The New Jersey Devils made moves to change up the makeup of their team this past summer. While it helped them make the playoffs, there’s also speculation they strayed too far away from their identity.
The New Jersey Devils season isn’t over yet, but there’s a lot of sour feelings going around with the team’s performances in Carolina in their first two postseason games. The Devils have been battling without Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler, which made the series an uphill battle to start. Game 2 was a better showing than Game 1 even with Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes sitting it out. Still, the result wasn’t there and with the team seemingly overmatched, frustration is mounting for the fan base. So what can be adjusted?
Well, right now, not a whole lot. Unless Luke and/or Dillon return for Game 3, the Devils lineup will probably look mostly the same. Maybe a Bottom 6 guy or two changes out for a different player or two (please not Kurtis MacDermid), but beyond that the Devils don’t really have any reinforcements or major adjustments that can be made. Unless somehow magically the team figures themselves out, which they’ve been trying to do since January, the chances of getting a win in the series aren’t fantastic. Which means another summer of attempting to adjust and augment the core in hopes of achieving another Stanley Cup victory.
The Devils made some of those types of adjustments this past summer, notably bringing in size and toughness. As the season has played on, however, we have seen that those additions are an overcorrection from where the team was. While 2023-24 was disappointing, particularly after the success of 2022-23, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald overcorrected: he went too far away from the identity that the team had spent so long building. While the 2022-23 team wasn’t perfect, and the 2023-24 team flamed out due to some poor performances, the summer of 2024 was in ways a knee jerk reaction to missing the 2024 postseason.
There’s been analysis done of the Devils missing their speed, yet they were still a good team this season. Good, not great though and it is certainly showing so far in the playoffs. So unless the Devils storm back and put a run together playing hockey deep into the Spring, there will be changes made again. But what changes will be made? Will it be Tom Fitzgerald making them?
We can’t answer the latter question now, but in terms of the first, we know there will be changes. When (not if) they are made, the Devils need to be careful not to move too far into any one direction. Trying to make the team bigger and tougher again would probably see them slow down even more and not be able to keep up with the faster skilled teams in the league. Not being able to keep up with faster teams is already a problem now, so moving in the heavy direction isn’t the play. Similarly, neither would be trying to just get a bunch of fast players either. Speed isn’t the only important NHL skill, and can’t be the only thing prioritized either.
Realistically, the Devils need more scoring depth, and more NHL level depth forwards. While some of it might come internally, there’s no guarantees, and the Devils should be searching for help anywhere they can possibly find it. It might require a trade or two as well, and I know fans are already floating names of who the Devils could/should offer to find help. It does, however, need to be the right help, because a one dimensional player might also adversely affect the end result for the team.
Regardless of how the Devils move forward, they must avoid another overcorrection. While some of the team’s moves from last summer paid off and got the team back into the playoffs, they only barely did so. If they correct in the wrong direction again, it could lead to another playoff miss. If that happens? It could lead to more poor long-term results. This summer will be a crucial one for the Devils, as they need to be moving in the right direction at all costs for the hope of this core winning a title.
What are your thoughts on the possibility of the Devils needing to correct some of the course changes made? Do you trust Tom Fitzgerald to make the moves needed to push the Devils further towards contention? Do you think they have players already in the organization who can help contribute? Do you think more of the help will come from free agent signings or trade acquisitions? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!