This season, the New Jersey Devils are ready to fight tooth and nail to earn the coveted top spot in the Metropolitan Division. The team is set to make a comeback following a disappointing 2023-24 season. Poor goaltending, injuries, and an unsteady defense all contributed to an unfortunate performance that kept them out of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite the low notes, general manager Tom Fitzgerald has made it clear the Devils are building a team worthy of playoff contention. Numerous offseason trades make them look dangerous on paper, but the Devils still need to address their most pressing issue before the 2024-25 season begins: consistency.
In 2023-24, more often than not, the team lacked a 60-minute effort. With a cursed undefeated preseason, a lack of physicality, and an excessive amount of back-to-back games, the Devils were quick to fall into a rut. Losing key players at the end of the 2022-23 season, including Tomas Tatar, Damon Severson, Yegor Sharangovich, and Ryan Graves, created a very difficult situation.
Suddenly, the roster was vastly different from the one that went on a 13-game winning streak in 2022. Losing Severson and Graves to free agency was devastating, but countless other injuries made their absence even more pronounced. This set the stage for an inconsistent and underwhelming, 2023-24 season. Nonetheless, now that the Devils have a stronger blue-line presence, defensive pairings should be a lot more dependable in the upcoming months.
This season, it is important that the Devils earn critical points early on. In 2023-24, they couldn’t manage a three-game win streak and were bested by the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks. The Devils had moments of brilliant play but could be defeated by a bottom-tier team one game later. They were guilty of making sloppy passes and seeming out of sync with one another, leaving their defensive zone vulnerable to turnovers and breakaways.
What Created Inconsistency Last Season?
While Jacob Markstrom is arguably the team’s best offseason acquisition, the Devils must provide a consistent effort that extends beyond goaltending. Offensively, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Jesper Bratt led the way, but defensively, the Devils took a major step back last season. This season, they will benefit from having veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton back in the lineup, but the team has already suffered a major setback; Luke Hughes will miss six to eight weeks due to a shoulder injury, so Brett Pesce and Johnathan Kovacevic must be prepared to embrace bigger roles on the Devils’ blue line.
Nothing defined inconsistency quite like the Devils’ power play last season. At first, it seemed their special teams would propel them to the playoffs. While they led the NHL in power-play goals early on, the team eventually struggled and suffered a goal drought. They were unable to produce points or create meaningful scoring chances. Combined with a subpar penalty kill, it’s no wonder their special teams ended in disaster. Part of the reason for these issues was not having Hamilton, who was responsible for 28 power-play points in 2022-23. Alongside Hughes, Hischier, and Dawson Mercer, the Devils will hopefully restore the power play to its former glory this season.
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Another issue was a lack of urgency, which led to a frustrating lack of momentum. They allowed the opposition to score the opening goal far too many times. This left a small margin for error during the race for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Devils struggled to capitalize on opportunities where they could have gained much-needed divisional points. If they remain on the attack and finish strong after 60 full minutes of play, the Devils will live up to the high expectations that have been set for this campaign.
The Devils Can Bounce Back in 2024-25
All in all, the Devils must be present for all three periods this season to be successful. With a reliable starting goalie, seasoned defensemen, and a healthy roster, they must be willing to capitalize on any and every opportunity to move up the standings. Since their new and improved roster provides head coach Sheldon Keefe with additional line combinations, there are plenty of opportunities for the team to shake things up.
There are only a few loose ends left as the offseason winds down. So long as the Devils can re-sign Dawson Mercer within the next few weeks, the 2024-25 season should be off to a decent start. Regardless of what occurred last season, the Devils need to maintain consistency if they want a chance at making the playoffs. The Devils must find a way to win when it counts and avoid being disheartened by setbacks.
