There hasn’t been this kind of expectation going into a New Jersey Devils season in a long time. Before last year, Devils fans could only remember low expectations and disappointment. However, last year fans were treated to a top team in the NHL. They were able to make the playoffs, and even defeat the rival Rangers in playoff hockey. Although the next playoff series after didn’t end well, the sky’s the limit going into this year. To start off, the Devils are one of the youngest teams in the league, with an average age of 26. On top of that, they acquired former Flames forward Tyler Toffoli, who is coming off a career-high 73 points last season. Along with that, they were able to lock up key players such as Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt for 8-year contracts. With these moves, the Devils are poised for a deep playoff run.
The Devils are loaded with offensive talent and speed. Leading the line is superstar Jack Hughes, who is only 22 years old. He is coming off a 99-point season (the most by any Devil ever) and is expected to smash the 100-point mark. Their captain, Nico Hischier is coming off an 80-point season, and also finished 2nd in the Selke award voting, only behind Patrice Bergeron. Jesper Bratt had a career-high 73 points, and trade acquisition Timo Meier racked up 66 points with 40 of them being goals. These are the key players the Devils’ will need to rely on if they want to go far. Along with the stars, the Devils’ depth is unmatched. They have players such as Tyler Toffoli, Dawson Mercer, Erik Haula, and Ondrej Palat to complement the stars. The Devils also bolster a very solid defensive core, led by star defenseman, Dougie Hamilton who is coming off a 74-point season. They also have budding star Luke Hughes, the brother of Jack, who you should expect to see in the race for the Calder Trophy. They also have impressive prospect Simon Nemec who they can call upon if needed throughout the season.
So far through a couple of preseason games, we are already seeing what this Devils team can do. They are very fast and are great playmakers; the young prospects and new acquisitions have been very good as well, only increasing hype for the season. All in all, this could very well be the Devils year. From top to bottom, they are solid in every position. Devils fans have been waiting a long time for a team like this, and expectations haven’t been this high in a very long time.
