It has been almost a week since the New Jersey Devils opened camp. After three days of scrimmaging, they will now prepare to face the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens in split-squad action. There is a strong, optimistic vibe surrounding camp and the coaches and players seem both excited for the season and anxious to get it started. Here is what has been happening in camp, and a first guess at the opening night roster.
Kevin Bahl Has Arrived
About halfway through the first period of the scrimmage, the puck was slid across to a cutting player in the high slot, the player settled the puck and quickly wristed it on net. That player was defenseman Kevin Bahl. On Friday he told reporters that the team had made some tweaks to their defensive systems. One noticeable adjustment was the aggression by the defensemen joining plays in the offensive zone. Bahl looks like a different player than a year ago, he is noticeably smoother in his skating and making quicker decisions in all three zones. His improvement has not gone unnoticed.
He knows when to get involved offensively, he knows he has to play well defensively. There’s parts of the scrimmage where you really notice his puck handling and parts where he’s been mature enough just to move the puck and be that fourth guy to get involved.
– Head coach Lindy Ruff 9/24/2023
Bahl said the coaching staff has focused on pushing the pace and maintaining tight gaps since the start of camp. At the conclusion of last season, Bahl indicated that he intended to spend his offseason working on improving his puck handling and being able to receive the puck and move it quicker. The summer work appears to have paid off as he is noticeably quicker in his decision-making and moving the puck off of his stick. With the departure of Ryan Graves to Pittsburgh, Bahl will be looked at to assume much of the penalty kill and tough defensive assignments on the left side. Thus far, he appears up to the task.
Four Equal Lines
Last season, the Devils were most effective when they were able to roll four lines. Injuries to Nathan Bastian and inconsistent play from others led to the fourth line often being glued to the bench as the games wore on. This season, with the addition of Tomas Nosek, and the emergence of a healthy Curtis Lazar, the Devils’ fourth line is going to be a handful for opponents.
There are essentially five players fighting for three spots on the fourth line, Michael McLeod, Nosek, Lazar, Bastian, and Nolan Foote. With Bastian still recuperating from last season’s shoulder injury, the scrimmages have featured McLeod, Nosek, and Lazar. It is difficult to imagine a more perfect scenario in creating the fourth line, and Ruff will have the luxury of constructing a line to match up against opponents.
McLeod and Nosek are almost mirror images of each other, fast, skilled defenders and top-five faceoff men in the league. Add to those two Lazar and/or Bastian and you get size, speed, and physicality. At one point in the most recent scrimmage, Nosek, McLeod and Lazar each recorded a hit on the same player during a shift. Couple that with the fact that all three can interchange positions and are over 51 percent in the faceoff dot and opponents are in an unenviable position.
Timo Meier Is as Advertised
Heading into his first full year with the Devils, there are high expectations for Timo Meier. If the scrimmages are any indication, he is ready to meet those expectations head-on. He excelled in the scrimmage in all three zones, and he has already established chemistry with both Nico Hischier and Alexander Holtz. When he was acquired from San Jose he was suffering from a lingering injury that held him out a few games after the trade and he never appeared to be fully healthy the rest of the season. Health does not seem to be a current concern and he looks like a different player.
RELATED: Devils’ Ideal Power Play Units for 2023-24
During the scrimmage, he was winning one-on-one battles all over the ice. His biggest impact came when he stole a puck at center ice, raced in alone and calmly slotted home the puck. His play was decisive and had the hallmark calm and precision of a true goal scorer. If he remains healthy there is no reason why Meier cannot challenge the team record of 48 goals this season.
Tyler Toffoli Has a Great Opportunity
Thus far in camp, the Devils have placed newcomer Tyler Toffoli on a line adjacent to Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. While Hughes and Bratt have both become accomplished goal scorers, they are both more accurately described as playmakers. Toffoli, however, is a top-flight finisher known for a lethal, accurate shot. He is coming off of a career year in which he scored 34 goals for the Calgary Flames and is walking into a situation where he is in a position to set a new career high.
