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Devils Plan To Make A Splash This Summer

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No one could have expected that the New Jersey Devils would improve by 16 wins from last season to this season, transforming from a bottom feeder to a playoff team. The team added impact rookies Nico Hischier and Will Butcher and traded for defenseman Sami Vatanen, but also lost Adam Henrique in that deal and watched 2016-17 top-six forwards Mike Cammalleri and P.A. Parenteau depart. Yet, the team took a major leap forward with only a marginal improvement to their roster. Hoping for a repeat in that trend, NJ.com’s Chris Ryan reports that GM Ray Shero has been given the “green light” by the Devils to spend in free agency this summer.

New Jersey enters the 2018 off-season with substantial cap space. A bottom-five spender this season, the team is likely to lose Patrick Maroon, Michael Grabner, Drew Stafford, and Jimmy Hayes to free agency, which will open up even more room. They will also finally be rid of Ryane Clowe’s cap hit. Even if the team was to hang on to defenseman John Moore, goaltender Eddie Lack, or forward Brian Gibbons, they would still have more than enough space to make a significant splash this summer.

Ryan addresses several players who Devils fans are intrigued by in his mailbag. He begins by throwing water on the idea that New Jersey will be in hot pursuit of John Tavares if he hits the open market. Seeing as Tavares will command a seven-year deal that could approach nine figures, Ryan rules the Devils out as a destination. New Jersey has its star center of the future in Hischier and must pay he and Hart finalist Taylor Hall in the next few years. However, Ryan does not shy away from any other recommended targets.

Among those other players the Devils could pursue are defenseman John Carlson, who would be the biggest name on the market if Tavares re-signs with the Islanders, fellow blue liners Mike Green and Calvin de Haan, and big winger James van Riemsdyk. Ryan rules out a reunion with Ilya Kovalchuk, but New Jersey could also be a destination for other stars of yesteryear like Joe Thornton or Rick Nash. Evander Kane, Paul Stastny, David Perron and James Neal are other top names who could wind up in Newark.

Ryan does add that the Devils may be content to sign just one of the big-name players on this summer’s free agent market. Given the luck he had making a blockbuster trade this year, Shero could surely explore the trade market instead of exclusively signing free agents. He may also want to give time to forward prospects like Michael McLeod and Joey Anderson, after Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Blake Coleman found success this year. It will be a busy off-season one way or another for New Jersey and will continue to be a fun process of building a contender for team members and fans alike.

Snapshots: Lottery, Hischier, Brown, Bruins

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The NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for this Saturday, but it won’t happen all at once. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, picks 4-15 are set to be revealed between 6:30-7:00pm CT, while the last three will be unveiled during the first intermission of the Vegas Golden Knights-San Jose Sharks game.

Remember that three teams are picked in the draft lottery, and can potentially move up all the way from 15th to 1st. The full odds have the Buffalo Sabres as the most likely to select first overall, and the Florida Panthers the least likely. Though the first pick will get the right to draft Rasmus Dahlin, there are still exceptional players available in the next few slots.

  • Nico Hischier played all season with a left wrist/hand injury according to the New Jersey Devils, who announced that he would not need surgery but won’t be heading to Denmark to take part in the World Championships. Both Hischier and Pavel Zacha were invited, but will be nursing injuries for the next two to four weeks. The pair of young forwards are integral to the Devils progression from playoff surprise to Stanley Cup hopeful, and will be expected to take on an even heavier load in 2018-19.
  • Speaking of injuries, Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings had shoulder surgery today but is expected to be ready for the regular season according to Jonathan Davis of NHL Network. Brown was one of the many Kings players shut out in the postseason, assisting on just one of the team’s three goals in their first round series. The 33-year old nevertheless had an outstanding bounce back campaign that saw him record 28 goals and 61 points (a career-high) in 81 games. The physical forward is under contract for another four seasons, but has turned himself from a buyout candidate to an important piece for the Kings once again.
  • When the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, it meant that the conditional fifth-round pick that they sent to Chicago for Tommy Wingels was converted into a fourth-round selection in 2019. That’s a small price to pay for success in the postseason, but will help Chicago (if only slightly) restock their cupboards even more.

