Devils' Holtz Put in Position to Succeed Starting on Haula's Line

An old saying goes, "One man's floor is another man's ceiling." It speaks to the differences in people's natural abilities and can easily be applied to an NHL team. Each player serves a specific purpose. Whether it's scoring goals, winning face-offs, or playing a solid defensive game, there is a role for all 23 players who make up a team's roster.

For a second consecutive season, Alexander Holtz is one of the 23 players on the New Jersey Devils opening night roster. The 21-year-old has appeared in 28 NHL games over parts of the last two seasons, earning six points (three goals, three assists). The seventh-overall pick has yet to find consistency at the NHL level, and the previous season watched more games from the press box than played in them.

Eventually, general manager Tom Fitzgerald took responsibility for the handling of Holtz, calling him "a victim of (our team's) success."

With all that behind him, the start of a new NHL season offers Holtz a clean slate and a new opportunity, and he is more prepared. Throughout training camp, the winger has displayed a faster pace, and it appears he worked on many of his game's smaller details.

"I feel coming into this year I'm a much better hockey player," he said during training camp.

His head coach agreed and rewarded him during the preseason by playing him alongside Nico Hischier and Timo Meier.

"The way (Holtz) looks in camp, the way he's skated, he's earned the opportunity," Ruff said. "We're putting him in a position where we want him to succeed."

As many know, since the conclusion of the preseason, the coaching staff moved Holtz to the third line, opting to put Dawson Mercer on Hischier's line.

From an outside perspective, Holtz is only being put in a position to succeed at the NHL level if playing in the top-six, specifically on a line with Hischier. While Meier and Hischier can undoubtedly elevate the play of Holtz, giving him the best opportunity to find the back of the net, one needs to look at what will make a line successful, not one individual player.

Now that Patrice Bergeron has retired, Hischier is beginning the season as the best defensive forward in the league. This could lead head coach Lindy Ruff to play Hischier and his line against the opposing team's top players. With Holtz still learning and developing his 200-foot game, it does not make sense to utilize him on a shutdown line.

While the coaching staff and front office want to see Holtz flourish, they can not prioritize the 21-year-old's individual success over the team.

For the past two seasons, Mercer has proved to be a responsible player in all three zones and is more suited to be on Hischier's line if Ruff uses them against their opponent's top talent. He also scored 27 goals last season and earned a spot in the team's top-six.

Players need to earn their spot, and Holtz has simply not done enough to start alongside the team's top talent. That's not to say that can't change, but needing to be in the top-six versus earning the right to be in the top-six is two different things.

Holtz is expected to slot in on the third line next to Ondrej Palat and Erik Haula in a few hours—two veterans who play responsible two-way games. After the team's practice on Wednesday, the Devils head coach explained what he sees in that trio.

"I'm looking at two veteran guys who can help a young player," said Ruff. "We've got a guy who is a Stanley Cup Champion and knows what it takes. I think he's probably one of our best two-way players, can play under the gun in any situation, and he himself can help Holtz grow."

With Holtz's ceiling continuing to be an unknown, it's essential to put him in a position where he can round out his game and develop the defensive side of it. Playing with Haula and Palat shelters Holtz as he looks to find the consistency needed to remain with the Devils.

One of the more challenging tasks for a young player is finding his role in the NHL. Everyone knows how good Holtz' shot is, but he will need more than that to become a constant in Ruff's lineup. It's a long season, and the first step for the youngster is to figure out how to stay in the NHL. 

With time, he could very easily find himself back with Hischier, and hopefully when that happens, he isn't hindering the line. He is making a positive impact and his linemates better. Patience is a virtue, and starting Holtz on the third line can eventually lead to him finding his role, reaching his ceiling, and finding a permanent home in the NHL.