It is the offseason, and the New Jersey Devils are the talk of the offseason behind the Nashville Predators. After missing the playoffs, the Devils’ president and general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, revamped his team. As the Devils Nation has documented, the Devils filled most of their needed positions.
On paper, the Devils have a team that can make the playoffs and should compete for one of the top spots in the Metro Division.
Its Playoff or Bust for the New Jersey Devils This Season
On a recent episode of NHL Tonight on the NHL Network, former New Jersey Devils player Mike Rupp, a Stanley Cup Champion and hero from Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final, discussed the changes his former club made. Rupp likes what the Fitzgerald and the Devils have done. He expects the Devils to be a tougher team to play against.
“They weren’t hard enough to play against. That’s been answered here… New Jersey will be a different looking team.”@Rupper17 has liked the moves that the @NJDevils have made this offseason. @JamisonCoyle | #NJDevils | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/lMej5rmLKE
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) July 18, 2024
Jamison Coyle: “Some of the other teams that you like, what are they cooking up recipe-wise? The New Jersey Devils are in the Metro. What do you like Rupper?”
Mike Rupp: “It’s keeping that division. I love what they’ve done here. I mean Tom Fitzgerald, and this is a gentleman who knows what he wants and what this team needs. He knew last year that you can say what you want to say. It’s about doing the right thing at the right time. The goaltending position last year was probably their demise and why they didn’t make the playoffs. But it also has to be the right deal in place.
Grading the New Jersey Devils Offseason: Part 2 – Defense
We talked about going back in time to Connor Hellebuyck before he signed with the Winnipeg Jets last year. I’m not sure that was the right decision. They didn’t make that, and it probably cost him some points in the regular season, but they have this long-term contract. Jacob Markstrom, I think that the timing of it all was perfect for the Devils. Hats off to Tom Fitzgerald for having the patience.
Yes, did it come at the expense of maybe a team that was struggling and needed a goaltender to bail them out? Fine, but they’ve also had a lot of other problems, right? This wasn’t a team that only didn’t make the playoffs because they didn’t get proper goaltending. Right. They were a team that I thought got thrown around on the ice a little bit. There are a lot of injuries, but they were a team that they weren’t hard enough to play against well; that’s been answered here, bringing in Brenden Dillon and bringing in Brett Pesce.
Like these are some defensemen now, you look at where Simon Nemec is at here Like let’s take a time out a little bit here. I mean, what happened with him and Luke Hughes last year? They got a ton of minutes. A lot of that had to do with Dougie Hamilton being out. They simply were just thrown into the fire and they were really good at times, but they also had some really tough moments. I think there’ll be better for that. But let’s insulate him a little bit more and let’s be harder to play against. They make those two additions on the back end.
New Jersey Devils Getting Heavier and Meaner on Day 1 of Free Agency
And then even when you look up front, I mean that some more minor ones. You talk about Carolina and Stefan Noesen like he’s been here in New Jersey. They know what he’s like. He’s a tough guy to play against and is really good around the front the net they bring back Tomas Tatar. He’s a familiar face again that can create and move up and down the lineup. And one of the ones that really like, I think, something very impactful, I think Paul Cotter Vegas like and that’s one Vegas is gonna miss him right? Yeah, Paul Cotter got some abilities and hard to play against.
New Jersey will be a different-looking team this year.”
No team wants to win the offseason because the NHL does not offer trophies for that. However, teams can improve, and the New Jersey Devils are one of them.
As Mike Rupp stated, expect the Devils to be better, especially between the pipes and on defense.
