The New Jersey Devils' roster looks nearly set for the 2023-24 NHL season. Adam Proteau explains what went right for them already this summer.

This is the latest file in THN.com’s “off-season outlook” series, in which we analyze every NHL team’s recent season and its strengths and weaknesses heading into the 2023-24 campaign. We’re continuing to look at teams in alphabetical order. On this day, we’re focusing on the New Jersey Devils.

2022-23 Grade: A

Biggest Positive Heading Into the Off-Season

Where to begin? 

There’s just so much to like about the Devils’ competitive jump this past season and the state of the roster entering the coming year. 

New Jersey finished one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the first spot in the highly competitive Metropolitan Division – with a whopping 25 more wins than they had in 2021-22 – and the Devils also had the NHL’s second-best road record (28-9-4). 

They built upon that success with a victory over their cross-area rivals in Manhattan, outlasting the New York Rangers in a seven-game series win. And although they fell to the Hurricanes in the second round, New Jersey hung onto the grand majority of their roster for 2023-24 – and could still add another piece or two before the summer is done.

After Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald traded for sniper Tyler Toffoli in June, the Devils now have one of the league’s very best top-six forward units. And New Jersey’s defense is also above average, even after trading veteran Damon Severson. There are no holes in the lineup for them, and Fitzgerald still has more than $4.68 million in salary cap space, per PuckPedia. 

It wouldn’t surprise us to see Fitzgerald hang on to that cap space to address in-season issues that may arise – or to be another big-time player at the trade deadline. Regardless, he has built a fast, young, well-balanced group that once again should challenge the Hurricanes and Rangers for supremacy in the Metro.

Biggest Need Heading Into the Off-Season

We don’t say this about many teams, but the Devils don’t have a glaring problem to deal with this summer. 

If there is any area they could improve on, it’s size, with eight of their top nine forwards measuring in at six-foot or shorter. Their defense corps is significantly bigger, with a pair of 6-foot-6 blueliners and no defenseman shorter than 6-foot-1. The NHL tends to reward teams with physical bulk, so Fitzgerald may eventually target a big body to add to his collection of forwards. However, he’s under no sense of urgency to go that route at the moment.

Instead, we anticipate New Jersey is all but set roster-wise for '23-24. Preserving cap flexibility is important for all teams, and Fitzgerald has been masterful in constructing a team that can skate and create as well as just about every other team in the league. He’s already done the heavy lifting, and now it’s about dealing with problems as they pop up. 

The Devils can no longer sneak up on teams as they did to a certain degree last season, but their best young players still have their prime years ahead, and that ought to terrify each and every one of their opponents.

Bottom Line for New Jersey This Off-Season

Nine of New Jersey’s current players under contract are 25 years old or younger, and coach Lindy Ruff – who was on the hot seat right from the start of last season – showed he could work magic with a team still carving out its identity. They proved they were a resilient bunch with their first-round win over the Blueshirts, going down 2-0 in the series before they stormed back with four wins in their next five games. But now that the bar has been raised, nothing less than a trip to the Eastern Conference final will suffice for them.

These aren’t your father’s Devils – the team that legendary GM Lou Lamoriello put on the map with stifling defense for so many years – as their offensive total of 291 goals was the fourth-best in the game last season. They weren’t awful on defense either, surrendering just 226 goals. But when you think about New Jersey now, you think about top talents, including Jack Hughes and his brother Luke, Dougie Hamilton and Timo Meier, and Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer. 

They’ve just scratched the surface as a group. And there’s no sense a letdown is coming. You dismiss them at your own peril.