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Devils' Depth Players Stepping Up

Ice Hockey, New Jersey Devils, Professional

January 15, 2024

As the injuries keep coming for the New Jersey Devils’ top players, it is important to have other players step up in their absence.

The biggest depth player the Devils have had this season is Michael McLeod. McLeod has been everything the Devils have needed and more as he has become someone that is heavily relied on. He has really stepped up his game compared to last season.

With the injuries lining up, he has gone from a fourth line center to a second line center and has not missed a beat. McLeod currently has 10 goals, a new personal record, and 9 assists for a personal high of 19 points on the season so far.

Another player who has continued to step up is Alex Holtz. Before this season, the 21-year-old Swede never had a true chance to show the type of player he could be. With very limited ice time in games, Holtz has put up a decent amount of points so far and is on pace to have 40 points this season. Just last night Holtz found his tenth goal of the season, giving himself a total of 20 points so far this season.

Curtis Lazar has quietly been having himself a successful season with the Devils so far. He has been what any hockey team would ask for in a fourth liner; He plays a physical and smart game from one end of the ice to the other end. Although he has not found himself in every game so far this season, due to injuries and being a healthy scratch, he has gotten 14 points in 35 games.

Due to injuries, the lines have not been consistent for the entire season so far. Erik Haula has found himself being linemates with different people many different times and has seemed to still find success no matter who he is with. Haula has found his groove here with the Devils after being bounced from team to team the past few seasons. Even though he spent some time being injured, he has played in 35 games this season and managed to put up 22 points.

One defenseman who has shown fans and coaches what he can do when given the chance, recently is Colin Miller. He was not an everyday NHLer for the Devils prior to the Devils injuries, but recently has shown he can be a steady, reliable defenseman. Although he only has five points in 21 games, he has stepped up as of late. In the past five games he has collected four points. Another impressive statistic of his is being a +11 for the Devils currently. As Siegenthaler just recently joined IR with a broken foot, Miller has proven he is a good option to turn to on defense.

As the timeline for the majority of the injured players is unknown, it is important to continue having these types of players producing for the Devils, especially with the tough schedule ahead of them.

The Devils were able to pull off a win against the red-hot Florida Panthers and an overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning, if they continue to have these players filling in, the Devils will remain in a good position until their top players return from injury.

The Devils next opponent is the Boston Bruins, who have the third most points in the league standings. It will be a team effort again as they look to steal two more points.