With a new coach (John Hynes) and a new general manager (Ray Shero) in town running a team still adjusting to relatively new ownership,the New Jersey Devils are a team that is either in transition (best case scenario),rebuilding or in the worse case-a total reconstruction from a team that could,depending upon how the cookie crumbles-be the worst team in the game...
The Devils still have huge scoring questions and because these things are always so fluid,I'm not going to even try to group the forwards by line,so I'll discuss by the returning players and then the newcomers...
Travis Zajac returns with the heftiest paycheck,if not the largest production with just 25 points last season.
I could live with the 11 goals,but the 14 assists from a player that is best known for his passing being his top offensive asset needs to at least double,if the Devils have any hopes of improvement.
Mike Cammalleri scored 27 goals in 68 games,so the oft-injured Cammalleri notched a strong first season with the Devils.
If Cammalleri can stay fairly healthy,30 goals isn't out of the question for a team in desperate need of people to put the puck in the net.
Adam Henrique's goals dropped from 25 to 16,I think Henrique is more of a 20 goal scorer,so if the Devils got that production from the player that will eventually be a captain,I (and they) would be pleased.
After those three,you just cannot count on anything from the remaining returnees.
Patrik Elias will miss the start of the season with an injured knee,is now 39 and appears to be fading badly.
Anything out of Elias should be considered a plus.
Jordin Tootoo scored ten goals and brings a gritty game to the table,but is unlikely to give you ten goals every year.
Stephen Gionta is much like Tootoo and brings fourth line energy,but not much in the way of offense.
Jacob Josefson showed signs last season of perhaps beginning to break away from disappointment,but this could be his last opportunity to break into the lineup as a featured player.
I've always liked Tuomo Ruutu,but at this stage of his career,he is the "Roger Dorn" of the Devils-High priced without the numbers to back it up.
Reid Boucher and Stefan Matteau both come to New Jersey after spending most of last season with the AHL Albany Devils.
Boucher brings some speed to the lineup,Matteau is more of a power forward type,but both have plenty to prove with the parent club.
The Devils have added a few forwards from outside the organization to accent the new attitude that is intent on speeding up the slowest team in the league.
I think they have done that,although the jury is out on how much actual scoring they have added.
Kyle Palmieri was obtained during the draft for a draft pick with the salary cap challenged Ducks.
Palmieri brings some speed and scored 14 goals in each of the last two seasons.
With the increased playing time,Palmieri could approach 20 goals .
Jiri Tlusty was signed as a free agent after he split last season between Carolina and Winnipeg.
Tlusty had a career year in the lockout year (23 goals in 48 games) and has scored 16 and 14 since.
Tlusty could surprise and with a one year deal should be highly motivated.
Well traveled Lee Stempniak (the Devils will be his eighth team) made the team after coming to camp without a contract.
Stempniak has not finished with double digit goals since 2011-12 and I'm not really sure just what he has left at this stage.
24 year old Sergei Kalinin arrives from the KHL,but his all-time goal high in a league not known for defense is only 12,so Kalinin has question marks as well.
Brian O'neill was traded for with the Kings after being the AHL MVP last season.
O'neill is undersized (5'9) and 27 years old,but reported to be a skilled skater and scored over 20 goals in each of the last two seasons in Manchester....
Not the most overwhelming bunch as far as offense,but they should be quicker than last year's group and change doesn't come overnight...
The defense is the part to be excited about.
Andy Greene is the veteran as well as the most well rounded of the corps and Greene could be named as captain.
I would not be surprised to see his name floated as trade deadline bait and could bring a nice return.
Adam Larsson signed a long term contract and played very well once the Devils fired Peter DeBoer last season.
I look for Larsson to put together an excellent season.
Jon Merrill was a DeBoer favorite,who did the opposite of Larsson and regressed after DeBoer got the axe.
Hopefully,Merrill can bounce back.
Damon Severson looked very promising before an injury cost him 30 games and I really look for him to take a leap forward.
Eric Gelinas may have some defensive issues,but with a booming shot,should be a power play specialist at worst...
Former Ranger John Moore was signed as a free agent after finishing last season in Arizona and David Schlemko should fill the seventh defenseman role after playing for three teams last year.
I like this group for the most part and the young defensemen getting consistent time to mature and grow should be the most fun thing to watch this season.
Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid return in goal from last season after strong seasons from both.
If the Devils are going to have any chance at all for a playoff spot,both will have to repeat their seasons,if not improve.
John Hynes will be the youngest coach in the league and there will be a learning curve for the former AHL coach of the year.
It'll be fun to see how Hynes handles the new job and who breaks out as a surprise in playing time that we don't expect.
I don't think this is a playoff team unless Cory Schneider stands on his head and carries the Devils there.
Other than that possibility.I just don't see it happening.
The ceiling for this team-Everything goes perfect and the Devils earn the 7th or 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.
The floor will be that they are the worst team in hockey and the Devils have the highest chance of the top overall draft pick before the new draft lottery ( the lottery now determines the 1st 3 picks).
Split the difference and I'll say somewhere in the lowest five teams in the league,likely not the worst as they battle with Carolina to stay out of the basement in the Metropolitan Division....
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