Barzal, Boeser, Keller Nominated For Calder Trophy

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The NHL released the names of the 2018 Calder Trophy nominees as the New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal, Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser and the Arizona Coyotes’ Clayton Keller were named as the league’s top rookies. The award will be voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association with the winners to be announced on June 20 in Las Vegas.

In a year in which there were a large amount of talented rookies, several good players didn’t get nominated, including the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Yanni Gourde, Boston Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy, New Jersey Devils’ Nico Hischier, Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat and Winnipeg Jets’ Kyle Connor.

Barzal is the likely hands down winner after putting up a great rookie year with 22 goals and 83 points, centering the Islanders’ second line for most of the season. He was the only rookie to average more than a point per game (1.04) and had three five-point performances throughout the season. His emergence could lessen the blow if teammate John Tavares opts to leave via free agency as Barzal could easily take over as the team’s franchise player.

Boeser’s chances are slimmer after only playing in 62 games when he was lost for the season with a back injury. However, in that time, he put up 29 goals, 55 points and was named MVP of the 2018 All-Star Game. He should be a constant presence along with Bo Horvat with the young core of forwards that are coming in as the team’s rebuilding project begins to come to fruition.

Keller led all rookies in ice time (18:05) and put up 23 goals and 42 assists in his freshman campaign and also led the team in goals, assists and points. He provides the franchise with another core piece as the Coyotes begin to build their team back to contending status.

NBC Sports’ Sean Leahy was the first to report the news.

Snapshots: Pacioretty, McDonagh, Hynes

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In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportsnet, the insider details all the rumors and whispers he heard on trade deadline day. Among them was a long piece on Max Pacioretty, and how the Montreal Canadiens never found a deal on him because of the high value Marc Bergevin put on his captain.

Among the contenders for Pacioretty’s services were Los Angeles, who were asked for Tyler Toffoli and Gabe Vilardi as part of a package, Minnesota, who Friedman believes were asked for Charlie Coyle, and Florida who had to decline when the Canadiens asked for Vincent Trocheck. It’s clear that Montreal is not interested in just futures, but players who can jump right into their lineup in 2018-19 to help turn the ship around.

  • Interestingly, Friedman also notes a possible discussion between Florida, Minnesota and New York that would have ended with Ryan McDonagh in Sunrise. While they weren’t involved in any of the day’s really big moves, you can be sure that the Panthers and Wild had their phones ringing on Monday.
  • Though it was originally believed that John Hynes’ contract was set to run out at the end of the season, Friedman reports that the New Jersey Devils actually have another option year with their head coach that he believes they will pick up. Hynes has helped turn the Devils into a legitimate playoff contender in the Metropolitan Division, less than a year after winning the draft lottery and selecting Nico Hischier first-overall.

Snapshots: Dahlin, Tanev, Zaitsev, Ellis

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While Nico Hischier used the World Junior Championships a year ago to propel him to be the top pick in the 2017 draft, that hasn’t been needed for Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, the consensus No. 1 overall pick for the upcoming 2018 draft. However, no matter how secure Dahlin has that spot locked, he has done more than enough in this tournament to prove his worth, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli.

On the final day of preliminary-round play, Dahlin is tied for the lead in points in the tournament with six and that’s as a 17-year-old. Most of the top players are 19. However, his play is what has garnered the most attention.

“Rasmus Dahlin is to a franchise what McDavid and Matthews have meant to the Oilers and Maple Leafs,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said. “He is to defencemen what those two guys are to centremen. He is a No. 1, elite defencemen who can play in the NHL right now. Right now.”

Seravalli adds that while Team Canada won’t decide until Jan. 11 whether to use major junior players for the Olympics, Dahlin could be the first player to go from the World Juniors to the Olympics since Eric Lindros did it in 1992.

