The New Jersey Devils said goodbye to a disappointing season, with hope in their hearts for a better one ahead. Lindy Ruff‘s first season with the Devils ended with the fourth-worst record in the league. However, as with all teams, COVID-19 was a disruption that affected the preparations of the coaches and players. For a team with only seven home wins, learning how to win at home will be on the Devils’ to-do list for next season.
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By the Numbers
Record: 19-30-7
Power Play: 14.9 percent (28th in the league)
Penalty Kill: 70.95 percent (31st in the league)
Goals For: 145
Goals Against: 194
Best Player
Despite not being the highest goal scorer on the team, Jack Hughes’ season improved from the previous one. Was he the best player on the team? It’s debatable. He had a total of 257 shot attempts with 147 of those being shots on goal. Hughes also had 56 takeaways, the highest on the team. On the other hand, he also had 74 giveaways, also the highest on the team. He has room for improvement in his faceoffs (currently at 35.4 percent), but there is no doubt he’s on his way to being a game-changer for the Devils.
Biggest Disappointment
The entire season might be labeled as the biggest disappointment, but it would be the number of home losses when you try to narrow it down. Out of 28 total home games, New Jersey won just seven of them. The remaining 12 wins were all on the road. Whatever plan they found for road games has had some success. Now, they need to focus on a plan which will allow them to win in their own building.
Behind the Bench Analysis
Since it’s Lindy Ruff‘s first season with the Devils, you have a glimpse of what might be, but thanks to the shortened season and little time to prepare for it due to COVID-19, it’s hard to give a sound judgment.
Ruff’s system seems to ask a lot from the defensemen, which is an area that needs improvement for the Devils. Issues with special teams were glaring, especially with have the worst penalty kill in the league. There is no need to run him or the other coaches out of town… yet. However, with Ruff keeping the coaching staff going into next season, the results remain to be seen.
Front Office Analysis (GM)
Tom Fitzgerald was named the full-time GM back in July 2020 after Ray Shero was fired in January 2020. Before the season, the front office did a good job of addressing the team’s needs, bringing in Corey Crawford, Scott Wedgewood, Dmitry Kulikov, Sami Vatanen, Ryan Murray, and Andreas Johnsson. Noone foresaw Crawford deciding to retire not too long after signing with the Devils. Then during the season, they traded away Kyle Palmieri, Dmitry Kulikov, and Travis Zajac. The front office has placed bets on youth being the future.
2021 NHL Entry Draft Picks/Prognosis
The Devils have the fourth and 19th picks in Round 1 and have six other picks. In this year’s draft, the difficulty in choosing the right player is increased due to less time devoted to scouting due to COVID-19.
A few players that would fit into the Devils’ plans will be available early in the draft. They might be leaning toward drafting a defenseman for their first pick at four. This would be the first step in working on rebuilding the team to get back to the playoffs.
Offseason Wishlist/Checklist and Prognosis for 2021-22
The Devils need to secure a few more veterans. This will help shore up the lines that the young players are having a hard time with. They will also need to find a backup for Mackenzie Blackwood, a veteran with a reliable history is preferable.
With the same coaching staff and the possibility of a similar lineup to what they had this past season, there may not be much change for the Devils. However, if coaches and players can find a way to look at what they did and did not do, not blame COVID, and make needed changes, then the 2021-22 season looks promising.
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