Often, when teams that make a huge leap forward in one season, they will take a step back the following year, but it didn't seem that way going into 2018-19.
Things aren't always as they seem though and the Devils would finish ahead of only two teams in the entire league and dead last in the Metropolitan Division.
With plenty of cap space and room to maneuver, Ray Shero looked to be one of the busier executives in hockey over the summer in an attempt to improve the franchise.
Instead, Shero might have improved the team most over the long run through nothing of his own doing as the Devils would win the lottery and grab a potential franchise level center in Jack Hughes.
Shero wasn't content to just settle for a talented rookie, so Shero took on a big salary and gambled on P.K. Subban returning to past form in trading with Nashville to upgrade the defensive corps.
Not satisfied with Hughes and a healthy Taylor Hall being enough to make the offense as good as it needs to be, Shero swung a trade with Las Vegas to add KHL standout Nikita Gusev, who won an MVP in the top Russian league, signed Swedish standout Jesper Boqvist and veteran Wayne Simmonds to hopefully give the team the offensive jolt that they needed to move up the standings.
I usually try to avoid figuring out lines in previews because often those evaluations quickly become obsolete by the end of the first week of the season, but I'll try to give a general idea of who could go where throughout a season.
The top line is easy at the center spot with Nico Hischier, at left wing with Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri on the right.
Hischier and Hall should stay together, while the right-wing spot held by Palmieri might be the position that could see movement between lines when things need to be shaken up a bit.
The second line might be the "skill" line with the rookie standouts Jack Hughes and Nikita Gusev joining third-year man, Jesper Bratt.
I think John Hynes will, as in the case of Hischier and Hall, attempt to keep Hughes and Gusev together as much as possible until it's proven to be a bad idea.
Bratt makes sense to pair with the rookies as far as skill, but if opponents begin to take liberties with Hughes and Gusev, look for Wayne Simmonds to have an occasional run with the youngsters to keep the foes honest.
Simmonds, who was signed as a free agent from Nashville after the Predators traded for him from the Flyers at the trade deadline, brings toughness and an underrated scoring touch, but his scoring had dropped from 31 goals three years ago to 24 and then 17 last season.
At 31, this could be the last chance for Simmonds to prove that he is not a player in decline.
Pass first center Travis Zajac could be just the person to help Simmonds along in that quest.
Zajac might not be a top-six forward at this point in his career, but he still could be excellent in a third-line role.
Banger Blake Coleman seems to be the best choice, although Miles Wood could be interchangeable with Coleman.
Coleman was one of the few Devils to breakthrough last year with 22 goals and should he post similar statistics this season in a third-line role, New Jersey should be playing very well.
The fourth line is often used as a checking line, but the Devils aren't filling those positions as such, instead, they seem to be planning to use it as a fourth scoring line.
Myles Wood, Pavel Zacha and rookie Jesper Boqvist all bring speed and offensive ability that rarely appear on the fourth line.
I'm intrigued by the potential of this line or if one breaks out, they could see themselves moving up the line ladder.
Kevin Rooney and newcomer John Hayden will provide the depth at forward.
The Devils needed an impact player on defense and they have hope that they have added one after acquiring P.K. Subban from Nashville,
Subban's play slumped last season after an excellent 2017-18 and the Devils are hoping that they are buying low on an elite defenseman.
Subban will likely pair with Will Butcher, who seemed to hit his stride last season.
Butcher makes sense with Subban as the team puts their top two defenders together anyway, but it also allows their other two pairings to stay intact
One will continue to see the Devils captain Andy Greene teamed with Damon Severson.
The two were often overmatched against top lines, but as a second or third group should be very solid.
Veterans Mirco Mueller and Sami Vatanen are the third defensive group and should be decent enough, if not tremendously exciting.
Connor Carrick was acquired last season from Dallas and will be the seventh defenseman.
The Devils appear to be gambling at goaltender that Cory Schneider can be decent as last season Schneider was very streaky, ranging from excellent to awful.
What does Schneider have left at 33?
I'm not sure, but if it turns out that he is well past his prime, the Devils will be in deep trouble,
Unless Mackenzie Blackwood is truly the goaltender that the team decides to build around.
Blackwood played well at times last season, but his time was limited behind Schneider after Keith Kinkaid was traded away during the season.
Blackwood should at minimum play in more games than last season, which would give the Devils a chance to see what they have in Blackwood before deciding on making moves for the future, whether keeping him or acquiring someone else.
One question that I cannot answer for Ray Shero is this-If Cory Schneider plays poorly and the Devils don't feel that Mackenzie Blackwood is ready for the heavy lifting of being the main goaltender for a playoff contender, will Shero attempt to land a goaltender during the season via trade or wait until the off-season to shore things up.
Hopefully, that problem will not arrive.
I think this is a playoff team, perhaps not a top-four playoff team, but a playoff team nonetheless.
Actually, I'll go farther.
If the Devils miss the playoffs, it'll be a disappointing season.
I'm not saying that the Devils are a stone-cold lock for the playoffs as the goaltending is questionable and I do wonder how that holds up, but if the goaltending is decent the Devils should be OK.
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