Reasons why the New Jersey Devils will and won’t make the Playoffs
We are going to look at why the New Jersey Devils will and won’t make the postseason in 2020-21.
There is no doubt that the New Jersey Devils, along with the likes of the Florida Panthers and the Chicago Blackhawks, have been one of the biggest surprise stories of the 2020-21 NHL season so far and they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down anytime yet.
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Despite being stuck in an incredibly stacked and uber-talented East Division, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding how big of an impact new Head Coach Lindy Ruff would have on this team going through a rebuild, the Devils are currently 6-3-2 on the year and, with games in-hand, they are very much in contention to make the postseason.
Will they though? We’re a quarter of a way through the 2020-21 season and the way the New Jersey Devils are playing you wouldn’t want to bet against them, but there is still a lot of hockey to be played and a lot of obstacles could be placed in their way. So, without further ado, let’s delve into some of the reasons why this franchise will and won’t be a Playoff team this year.
Why the New Jersey Devils will and won’t make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2020-21
Against #1: East is stacked
We’ll start off with an obvious one – The East Division is absolutely loaded and it is arguably the most competitive division in the National Hockey League. From heavyweights in the Boston Bruins, the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins, to teams on the rise in the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Islanders, there is a hell of a lot of competition for the four postseason spots.
The Bruins look a class above so far and you can bet that new Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ron Hextall will make a big move at the Trade Deadline in order to help Sidney Crosby win one more ring, while the Flyers, the Capitals and the Islanders all have the talent and the depth needed to get hot down the stretch and cross the finishing line.
Then you have wildcard options in the New York Rangers who have a bevy of young talent and some stars in the ilk of Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere who have struggled so far this season but, if they get hot, then don’t count the Blueshirts out from making a run.
You also have the Buffalo Sabres who, despite doing Buffalo Sabres things coupled with mounting trade speculation regarding franchise cornerstone Jack Eichel, you can be confident that their General Manager Kevyn Adams will look to make a big move or two at the Trade Deadline in order to make one last ditch attempt to placate their star center.
So, overall, while the New Jersey Devils are off to a pretty impressive start, they face a hell of a lot of stiff competition for that fourth Playoff spot and, even if they can make all their games up after being shut down earlier in the season due to COVID-19, they may well just miss out because of the amount of very good teams in the East Division.
For #1: Palmieri getting hot
It has been the young guns that have been leading the way for the New Jersey Devils so far in 2020-21 with Jack Hughes carving out a stunning sophomore season with nine points (3 G, 6 A) in 11 games, while Ty Smith, Yegor Sharangovich and Miles Wood have all made big contributions.
However, any good team in the NHL needs their very best players to lead by example and turn it on, and the Devils need Kyle Palmieri to be at his potent best if they are to somehow sneak into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year.
Heading into Thursday’s game against the Boston Bruins without a single goal to his name and with just four points in 9 games, Palmieri wasn’t exactly hot and it was one of his slowest starts to a season offensively in his career.
But, good things come to those who wait and Palmieri enjoyed arguably his best game of the year on Thursday, recording his first two goals of the year and looking much more of a threat in the offensive zone. His first goal of the season was a beauty as he picked up a slick pass from Jack Hughes before beating Jaroslav Halak with an unstoppable wrister, and his second was a shorthanded breakaway.
It was incredibly encouraging for the New Jersey Devils and if Kyle Palmieri can now build off this and start to get hot, then that will only strengthen their bid to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs while easing the pressure on some of the team’s young guns.
Against #2: Lack of Depth
The New Jersey Devils are a team in transition right now, trying to build around their young core of Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Ty Smith and Mackenzie Blackwood, putting pieces in place that will hopefully lead to a long-awaited return to the glory days over the next few years.
Therefore, the Devils have some talent on this roster but it is also a flawed one, and one that lacks considerable depth. For instance, they have seemingly found their franchise goalie in Blackwood who is 4-0-1 this year with a 1.94 Goals Against Average and a .945 Save Percentage, although the talent behind him is thin following Corey Crawford’s sudden retirement.
The blueline unit is solid and has some nice pieces, although it remains to be seen what the long-term plan is for veteran defenseman P.K. Subban, while the Devils have a couple of very good forward lines that can produce at a high-level.
However, in comparison to some of the big-hitters in the East Division, the New Jersey Devils just don’t have the same level of depth or talent in certain areas and, should injuries hit or players enter the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocol list, then the lack of impact players waiting in the wings could really hurt this team down the stretch when it comes to making the postseason.
For #2: Lindy Ruff
Eyebrows were raised when the New Jersey Devils hired veteran Lindy Ruff as their new Head Coach during the offseason but, and while it is still early, it has proved to be an inspired appointment so far.
Ruff has been a perfect fit for this team and he’s allowing the franchise’s young talent to truly flourish in his system. I mean, Jack Hughes has looked a different player in his sophomore season and is thriving in a system that places emphasis on speed, while rookie defenseman Ty Smith is also benefiting from Ruff’s up-tempo system.
Just look at how the Devils absolutely dominated the New York Rangers in a 5-2 win on Tuesday night. They absolutely swarmed the Blueshirts, refused to let up at any point and just smothered them with their relentless speed, skill and aggressive play on the forecheck.
Ruff’s system is built to allow the team’s most offensive weapons and most skilled players to truly shine, and we have seen that so far with the likes of Hughes, Smith, Yegor Sharangovich, Andreas Johnsson and now Kyle Palmieri, who could be on the cusp of getting hot.
It is a lot of fun to watch and it is also a system that encourages defensemen to jump up in the play and join the rush, and if Lindy Ruff can continue to get the best out of his young talent on this roster while using his wealth of experience to guide them through the ups and downs of a gruelling NHL season, then maybe, just maybe, that could be enough to see the New Jersey Devils sneak into the Playoffs.
After all, good coaching can take a team a long way in the NHL.
For #3: Nico Hischier’s return
As exciting and as impressive as the New Jersey Devils have been this year, the most intriguing part is that they have started the 2020-21 season with a 6-3-2 record without their No. 1 center in Nico Hischier, who has been recovering from a leg injury suffered during the offseason.
It has been pretty remarkable that the Devils have managed to stay above water without one of their franchise cornerstones in Hischier, who has the potential and the ceiling to develop into an elite two-way center in the NHL.
He can log big minutes, he’s good in the faceoff circle, he’s responsible defensively, he can play a 200-foot game, he can play in all situations and he can produce a boatload of offense, so the fact that the Devils could have the 22-year-old back in the next couple of weeks should give their postseason aspirations a huge boost.
Next. Three Flyers who need to step up at Lake Tahoe. dark
After all, not only will Nico Hischier return and give this team yet another elite weapon on the top-line, but it will also balance out the rest of their lineup with the dynamic Jack Hughes dropping to the second-line, giving the New Jersey Devils an elite one-two punch down the middle and also giving this team two explosive forward lines that could well propel them towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially if Hischier can hit the ground running upon his return.