The New Jersey Devils practiced Wednesday afternoon and then embarked on a five-day, three-game road trip through Florida and Massachusetts. The trip would be a difficult test for a Devils team at full strength, let alone one that is leaving almost half of its salary cap in New Jersey. Playing without three of their top six forwards and their top defensive pair, they will have to adjust their lines both at even strength and to their power play units. This edition of Devils News, Notes, & Mailbag will explore how to best deploy the power play, take a look at potential short-term fixes in goal, and answer some reader questions.
Optimizing Personnel
The Devils head south without Jack Hughes, Ondrej Palat, Dougie Hamilton, and Timo Meier, all mainstays of what was the league’s top power play earlier in the season. Lately, even with Hughes, the power play has fizzled out, going 0-8 in back-to-back games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks last weekend. Fortunately, other than Hughes, continuity remains on the top unit as Nico Hischier, Luke Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Tyler Toffoli remain available. This leaves head coach Lindy Ruff with a distinct choice between two right-hand shot players, Dawson Mercer and Alexander Holtz. In the most recent game against the Canucks he chose to use Mercer. He again chose Mercer in Wednesday’s practice. While Holtz may have the more dangerous shot, Mercer’s ability to operate and finish around the net makes him a useful piece for the first unit.
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When the season began, the Devils had two dangerous power play units. Now, with Meier, Hamilton, Palat, and Mercer gone from the second unit, Ruff has to get creative. Reports from Wednesday’s practice indicated that associate coach Travis Green was on the ice early with his new power play units, trying to hone concepts. The team chose to deploy Simon Nemec, Holtz, Erik Haula, Nathan Bastian, and Chris Tierney as the second unit. While Tierney and Bastian certainly have power play experience, Ruff shouldn’t be married to these five, as his roster does provide some additional options.
Current trends in the NHL are to deploy four forwards and one defenseman on the power play, unlike the more traditional three-forward, two-defensemen units of the past. When protecting a lead late in games, Ruff has been known to send out two defensemen on a power play to safeguard against shorthanded opportunities. If his current second unit falters, he should not hesitate to use Colin Miller on the power play. He has power play experience and brings a heavy, blistering slap shot that he could look to unleash as a one-timer from the left circle.
Another potential tweak would be to use Michael McLeod. Previously, Ruff has used full lines for shifts on the power play; using the duo of McLeod and Holtz together makes sense, as the two have developed strong chemistry, and McLeod has already set a personal record for goals in a season with ten and has earned minutes on the power play. If he wanted to keep a full line together, Ruff could use Lazar along with McLeod and Holtz, as the line has been one of the most successful of the past few games. Couple that line with Haula and Nemec; there is a formidable group.
Short-term or Long-term Fixes Needed In Goal
Almost immediately following a disastrous postseason, many called for the Devils to find a replacement for Vitek Vanecek. General manager Tom Fitzgerald preached patience and chose to instead move on from Mackenzie Blackwood and bring back the tandem of Vanecek and Akira Schmid. With Vanecek unable to regain the form that led him to win over 30 regular season games last year, and being in the bottom two of goaltenders in the NHL for goals saved above expected and high-danger save percentage, it is clear the Devils need to find a new solution in net if they want to make any noise this postseason.
Rumors have run rampant regarding whether the Devils are in on John Gibson, Jacob Markstrom, and other long-term solutions. If history is any guide, the Devils would be wise to seek out instead a short-term fix in net that doesn’t carry term and then find the goalie they need long-term over the summer. None of the eventual Stanley Cup champions of at least the last 15 years have traded for a starting goaltender mid-season. While the players rumored to be on the market would be upgrades over Vanecek, the risk is not worth the potential reward, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any available help.
With all of the injury uncertainty, perhaps the Devils should shift their focus to finding an upgrade who is on an expiring contract and a trade partner who may also be willing to take on Vanecek. Kaapo Kahkonen is the current best fit. The 27-year-old Finn is having a solid, above-average season behind one of the worst defenses in the NHL. In a limited role, he has saved almost three goals above expected and is sixth in the NHL in high-danger save percentage, which has been a huge problem for New Jersey. His high-danger percentage is more than a full tenth higher than Vanecek. Kahkonen has never been confused with Martin Brodeur in his prime, but if the Devils can get San Jose to take Vanecek and a sweetener for the expiring Kahkonen, it is a hugely low-risk, high-reward type of move that makes sense for New Jersey.
Other places to keep an eye on are teams that are currently in the race but may falter as the trade deadline gets closer. One such team is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Should they fall out of contention, then Alex Nedeljkovic would also be an attractive target for the Devils. He has a history of post-season success and has an expiring contract, so he should not be cost-prohibitive. Two other teams that could be good trade partners should they become sellers by the deadline are the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings. If that happens, the Devils should kick the tires on Ukko-Pekka-Luukkonen and Alex Lyon. Lyon has an additional year at a very reasonable salary cap charge, while Luukkonen is a pending free agent.
Should they choose, there are lower-risk options than taking on the term and cap hit of Gibson or Markstrom. Taking a measured approach would allow Fitzgerald to build his roster in the summer, which he has indicated is the best time to get deals done and construct a team.
Mailbag Questions
What Will the Devils Do With The $9 Million Cap Space They Now Have? – @Mzharnest
They don’t have the $9 million in extra cap space unless they put Hamilton on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). They should take the opportunity to add the best players they can to solidify the back end, preferably ones who are on expiring deals, like Noah Hanifan or Chris Tanev, or on a goalie that they like.
Do You Think We Will See the Devils Make a Trade for a Goalie as They Push for a Playoff Spot? – @Donnaaa
I think that if they want to push for a playoff spot, they will have to make a trade for a goalie. The sample size is no longer small with Vanecek’s play. There is too much on the line for New Jersey not to look to improve. While this isn’t a season where their window is closing, if they get into the playoffs they would have a shot to make a run. With that in mind, Fitzgerald owes it to his core to improve the goaltending and defense if he can swing it without jeopardizing the future. As I discussed at length above, my thinking is shifting towards a stop-gap solution to get through the season, then a splash in the summer.
In Your Estimation, Which Devils Are Having Good Seasons and Which Ones Need to Step Up Their Games? – @MRED315
Of the players on the current roster, as in not injured, the ones having good seasons are McLeod, Bratt, Haula, Hischier, Toffoli, Lazar, Luke Hughes, Nemec. The players who need to step up their game in the second half include John Marino, Kevin Bahl, Nathan Bastian, and Vanecek, and players who are in the middle would be Mercer, Holtz, Smith, and Miller. Mercer has been much better the last month or so and Hischier proved how indispensable he is when he was out. Bastian has not had the kind of start he had hoped for, but keep in mind he is returning from a serious shoulder injury ahead of schedule. Of the guys who are injured and likely to return soon(ish), the good is Hughes and Hamilton; the needs improvement would be Siegenthaler, while Meier, Palat, and Nosek have been inconsistent but leaned towards good.
Thank you to all for your submissions.
