New Jersey Devils Season Preview

On paper,the New Jersey Devils look to be in a rebuilding year.
Most pre-season prognosticators have the Devils in either last or next to last in the new Metropolitan Division and after a missed playoff season along with the jumping to the KHL of Ilya Kovalchuk,I can see why some could look at that way.

I like to have to faith in a team that rarely rebuilds,just reloads on the fly and the Devils made some changes that could keep them competitive until the next off season when New Jersey would have cap space to attempt to sign the replacement for the scoring of Kovalchuk....
I generally hesitate to discuss lines in previews because its so unlikely to keep them together,but I'll give it a try here.
My guess is that the first line to start the season will return Patrik Elias and with two newcomers Ryane Clowe and Damien Brunner.
Both could be nice additions to the lineup,but Clowe has battled injuries,so I have concerns there.
If all works,this could be a stud line..

The second line looks to be Adam Henrique,looking to rebound from an average sophomore season teaming with hired gun Jaromir Jagr and Travis Zajac centering the pair.
This is the line that I'm just not sure what to expect as the potential is strong and so is the failure rate.
Jagr is a defensive liability and with Zajac and Henrique being paid nice money under the cap,both will need to step up their games.
If they cannot,the Devils will be paying the pair for a long time...

Line number three will be intriguing as Andrei Loktionov centering a line with Dainius Zubrus and Michael Ryder.
Ryder always finds the net and should be a huge addition to a weak power play last year.
Zubrus is a perennial question mark and Loktionov looks to be a possible star,if he can take the leap to the next level.

The Ryan Carter/Stephen Gionta/Steve Bernier line has great chemistry and should remain productive at a low cost.
This line is the teams energy line and should continue to be so.

Newcomer Rostislav Olesz and Jacob Josefson will find playing time and will need to produce in what could be the final chance for each.

The defense looks well-slow.
The team has overpaid for too many years for both Anton Volchenkov and Bryce Salvador and while both are physical players,both have lost more than a step and worry me in any kind of firewagon game.
Both players contracts make them difficult to be moved,so they'll be around.
Adam Larsson will be the player to watch as I believe that this is the year that he jumps up and shows number one defenseman ability.
Larsson's season might be the key to the unit's success.
Andy Greene and Marek Zidlicky return as offensive defensemen and will man the point on the power play.
Mark Fayne is back,but could be the eventual odd man for one of the many defensive prospects currently at Albany.
Peter Harrold will be the seventh d-man and likely healthy scratch.

Martin Brodeur is back in what will likely be his swan song for the Devils.
Brodeur will have more time off than usual after the team traded its first rounder to Vancouver for Cory Schneider,who clearly will be the replacement that fans and media had wondered about for years.
Between Brodeur and Schneider,the Devils might have the best goalie pairing in the league.

I don't think the Devils are as bad as most people do and I think the playoffs are possible,but not a lock.
Considering this is the season that the Devils have to give up their first rounder for the Kovalchuk fiasco,I really am in win as many games as possible mode,so they don't lose as badly in the draft.
I would have taken this hit long ago,but what's done is done.
The main two worries for me are veterans with injury issues being counting on some heavily and what seems to be a huge lack of team speed.
I think the power play is going to improve,but those two issues concern me.
This looks to be perhaps the softest Devils team I've seen and players will need to return to pre-lockout form in order to contend.
I'll be optimistic and hope for playoffs,but it is going to take a return to Devils hockey-goaltending and defense will have to rule the day....