  • The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver tweets that Winnipeg Jets winger Brandon Tanev will be out two to three weeks with a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old Tanev has been a regular for the Jets, having put up three goals and 10 points in 39 games so far this season.
  • Jonas Siegel of The Athletic tweets that Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said that defenseman Nikita Zaitsev might return by Jan. 16. The team needs help on defense after falling 6-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. “The reality is whoever you play on a nightly basis has to be able to play and sometimes when you play quick teams (like) tonight some guys get exposed and that was evident,” Babcock said.
  • Adam Vingan of the Tennessean writes that now that the Nashville Predators have assigned Frederick Gaudreau to Milwaukee of the AHL, the team has an open roster spot. He adds that defenseman Ryan Ellis, who has been out all season after undergoing knee surgery, has been cleared to play and the team may have opened up a roster spot for his return. It was reported earlier that Ellis’ targeted return was on Jan. 2.

Tracking 2017 Draftees: Hischier, Patrick, Tippett

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While it didn’t have the star power of the 2016 or 2015 versions, the 2017 Draft class has still made some noise this season. There are certainly a number of players who have stood out for their respective teams as we move past the middle of December. We’ll take a look at three of those players who have been with the big club this season.

#1 overall pick – Nico Hischier

Key to the turnaround in New Jersey was the luck of the draw–the Devils were fortunate to grab the #1 overall pick–sporting only an 8.5% chance of nabbing it. There were rumors they would go defense but general manager Ray Shero went with Hischier, who has rewarded their trust with five goals and 20 points. Though he’s gone his last five games without a point, the rookie has been a much needed boost for the Devils, who are currently in a three-way tie for first place in the crowded Metropolitan Division. Some have wondered if he’s beginning to hit the proverbial rookie wall. All would agree, however, that the Devils are a much better team with Hischier in the lineup.

#2 overall pick – Nolan Patrick

Patrick was projected a number one pick for the draft when projections came out back in 2016, but his stock dropped slightly as Hischier’s presence on the world stage captured attention. Further, Patrick’s hernia injury that sidelined him in juniors raised questions about his durability. The Flyers snagged him second, and within the first week, Patrick underwent surgery prior to the draft and it turned out to be more serious than anyone expected. He recovered, and started the season in Philadelphia before spending time on the IR at the beginning of November. With six points in 22 games, it’s too early to tell with Patrick. Health, as has been the concern from the start, will truly dictate if Patrick becomes the player the Flyers envisioned when taking him second overall.

#10 overall pick – Owen Tippett

The winger with a wicked shot played seven games with the Florida Panthers before they sent him back to the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL. In those seven games, Tippett recorded one goal. Sun-Sentinel writer Craig Davis reported back in November that while general manager Dale Tallon called it a “tough” decision to send him back to junior hockey, there simply wasn’t an opportunity for the youngster to get quality minutes at the NHL level. Since going back to Mississauga, Tippett is over a point-per-game, notching 16 points (6-10) in 15 games.

Keeping An Eye On Entry-Level Slides: An Update

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Two weeks ago we ran an article looking at the young players in the NHL who were also eligible to see their contracts slide by one year. Should they be sent back to their junior or European clubs before playing in 10 NHL games, they would avoid burning the first year of their entry-level contracts.

At the time, none of the players eligible had surpassed that threshold. Today is a different story. Three players have already played their 10th game in the NHL, changing the goalposts somewhat for their respective teams. Now, those clubs must decide whether or not to keep them past the next threshold of 40 games, when they’ll get a year closer to unrestricted free agency. Below, we’ll take an updated look at the entire group.

