A rough start for the New Jersey Devils has led them to three consecutive preseason losses. It’s sparked some worry among the fanbase, especially because two of those contests featured mostly guys who are roster locks. But in analyzing the games, there’s little reason to believe that there’s any cause for concern.
Analyzing the Preseason
Devils’ head coach Sheldon Keefe told The Hockey Writers, “(In the preseason) you don’t put together lineups with the record or result in mind…you compete and you want to win. That said, the process and getting guys ready for the season physically is really what the preseason is about. We’ve got one more (preseason) go around here before we go to Prague…we expect our process to be real good, and the hope is that the result is too, but the most important thing is to get our group feeling good and playing well…if you can pick up a win along the way, that would be great too, but certainly it’s not the focus.”
When digging deeper, Keefe’s process is mostly backed up by the on-ice numbers. For example, in their first contest against the New York Islanders, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt scored the two Devils’ goals. That alone should be more important than the outcome. Guys like Chase Stillman, Ryan Schmelzer and Colton White were getting cratered in and letting the momentum swing the Isles’ way. None of those guys will make the roster unless there’s a catastrophic injury situation. Many of the other NHLers excelled, including the line of Paul Cotter, Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian – the likely opening night fourth line. Scoring chances were in their favor, 7-3, and they boasted a great expected-goals for percentage (xGF%) of 65.61% (via Natural Stat Trick).
Related: 4 Non-Playoff Teams From 2023-24 That Can Win the 2025 Stanley Cup
In their second contest (in Montreal), the lineup featured close-to-zero NHLers, aside from the Cotter-Lazar-Bastian line. They had a 64.49 xGF% and didn’t allow a single high-danger chance, while creating two. Again, that alone is arguably ten times more important than the fact that some likely career American Hockey League (AHL) players faltered against an NHL-heavy Montreal Canadiens lineup.
In their third match (against the Washington Capitals), the Tomas Tatar, Hischier and Dawson Mercer line that excelled two seasons ago looked like nothing changed. They had a 55.28 xGF% and out-chanced the Caps 14-6. They didn’t allow a single high-danger chance but created two. On the other hand, Keefe tested out a line of Timo Meier, Jack Hughes and Bratt that struggled immensely. But it was Hughes’ first game back healthy in a long time, and after all, that’s the whole point of preseason – to find out what works and what doesn’t. If he tries the line again and it doesn’t work, then that’s another success in knowing that he may need a change before it impacts the regular season.
More Great Signs
They also got the opportunity to see that they might have struck gold by drafting Seamus Casey. The 20-year-old got just under 22 minutes of ice time against Washington, and scoring chances were 12-9 in his favor. He picked up his first point – a primary assist on Hughes’ goal. After the game, Hughes said, “I thought (Seamus) had a great game. Moved the puck well, defended hard…I was honestly surprised how good he was tonight.”
That’s what preseason is all about; letting your prospects shine while making sure your top players are in tip-top shape for opening night’s puck drop. So yeah, maybe three straight losses aren’t ideal, but if none of this did any convincing, White, Stillman, Schmelzer, Nick DeSimone and Xavier Parent are a combined minus-20. None of those guys are roster locks at this point.
The process is there: Keefe has his group working hard and acclimating to a new system. When all is said and done, he will have the Devils in a great position to open in Prague, Czechia, regardless of what the record says. The NHLers will have one final crack at it, tonight (Sept. 27) against the Islanders at UBS Arena. Then they’re off to Prague on Sunday, Sept. 29, meaning only AHL Utica Comets players will lace up for the final three preseason contests.
