Wednesday marked the start of the second week of training camp for the New Jersey Devils. The players hit the practice ice after a well-deserved day off following two dominant wins over the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens in split-squad contests. Despite there being few actual roster spots up for grabs, there are still several storylines to monitor as the team plays three games over the next five days.
Can Alexander Holtz Slam the Door?
From the team’s exit interviews in May through the puck dropping on Monday against the Flyers, the most pressing concern for New Jersey was whether they could count on Alexander Holtz to fill the open right-wing spot in the lineup. Fellow rookie Graeme Clarke had a breakthrough year in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season leading Utica in goals and pushing for a spot in the NHL. Thus far in camp though, Holtz has cemented himself in the starting lineup as he has flashed more speed, better decision-making, and a commitment to defense that he lacked last season. He has shared that he now understands that he has to be more than a shooter, he has to develop a two-way game with pace if he wants to have a long career and live up to his lofty draft position.
Holtz has burst out of the gate flying. His speed and playmaking have wowed observers and he has carried that success from the practice rink to the game ice. The coaching staff has shown confidence in him pairing him alongside Nico Hischier and Timo Meier on the first line. That faith paid dividends in the opening contest as the group was dominant. In just under 11 minutes together, the line posted a 79 xGF%. In his postgame comments, head coach Lindy Ruff was impressed with Holtz’s game, noting that the team double-shifted him when a player left injured. He also cited a play where Holtz backchecked to break up a scoring chance as an example of his growth and maturity. Thus far Holtz has left little doubt that he belongs on the NHL roster.
Will Travis Green Be Able To Mold a Top 5 Power Play?
Last season the Devils made a leap from 18th in the league up to 13th in power play percentage. This season, with the addition of associate coach Travis Green at the helm there is optimism that they can take another big step up the power play rankings and that his coaching, coupled with the additions of 19 power play goals from Meier and Tyler Toffoli, could be the boost the team needs.
The biggest hurdle for Green will be figuring out how to balance the units. There is no lack of talent. The addition of Toffoli may end up paying off on the power play more than anywhere else. Ruff has already spoken about his experience playing on good power plays and the versatility the veteran brings. The emergence of Holtz gives them another right-handed trigger man to crank one-timers off of passes from Jack Hughes or Jesper Bratt. The extra dimensions that Meier and Ondrej Palat bring also add to the depth of the units.
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The Devils just started installing the power play concepts before Monday’s games. They will spend significant time over the next weeks trying to assemble the best units. Look for the team to experiment, especially over the next three games, with player combinations and concepts to build out their special teams.
Blue Line Bingo
With the roster largely written in ink, the last storyline to keep an eye on is how Ruff constructs his defensive pairings. Conventional wisdom would have Dougie Hamilton reuniting with Jonas Siegenthaler, John Marino flanking Luke Hughes, and a combination of Kevin Bahl, Brendan Smith, and newcomer Colin Miller making up the third pair. Monday night, the Devils experimented with pairings of Hamilton and Bahl against the Flyers and Siegenthaler and Marino against the Canadiens. These pairs offer balance on the first pair while constructing a shutdown defensive pair that would rival any in the league.
With the losses of Damon Severson and Ryan Graves, the Devils will turn to youth to fill the ice time. Bahl has particularly impressed so far in camp looking much more comfortable and quicker skating as well as making decisions. He has also regularly activated from the blue line into the offense. Pairing Hamilton and Bahl would present unique challenges for opponents having to deal with a pair of mobile, 6-foot-6 defenders who have the reach to make up for any lack of speed. A second pair of Marino and Siegenthaler is equally mobile but also possesses two of the best shutdown defenders in the NHL, and in Marino a deft puck mover and dangerous stretch passer. Placing Hughes on the third pair with either Smith or Miller would allow that group to feast on sheltered minutes against selected lines and give Hughes time to acclimate to the league alongside a dependable veteran.
With Ruff, you never can stay comfortable with line combinations and defensive pairs. It is safe to assume that much of the next two weeks will be spent testing pairs and looking for chemistry. The Devils boast a group of mobile, puck-moving defensemen who can all join in the offensive attack. How the team chooses to deploy the pairs bears watching throughout camp.
For the first time in recent history, the Devils are not looking to fill multiple open roster positions. Instead, the storylines at training camp are centered on the emergence of Holtz, how the power play will be configured, and which set of pairs is the most effective on the blue line.