10+ Games Played

Mikhail Sergachev (TBL)
Victor Mete (MTL)
Alex DeBrincat (CHI)

Each of these three seemed to have a good shot at staying with their respective teams right from the start, but now the most interesting thing to watch will be that 40 game mark. For Sergachev especially it holds quite a bit of value. Due to a condition on the trade that brought him to Tampa Bay, if he fails to play 40 games this season the Montreal Canadiens would have to send a second-round draft pick (Montreal would also receive a sixth-round pick in return). That extra asset could be tantalizing for the Lightning, but with Sergachev’s outstanding start—the young defenseman has 10 points in 11 games—it may not be worth sending him away from the team.

8-9 Games Played

Pierre-Luc Dubois (CBJ)
Nico Hischier (NJD)
Jesper Bratt (NJD)
Nolan Patrick (PHI)

All four of these players seem destined to play past the nine game threshold, with Dubois set to play his tenth game tonight, and Patrick only sitting out due to injury this week. Bratt and Hischier have played in all eight of New Jersey’s games, combining for 13 points. Their strong early play will likely keep them in New Jersey for the year.

Interestingly, Dubois has lasted in the Columbus lineup despite registering just one point all season. He’s not being sent back before tonight’s game, but it will be interesting to see how the season plays out. He’s not struggling with the pace of play, but hasn’t received the opportunity to really show what his offensive ceiling is. Should Columbus face more injuries, Dubois could be thrust into a more important role.

5-7 Games Played

Kailer Yamamoto (EDM)

Yamamoto is one of the most interesting cases, because though he’s played seven games with the club and at times been one of the ice-time leaders beside Connor McDavid, he was scratched last night against the Dallas Stars. As Leon Draisaitl and Drake Caggiula came back, there seemingly wasn’t a spot left for Yamamoto in the top nine.

The diminutive forward has three points through his seven contests, but isn’t a lock to stay past nine games if the Oilers feel he still needs some more development. Though he obviously has the skill to play at this level, if they’re not going to play him every night his path may lie back in the WHL. That would certainly change the fate for the Spokane Chiefs, his junior team, who are currently 8-6-1 on the season.

1-4 Games Played

Owen Tippett (FLA)
Janne Kuokkanen (CAR)
Samuel Girard (NSH)

Tippett finally worked his way into the lineup for Florida, and the early results suggest he could stay there all year. The winger from the Mississauga Steelheads scored his first goal last night, and could find himself getting more ice time as the Panthers try to dig their way out of a rough start. By no means is he guaranteed, but the team has hinted that he would stay in the NHL right away since the start of training camp.

Kuokkanen started off hot for the Hurricanes in limited minutes, but has been relegated to the press box for the team’s last five games. As we wrote in the previous article, the Hurricanes could actually send him to the AHL instead of back to junior, meaning he could bounce up and down this season.

Girard has certainly impressed in the three games he’s played, but none of those have come in the team’s last four. He may be back in the lineup tonight however when the team takes on the Chicago Blackhawks, and if he keeps up his high level of play they may have no choice but to keep him around. Still, it’s always tough for a 19-year old defender to stick in the NHL and especially one that is just 162-lbs. He’ll have to show beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s ready to be a contributor to this team all season.

No Longer On Roster

Logan Brown (OTT)
Filip Chytil (NYR)
Alex Formenton (OTT)
Martin Necas (CAR)

All four made their NHL debuts, but were eventually sent back before breaking the first threshold. Only Chytil remains in the North American professional ranks, currently playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.

Devils’ Boyle Cleared For Full Practice

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The New Jersey Devils announced that veteran center Brian Boyle, who has been out after being diagnosed with a form of bone cancer, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, has been cleared for full practice with the team today.

Signed at the start of the offseason, Boyle was expected to play a large role at the center position for the team. The 32-year-old veteran scored 13 goals and nine assists in 54 games with Tampa Bay last year before he was traded to Toronto at the trade deadline. He struggled adjusting in Toronto in 21 games, putting up no goals and just three assists. He had two assists in the Maple Leafs’ six playoff games. However, his role had expected to be larger in New Jersey this year after he signed a two-year, $5.5MM deal.

