3 things that could turn the New Jersey Devils season around
The New Jersey Devils are having a tough year but they could turn it around.
The New Jersey Devils are not having the season that they through t they were going to have. They are by no means bad and they are still very much in the playoff race but they aren’t elite.
They are on the verge of being elite but have taken a step back so far this year. They are into the second half of the season and some things need to change if they are going to come through and be a playoff team in a very packed Eastern Conference.
There is a long way to go but they can’t allow themselves to get buried too far otherwise they will be toast. It is hard to make up ground in this league with the three-point system so they better start winning again and fast.
If they want to get back on track and stay on track, there are a few actions they can take. These are the three things that they should consider right now:
Lindy Ruff’s time as New Jersey Devils head coach may need to be over
The New Jersey Devils had a very good year with Lindy Ruff last season. They were as good as anyone could have hoped for but last season is last season. Now, Lindy seems to be a detriment to the team.
In Wednesday’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Devils played an okay game and still lost 3-2. They clawed out of a 2-0 deficit but gave up a late regulation goal to lose with nothing to show for it.
Alexander Holtz tied the game in the third period on the power play but only played two shifts after that because Lindy Ruff didn’t like a play he made earlier in the game. When asked about it, he got mad at the reporter and acted like a know-it-all.
If the Devils believe that a new coach will come in and make this team play fast, inspired hockey again, they should do so. Windows can close quickly and every season is sacred. There is no time to waste.
Trading for another goaltender might really help the New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils didn’t get what they wanted from Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid to start this season. Schmid has since been sent down to AHL Utica.
In his spot, the Devils called up Nico Daws. He was recently recovering from hip surgery so the expectations were incredibly mixed.
In his NHL time, however, he has answered every question. He is someone that can help this team win games in the meantime. Whether or not it is sustainable remains to be seen but he is off to a good start.
The Devils should trade for another good goaltender though. Relying on Nico Daws to play every game is not the way. There are plenty of back-to-backs coming up where they will need two goalies. Vanecek just isn't good enough right now.
If they added someone else, the hope is that he and Daws would give this team a chance to win every night. Their offense may be in a slump right now but it is a very good attacking group of forwards that will win a lot of games if they get good goaltending more often than not.
Injuries calming down would really help this team get back on track
Obviously, this point is much less out of their control than the first two but it would be nice if the injury bug could just leave the Devils alone for a while.
Injuries are a part of hockey but they hit this team hard in 2023-24. Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Ondrej Palat, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Brenden Smith are all out of the lineup right now.
Timo Meier, Erik Haula, and Nico Hischier have each missed some time earlier this season as well but have since returned. They now need to get the other guys healthy and back as soon as possible.
When you are missing that many players of that caliber, it is going to take a toll on your win-loss record.
When healthy, this team can beat anybody. They just aren't healthy at this moment and they won't be the true version of themselves until they are.
All of these things are possible down the stretch. The NHL has a long season and anybody can get hot at the right time.
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