The New Jersey Devils are a team everyone expects to make the playoffs and possibly win a series or two. However, they aren’t expected to win the Cup. They are in the second tier of contenders with the eighth-best odds to win it all (according to ESPN).
So, the Devils are within striking distance and have a path to the Cup. That said, a lot must go right for them to reach that mark. It’s why there are a few factors or keys to the Cup with this good but not elite team.
1. Devils Come to Terms With Luke Hughes
This shouldn’t be one of the keys to the Cup. Yet, the season is only a few weeks away, and the Devils still haven’t signed restricted free agent (RFA) Luke Hughes to a long-term deal. It’s a SNAFU by general manager (GM) Tom Fitzgerald, as he was overconfident that a deal would get done and now lacks the cap space needed to sign the young defenseman.
The bottom line is that the Devils need Hughes, and they can’t have his status linger for too long. The Boston Bruins are a grim reminder of what can happen to a player who spends the offseason waiting for a new deal and then signs only days before opening night (and the fallout because of it).
Hughes is the defenseman who is starting to emerge as an elite player at the NHL level. The Devils need his skating and, more importantly, his playmaking at the point. The playoffs are where goals are hard to come by, and Hughes opening up the offense will go a long way.
2. The Devils Stay Healthy
There should be a bell that gets rung every time the phrase “If they are healthy” is mentioned in hockey. Injuries are a part of the game, and teams must adjust, especially a few months into the season. The Devils are no exception as they’ve dealt with their fair share of injuries in recent years.
The Devils specifically need a full season out of Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton. The two core players have battled injuries in recent seasons, and it’s not a one-off either. It’s given them the injury-prone tag when some of it’s been bad luck. This is a season where both players can be healthy and allow the Devils to end up near the top of the standings because of it.
More importantly, the Devils must be healthy for the playoffs. Last season, they entered the First Round as a battered group lacking multiple star players. The Devils might play at one gear all season but for the playoffs, they must be ready to go on a run, and to do so, they must be healthy and possibly well-rested as well.
3. A Power Forward Scoring Presence
The other issue the Devils have in the playoffs (aside from health) is that they get pushed around. They have plenty of skill but lack a forward who can score the dirty goals and win a physical game. Nico Hischier can be that type of player and become an X-factor for the playoffs. However, if he’s not, the Devils must go out and acquire one to make a playoff run.
The Devils also must take a target off of Hughes’ back. Every shift, teams come after Hughes, and he needs a power forward on his wing to take the pressure off of him. Ideally, Timo Meier is that as he’s a bigger skater who can power to the net, and the hope is that he takes advantage of the open looks provided by Hughes.
4. The Depth Shows Up
In the past three seasons, the Devils have struggled to find forward depth. Either they have skill and scoring but not enough size, or they can forecheck but can’t score. Connor Brown was signed in the offseason as a do-it-all forward. He can play in every situation and kill penalties while also adding a scoring touch to the offense.
Brown was a key part of the Edmonton Oilers success and can have the same effect with the Devils. Likewise, the rest of the depth must also step up. Evgenii Dadonov is another scorer who was brought in and will likely spend a lot of time on the fourth line.
Those are the players the Devils added to provide depth. Now, the Devils still need their internal options to step up. Cody Glass, in particular, is the bottom-six center who has a lot to prove after bouncing around in recent seasons. They need multiple forward lines for the regular season and will need to match up against the best in the playoffs as well. This is a group that (ring the bell) if healthy, can match up with any forward group.
5. Jack Hughes Has Career Year
This can be the season where Hughes hits 100 points. He was close a few seasons back and has all the talent to do so. Hughes also makes everyone around him better, so a big season from him should result in a big season from Jesper Bratt as well.
More importantly, Hughes must play the 200-foot game. His speed allows him to create turnovers and make a difference defensively. That said, the Devils must see Hughes, who has shown he can take the hits, deliver a few as well. He disappeared in the Four Nations for a similar reason, and it’s why he must prove this time around that he can not only defend but play a heavier game as well.
6. Devils Still Have Great Defense
The Devils, surprisingly enough, were carried by their defense last season. They allowed only 2.68 goals per game, and with the offense struggling, the group willed the team into the playoffs. Better yet, they did it without Hamilton down the stretch, proving they have a complete group capable of shutting opponents down.
The defense won’t be asked to carry the Devils. It will be asked to remain a strength. Johnathan Kovacevic and Brenden Dillon provided a physical shot-blocking presence to the unit, while Hughes and Hamilton can be the two puck movers who open up the offense. Every team that goes on a Cup run needs a defense that can shut down opponents and help out the offense on the other end, and the Devils have that.
7. Jacob Markstrom Must Take Over Games
Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen gave the Devils excellent goaltending last season. They turn a weakness into a strength, and the duo looks to do the same this season. Markstrom, however, must prove he can take over games, something he’s done in the regular season but not in the playoffs.
The Devils will eventually face a team with an elite goaltender in the playoffs, and there will be plenty of goaltending duels. It’s where Markstrom must step up and lead them to victories and steal a game or even a series.
It’s a contract year for Markstrom, by the way. So, there’s always a chance he plays well for a playoff run to head into free agency on a high note. And it might sound crazy to pay a 35-year-old goaltender a lot of money but keep in mind, Sergei Bobrovsky is 36 and also heading to free agency (someone will throw a lot of money at him as well).
8. Devils Get A Few Breakout Stars
The Devils have a great core. They need a pleasant surprise to make the team better. There are a few players who can become that. Cody Glass and Dawson Mercer are two in the forward unit, and Simon Nemec is the defenseman who has yet to carve out a regular spot on the NHL roster but can finally find his footing and breakout. The Devils must have a team that can come at their opponents in waves, and a few players stepping up will allow them to do that.
9. Sheldon Keefe’s Adjustments
Sheldon Keefe must prove he can make the right adjustments in the playoffs. His coaching tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs was defined by his inability to win the big games, and now, he must shrug off that reputation with the Devils.
Last season was his first with the Devils, and it wasn’t a fair evaluation of him. The depleted team was stomped in five games by the Carolina Hurricanes, and Keefe had no answers because he didn’t have the players either.
This season, Keefe must show he can win the chess matches come playoff time. He’ll have to outcoach Rod Brind’Amour or Spencer Carbary, or another great coach, if the Devils hope to go on a run. There’s also the possibility that Keefe must manage the goaltending, and if Markstrom is struggling, know when to pull him for Allen (the same way Kris Knoblauch managed the position).
10. Tom Fitzgerald Makes A Splash
The Devils will be in the conversation halfway through the season. The question is whether GM Fitzgerald takes a swing or not. He’s made a few trades since they entered the contending conversation in 2022-23 but he’s never made the big splash addition. If the Devils plan on winning the Cup, this is the season to do it.
The player who makes a lot of sense is Nazem Kadri. He’s older but a center who can play well on both ends and score in the playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche saw what he could do in a playoff run as he helped them win the Cup in 2022, and the Devils can similarly benefit from him.
There’s also, of course, the Quinn Hughes trade that’s going to be on everyone’s mind. If the Devils are in the Cup conversation and the Vancouver Canucks are struggling, this is the time to pull the trigger. Some fans will say that the Devils must wait until he enters free agency but a chance to win the Cup can be there for the taking, and Fitzgerald must make the trade if it’s on the table. Adding Hughes will make a difference in the playoffs as the star defenseman can do it all and take over games.
