After reaching out to multiple beat reporters who cover the Devils' rivals, the public perspective is that they are a middle-of-the-pack team, but there’s plenty of flexibility.
It’s easy to have a biased opinion of the New Jersey Devils. After all, it’s the team this section of the site focuses on, and the fans will also have a slanted outlook. The outsiders have a different view on the Devils.
So, after reaching out to multiple beat writers around the Metropolitan Division, a different view of the Devils emerged. Sure, there are some overlapping strengths and concerns, but they were willing to pump the brakes or be less optimistic about the Devils heading into the season.
The Optimistic Perspective
Among all the teams in the Devils’ division, they made the most upgrades, certainly the most moves. The new general manager, Sunny Mehta, got to work with five new forwards on the opening-night roster who were acquired in the offseason.
One writer particularly, noted that Luke Evangelista and Anthony Mantha acquisitions are needle-movers. Both players are high-impact top-six players who can give the Devils an edge over the rest of the division.
Not only did Mehta add talent, but he also addressed big needs as well. The Devils needed depth, and he brought in five forwards while also adding borderline NHLers to bolster the American Hockey League team. They also needed a spark on offense, and both Evangelista as a playmaker and Mantha as a scorer provide it.
If everything goes right, the Devils are pushing for a top-two spot and likely end up with the third-best record in the division. That’s at least the public perception of their ceiling. What about the floor?
Goaltending Can Let Them Down
The common critique of the Devils was their goaltending, which is an issue they never addressed. The outsider’s perspective is that a Jake Allen and Nico Daws duo isn’t good enough, and instead, it’s their biggest question.
The Devils now have a trio, thanks to the Rémi Poirier waiver claim. However, Poirier is an unproven goaltender at the NHL level, and the Devils still don’t have a number-one goaltender. It leaves the coaching staff with their hands full this season as they look to manage three goaltenders and get the most out of them.
The good news is that if the Devils figure everything out in the net, they’ll stack up well with the rest of the Metropolitan Division. The roster otherwise looks great, possibly one of the best in the division, and if they have an answer in the net, they answer the one question mark on their roster.
Ultimately, They Fall Into The Middle Of The Pack
The consensus is that the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals are the two best teams in the division. The Hurricanes have been the class of the division for years and are the reigning Cup winners, while the Capitals, like the Devils, made significant upgrades this summer to put themselves in a position to make a Cup run.
On the other end of the division, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Rangers are expected to be at the bottom. The Blue Jackets had a tumultuous offseason, and the Rangers, who revamped their veteran group, are still a rebuilding team.
The Devils are part of that murky middle along with teams like the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins. Heading into the season, they aren’t terrible, but they also aren’t great.
However, there’s a lot of flexibility in their division, with teams that can go either way. That middle tier particularly can see a team fall apart and open the door for the Devils if they put together a great season.
How do you think the Devils stack up with the rest of their division? Comment below!