He has not had a chance to play with his new team, however, after being diagnosed. However, the diagnosis was found early enough that he was expected to be able to treat it with medication and had hoped to be back by the start of the season. Delayed a bit, it looks like he is ready to return soon. Dan Rosen of NHL.com tweets that there is no timetable for his return, while Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets that the main obstacle is the team is not sure where Boyle’s conditioning and energy levels are.

The team have had quite a few ups and downs at the center position this year as Travis Zajac suffered a torn pectoral muscle and is likely out until February, but the team’s top overall pick, Nico Hischier has made a successful adjustment to the NHL game so far and seems to be thriving at the center position. Despite their ups and downs, the Devils have been one of the bright spots of the NHL so far. The team is 6-2 so far this year, tied for second in the Eastern Conference.

Boyle has played for four different teams (not including New Jersey) and tallied 93 goals and 76 assists in his 624-game career.

Devils Notes: Butcher, Hischier

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When the New Jersey Devils added Will Butcher to the fold back in August, not even in his wildest dreams could general manager Ray Shero imagine that the young d-man would have eight points in six games. The 22-year-old also (as of this writing) notched his ninth point tonight with an assist on a Nico Hischier goal and also had a nifty pass that was nearly converted into another goal. Butcher is tied for second in points among NHL defensemen, and has backed up his belief that he was absolutely NHL ready. Though many teams passed on the Hobey Baker winner, it’s fair to say that the Devils grow happier with each passing day that they inked a potential cornerstone defenseman.

  • Not to be outdone, 2017 first overall pick Hischier not only potted his first goal tonight, but added another before the end of the first period. The tough schedule early on may have benefitted the youngster the Record’s  Andrew Gross wrote yesterday.  Hischier finally broke through with a couple tonight, but as Gross reported, Hischier had four assists in his first six games. Having Taylor Hall on a wing certainly helps, but Hischier is showing the talent he possesses that landed him as the top pick in back in June.
  • The Devils have had one of the many surprising starts in the league, jumping out to a 5-1 mark and challenging preseason favorite Columbus for the top spot in the Metropolitan division. It’s still early and the Devils are certainly still in “rebuilder” status. But the infusion of young talent, namely Butcher and Hischier, could certainly jumpstart a team that appeared a couple seasons away from making some noise. If the “kids” continue to produce, a playoff appearance may be sooner than many initially thought.

Devils’ Michael McLeod Out Four To Six Weeks

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The New Jersey Devils announced this evening that rookie forward Michael McLeod has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The injury occurred during a Devils-Islanders preseason game back on September 25th, with McLeod limping off the ice in the first period. While the original prognosis was that McLeod would be back on the ice within a matter of days, a closer looks revealed that the meniscus in his right knee had in fact suffered a tear. The procedure performed today is the first step in getting the 19-year-old back on the ice.

When McLeod does return to full health, he is expected to compete for a regular role in New Jersey. The 2016 12th-overall pick notched 73 points in 57 games with OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads last season and tacked on another 27 points in a 20-game playoff run that ended in a loss to the Erie Otters in the league championship. The talented center has a lethal combination of size and skill; the checking ability and offensive instincts to one day be a top power forward in the NHL. The Devils would like to see McLeod reach that goal sooner rather than later, but luckily they have the flexibility to send the Steelheads captain back to juniors this season if need be. Both his recovery time, the success of the team, and the depth up front, including the eventual return of veteran center Travis Zajac who also has yet to play this season, will impact that decision in the next month or two.

Should McLeod stick in New Jersey, he would join a forward corps that is already sporting an impressive pair of rookies. Nico Hischier, the #1 overall pick this past June, isn’t going anywhere any time soon, but it’s upstart Jesper Bratt that’s turning heads. The 2016 sixth-rounder leads the team with six points through three games. Undersized and inexperienced, nothing was expected of the 19-year-old Swede, but if he keeps it up, he, Hischier, and potentially McLeod would be quite the rookie trio for the Devils and may help the team exceed expectations in 2017-18 and beyond.

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