Who will they defeat? Who will give them problems? What matchups can they exploit in all of their divisional opponents? All of this will matter as the Devils hope to have a stellar season.
The Metropolitan Division is shaping up to be fun this season. It won’t be the best, per se, or have the most Stanley Cup contenders in it. However, it will be tight, with multiple teams jumbled up in the middle.
The New Jersey Devils can finish second or seventh, and it wouldn’t be a surprise. The same is true about most of the teams in this division. The Devils are hoping to stand out in this group, and it won’t be easy.
So, let’s look at how they stack up against the rest of their division. Which teams will they have the edge against, and which ones can they exploit specific on-ice matchups.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are the reigning Cup champs and don’t have many issues on their roster. It showed during the playoff run when they steamrolled their way to the title. It puts the Devils at a disadvantage, and it’s an uphill battle to beat them.
The Devils can exploit two matchups but, more importantly, must dictate the pace of play when they play the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes love to slow the game down and win with possession and by tiring out their opponents. If the Devils can get to their speed-based game where their forwards overwhelm the goaltender, they’ll have the edge.
That leads to the other advantage, which is in the net. The Devils don’t have elite goaltending, but the Hurricanes don’t either, even with Brandon Bussi coming off an impressive Cup run. The Devils can pressure the Hurricanes' goaltending to take over games in these measuring-stick games.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are becoming a fascinating team because of the off-ice challenges. Zach Werenski, who won the Norris Trophy, requested a trade. As did Kirill Marchenko, one of their best wingers, who is a free agent when the season ends. On top of that, Adam Fantilli is still a restricted free agent, allowing any team to sign the young center.
Add it all up, and there’s a chance the Blue Jackets are one of the worst teams in the NHL, and from the Devils’ perspective, they have a team they can beat up. That said, if they keep the group together for the season, they are still one of the most talented in the division.
The Devils can particularly overwhelm the Blue Jackets' depth. The Blue Jackets, while talented, have a great top end but struggle on their third and fourth line. The Devils now have the depth to take over games, and these are the games that they might win because of it.
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are another team that has star power but isn’t great in the big picture. Sure, Ilya Sorokin is a Vezina Trophy-caliber goaltender, and Matthew Schaefer is a rising star defenseman, while Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat lead the top line. However, the talent drops after that.
The Islanders also particularly struggle on the offensive end. Even with Pete DeBoer as their head coach and an offensive-minded system, the Devils can still win these games if they make them track meets, with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt turning on the jets to skate past the Islanders.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers brought in a handful of veterans to change their outlook, at least on the surface. The reality is that they are still a rebuilding team, hoping Gabe Perreault and Alberts Smits take a step forward as prospects.
The Devils have the star power to overwhelm a team like the Rangers. Even if Igor Shesterkin steals a game or two, the Devils have the elite talent to overwhelm him and a reconfigured defense.
Philadelphia Flyers
Like the Devils, the Philadelphia Flyers have plenty of optimism because of the young core that’s only getting better. With Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov, and Trevor Zegras, they have wingers who can take over games.
That said, the Flyers don’t have the centers to build around or a top-pair defenseman who can do it all. The Devils particularly can win these games up the middle, especially if they line match to get the Nico Hischier line in favorable situations or have a third line that can score.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to take a step back, but there’s plenty of reason to believe they’ll once again be a tough team for the Devils and the rest of the division to play against. They have a great forward unit with Sidney Crosby still playing at a high level. Plus, their farm system will surprise a few teams, especially with Sergei Murashov joining the goaltending unit this season.
The Devils oddly gain an edge against the Penguins by slowing the games down. They’ll want these games to become physical battles where Anthony Mantha and Timo Meier are the ones controlling the play. The other hope is for the Penguins to take that step back and start leaning into a rebuild, in which case the Devils should have the advantage talent-wise.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals were one of the most improved teams this summer and look like a Cup contender. They are sure to give the Devils problems, especially with their bigger lineup that features Alex Tuch and both Protas brothers.
The Devils must lean on their star players to win these games and, specifically, have Bratt, Hughes, and Hischier control the play. The Capitals, while talented, are an older team that the Devils and the rest of the league will look to wear down this season.
