This Devils' season has been disappointing on many levels

Ice Hockey, Featured, New Jersey Devils, Professional

February 6, 2024

In one of the most anticipated seasons in New Jersey Devils' history, they have fallen short of expectations. The Devils finished last season with the best record in their franchise's history, going 52-22-8. They were considered Stanley Cup contenders going into this season, but they have dropped the ball on that narrative. The Devils are approaching the season's final stretch with a record of 24-20-3 and 5 points out of a playoff spot. Many people in the organization are disappointed in how the season has gone so far. Captain Nico Hischier was aggravated after their last game, where they fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"I'm embarrassed a bit, to be honest," Hischier said.

It has been a season doomed with injuries for the Devils. The Devils have had 11 different players sustain an injury this season. They have also had two players (Michael McLeod and Cal Foote) take a leave of absence from the team due to charges of sexual assault. The Devils have been down a lot of key players for a big chunk of the season. Jack Hughes, Hischier, Timo Meier, and Dougie Hamilton are notable players who have sustained injuries this season.

Hamilton, the team's top defenseman for the past few years, suffered a torn pectoral, which required surgery. He has been out since late November and is not expected to return until late April.

Hughes has missed almost a month for the Devils with an upper-body injury. He is undoubtedly the team's most impactful player, breaking the franchise record for points last year. Losing Hughes for a significant amount of time has made it hard for the Devils to manage through. He is expected to return soon, which will be a big boost for them after the All-Star break.

"I wouldn't rule it out," Coach Lindy Ruff said about whether Hughes could play this week.

The Devils need to stay healthy if they want any shot of sneaking into the playoffs. That is easier said than done.

A big issue New Jersey has to address is their goaltending. They have given up 3.55 goals a game, which ranks 29th in the NHL. A reason for this problem has been the inconsistency of their goaltenders. Going into this season, the Devils were hopeful that Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid would make a solid goalie tandem. That has not been the case.

Schmid was sent down to the minors in December after posting a .893 save percentage in 15 games. Vanecek has been statistically one of the worst goalies in the NHL. He has a -12.3 goals saved above expected, which is 2nd-worst among all goalies who have started in a game this season, according to MoneyPuck.

The Devils called up prospect Nico Daws in an attempt to change their fortunes in goal in December, but it hasn't helped much. They continue to get inconsistent goaltending which has cost them big time this season. Many people around the league have suggested that a trade for a goaltender is just what the Devils need.

"Sources around the league say they do indeed keep calling around on goalies," TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun stated in a recent article.

It will be interesting to see if the Devils ride with their goalie tandem of Vancek and Daws or try to make a move at the trade deadline for a goalie.

Another vital problem the Devils have faced this season is how they started games. They have given up the first goal in a game 34 out of 47 games this season. The Devils have had a 1-0 lead in a game only 13 times this season.

Worst of all, forward Alexander Holtz has been accountable for eight of those 13 goals. So, the Devils have a 10.6% chance of scoring the first goal in a game this season by someone not named Alexander Holtz.

The Devils keep falling behind early in games and have yet to show any sign of stopping. Lucky enough, they have 16 comeback wins this season, but the Devils can't keep relying on their third-period comebacks. They need to start playing in front more often to win more games.

Despite all these problems, New Jersey are in the thick of the playoff race. The talent is there. Right now, it is about getting healthy and trying to change these bad trends for Jersey's team. It will be interesting to see if the team makes any moves before the trade deadline. An argument could be made that the team could use a goaltender and possibly some depth on the blue line.

These problems need to be addressed now. Something needs to change. The Devils need to figure it out quickly if they will be playing playoff hockey come April.