The best thing about preseason projections is that they are snapshots in time. The lineups and combinations change throughout the season, and players come and go (or, to be specific, they get hurt). So, projecting what the New Jersey Devils will look like for most of the season is an impossible task.
It’s why things will be a bit different when it comes to projecting the Devils. Instead of projecting the forward lines and defense pairings, it’s worth looking at the possibilities and what works with this roster.
Devils Top-Six Forwards
The only given is that Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt will be on the top line, while Nico Hischier centers the second line. Otherwise, the top six is up in the air with a few skaters projected as top six players but not fit for the role.
Ideal Lines
Timo Meier – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
Ondrej Palat – Nico Hischier – Stefan Noesen
The hope is that Timo Meier can be the power forward who takes the top line to the next level. Hughes and Bratt give that line speed and skill but they lack a physical presence and a skater who can get goals in the dirty areas. Meier can provide that.
Balanced Lines
Ondrej Palat – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Stefan Noesen
It’s fair to call the Ondrej Palat signing a disappointment. In his three seasons with the Devils, he’s only scored 34 goals and added 48 assists when the expectation was he’d be a key part of the top six. It’s why having him on the top line over Meier is a downgrade. However, moving Palat up allows Meier and Hischier to work well together, and it gives the Devils two lines that can score instead of limiting themselves to a one-line team.
Bottom-Six Forwards
The Devils addressed their bottom-six needs this offseason with the Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov additions. They needed scoring and defense, and got both. The only question is how the third and fourth lines stack up now that Brown and Dadonov are there.
Arseny Gritsyuk – Dawson Mercer – Connor Brown
Paul Cotter – Cody Glass – Evgenii Dadonov
The only question is whether Arseny Gritsyuk plays on the third or fourth line. He’s an unproven forward coming over from the KHL and will have less ice time because of it. There’s a chance he swaps with Paul Cotter, a regular on the fourth line. Other than that, the bottom six are set.
Losing Erik Haula and having Cody Glass on the fourth line has downsides. Haula was starting to decline but was a reliable third-line center, and now they have an unproven option in his place. However, Brown and Dadonov upgrade the group to make up for it.
Devils Defense
For all intents and purposes, Luke Hughes signs with the Devils. He’s a restricted free agent (RFA) yet doesn’t have a deal, and the season is around the corner, so the assumption is that it will happen any day now. Then, the Devils have two playmakers to build their defense around, and it gives them options.
Highs & Lows Pairings
Luke Hughes – Dougie Hamilton
Jonas Seigenthaler – Johnathan Kovacevic
Brenden Dillon – Brett Pesce
This projection is certainly more fun than what the Devils will put together. Hughes and Dougie Hamilton together will give the top pair plenty of offense, while the second pair has plenty of defense. It’s why the Devils will probably mix things up and only use this pairings situationally (for example, late in games when leading or trailing).
Consistency Pairings
Luke Hughes – Brett Pesce
Jonas Seigenthaler – Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon – Johnathan Kovacevic
The only question is whether Simon Nemec plays and where he plays. As the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, he’s failed to live up to expectations, and it’s why, if an injury happens, he’ll slide into the lineup as a third-pair option. The chain reaction is that another defenseman will move up in the lineup.
Goaltending
The two goaltenders who were on the roster last season are back. The only question is whether Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen will split starts or whether the Devils will lean on one while having the other around as the occasional backup.
Markstrom is the better of the two goaltenders. The question is whether the Devils overwork him during the season or not, knowing they’ll probably make the playoffs, and the expectation is to win the Stanley Cup.