What was evident in the scrimmages is that when Hughes and Bratt concentrate on forechecking, their speed and quickness can be very disruptive. The disruptions should lead to turnovers galore which Hughes and Bratt will turn into scoring opportunities for Toffoli. Ruff certainly sees potential for a big year for Toffoli.
“When you look at somebody who can finish opportunities who has a great shot, obviously offensively has been a strength, he had a great year last year. I want to put him in a position where he can have just as much success as he had the previous year.”
Toffoli will also be looked at as one of the potential solutions to the Devils’ power play inconsistencies over the past few seasons.
“He’s a good power play guy, he can play in the hole and has a great release. I think he understands the way good power plays run. When you have that number of years of experience and play in different places you could be a flank, you could be a bumper, you could be a downhill shooter. That experience helps put him ahead of a lot of guys.”
Opening Night Roster Prediction
Unlike years past, there are very few roster spots actually up for grabs. This year’s camp has been more about forging chemistry and acclimating new players to the Devils’ style. With that in mind, here is an early look at how the roster will be constructed after the final cuts are made.
Forwards (14)
General manager Tom Fitzgerald has said he was looking to build the best top nine in the NHL. He may have gone beyond and constructed the most complete four lines in the league.
Locks to Make the Team: Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, Tyler Toffoli, Erik Haula, Ondrej Palat, Dawson Mercer, Curtis Lazar, Tomas Nosek, Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian
On the Roster: As of now, Holtz has shut the door on the competition for the open winger position. He has looked faster, stronger, and every bit the player he was projected to be when the Devils used a top-ten pick to acquire him. The one caveat is that Holtz looked great last season in camp and then fizzled as the season began. Should he continue to play as he has, there is every reason to believe he makes the team.
On The Bubble: This should leave three or four players for one remaining spot. The odds on favorite thus far has to be Nolan Foote. Earlier this year Fitzgerald held up Foote as a paragon of successful development. The team has been impressed with Foote’s willingness to work and improve his game. The biggest factor though may be that he is no longer waivers exempt and he is unlikely to clear waivers should the team wish to send him down. Other candidates for this last spot are Graeme Clarke and Tyce Thompson, each will have to excel in the preseason games to put Foote in danger of being waived or traded.
Defensemen (7)
Having lost Graves and Damon Severson this offseason, there are opportunities for defensemen to make the team and there are minutes to be had. Similar to the forwards, there does not appear to be much volatility in who will make the roster, but more in who will actually dress.
Locks to Make the Team: Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler, John Marino, Luke Hughes, Kevin Bahl, Colin Miller, Brendan Smith
Fuzzy Math: Simon Nemec looks like an NHL player. He has clearly improved his game in his first season in North America and is poised to be a top-four defenseman for a decade. The team feels he needs to continue to work on his defensive awareness and is likely to send him to start the year in the American Hockey League, largely due to the lack of room on the roster and the ability to slide his entry-level contract another season if he plays less than 10 NHL games. He will make his NHL debut this season, it just won’t be on Oct. 12. Things could change should he blow away the competition during the preseason or one of the veterans falter or get injured.
Goaltender (2)
With the reported chase for Connor Hellebuyck fading, the Devils are headed towards beginning the season with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid as their goalie tandem. Veteran Keith Kinkaid has looked sharp in camp and provides insurance should there be an issue with the top two. For now, the Devils are set in goal.
The Devils preseason begins in earnest tonight with one squad heading to Montreal and another staying in Newark to take on the Philadelphia Flyers. Though much of the roster appears to be set, there are still battles for spots on the edge of the roster. Keep an eye on Foote, Clarke, and Nemec as they have the most to play for in this game. It also bears watching whether the team will keep the same line combinations it has used throughout camp. The long summer is over and Devils hockey is back.
