Who is on the same pair as Luke Hughes? Who operates power play two? What does the depth look like? All questions to find out as the season gets underway.
The defense will be a fascinating position all season for the New Jersey Devils. Like the forwards, it will change throughout the season with injuries and surprises. Plus, this is the season when the Devils will look to add youth to the blue line, whether it’s a prospect or two, especially if they emerge as a shutdown option.
The Devils don’t have a top-five defense, at least not heading into the season, and it’s not their weakness either. That said, it’s the unit that can swing things one way or another. So, let’s project the pairings.
Mike’s Projection: Leaning On Hughes
The defense revolves around Luke Hughes becoming the unquestioned number-one defenseman. Last season was underwhelming for someone who signed a contract with a $9 million average annual value attached to it, scoring only 35 points in 68 games with 3.9 defensive point shares on the other end. But, with Simon Nemec gone, Hughes is the defenseman the Devils will lean on in all situations and ideally, they pair him with a healthy Brett Pesce, who looks to return to form after battling injuries last season.
Luke Hughes - Brett Pesce
Jonas Seigenthaler - Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon - Johnathan Kovacevic
The question is how the rest of the defense holds up after Hughes and Pesce. Jonas Seigenthaler has established himself as a reliable stay-at-home defenseman who can work well with a healthy Dougie Hamilton. Likewise, both Brenden Dillon and Johnathan Kovacevic are reliable in the defensive zone and make a strong third pair.
So, with the help of my colleague Kristy Flannery, let's dive in!
Kristy’s Projection: Hamilton & Kovacevic Swap
With Pesce back to full strength, he can be the defenseman who pairs with Hughes. He’s the stay-at-home blueliner who allows Hughes to step up offensively and be more aggressive.
Luke Hughes - Brett Pesce
Jonas Seigenthaler - Johnathan Kovacevic
Brenden Dillon - Dougie Hamilton
The question is whether the Devils should have Hamilton on a second pair or have a second pair to begin with. Instead, Keefe will want to have even ice time for the second and third pairs, which gives the Devils more depth.
The other thing worth keeping in mind is whether Hamilton is more of a depth defenseman that another top pair. With Dillon on his pair, they can be a reliable third pair that rounds out the defense.
Devils Wild Card Defense Pairings
The key for the Devils is pairing Hughes with the best stay-at-home defenseman in the lineup to form an ideal top pair. Presumably, that’s Pesce, but Kovacevic can make a strong case for that spot as well.
Another question is what role Hamilton will have on defense. Is he playing the point on the second power-play unit? If not, who is? At 33, is he on the decline and being phased out of the defense? This is a telling year for the veteran defenseman who hasn’t lived up to the contract he signed in the 2021 offseason.
The other layer of the defense is watching which prospects make their way to the NHL. Declan Chisholm isn’t a prospect, but he’s a good fill-in on the third pair in case of injuries. Anton Silyev is a high-upside prospect, the defenseman who is joining the team this season and eager to make an impact right away. Ethan Edwards, Topias Vilen, and Seamus Casey are all in the American Hockey League but are looking to break out and become regulars on the blue line.
The prospects will likely start on the third pair with limited ice time. However, by the end of the season, one of them can make their way into the top four. If they do, it forces the Devils to move someone down in the lineup or possibly trade them.
