned with a different aspect of the team? If so, what is it? What do you hope the Devils do? Do you think the team still needs an impact player on defense or forward? Please leave any comments below, and as always, thank you for reading!
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