All About Hall
The Devils jumped on the Taylor Hall train last year and let him pull them to the playoffs. If they can get increased contributions from their up and coming players like Nico Hischier and better goaltending from Cory Schneider, the Devils could be in for a strong showing.
Report Card:
A pretty nice report card which reflects a pretty nice year. The Devils overperformed offensively, the defense was as it showed and the goaltending earned a B- finishing a little better than average in goals saved above average.
What went right:
Last year was the Taylor Hall Show in New Jersey. Yes, youngsters Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier and Will Butcher all played well and showed promise, but there’s no way the Devils have the season they did without Hall’s MVP season. The next two highest scorers on the team combined for 96 points, only three more than Hall scored himself. He also led the team in just about every offensive category there is, be it passing, handling the puck, shooting, getting chances, you name it. Hall’s efforts culminated with a Hart trophy and a playoff berth for the Devils, their first postseason appearance since their run to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals.
What Went Wrong:
Goaltending was a weak point for New Jersey. Cory Schneider had his second bad year in a row, posting an even-strength save percentage of .916, good for 41st among goalies with 1000+ minutes. Keith Kinkaid ended up playing in one more game than him, but the results were nearly identical, with a .917 even-strength save percentage, good for 37th.
Injuries sapped a lot of firepower from the Devils’ offense, as Kyle Palmieri and Marcus Johansson missed significant time, leaving New Jersey with a lack of a scoring punch outside of its top line.
Offseason moves
Key Additions: Eric Gryba
Key Departures: Michael Grabner, Patrick Maroon, John Moore, Jimmy Hayes
Other Key moves: Re-signed Stefan Noesen, Steve Santini and Eddie Lack, PTO for Drew Stafford
For a team with a ton of cap space, the Devils were pretty quiet. Despite needing more firepower behind Hall, they let former 20-goal scorers Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner walk. John Moore also left via free agency, signing with Boston. None of these moves were make-or-break by themselves, but when coupled with their inactivity on the market, it’s puzzling, to say the least.
Eric Gryba, Steven Santini and Eddie Lack all split time between the NHL and AHL last season, while Stefan Noesen was an NHL regular for the first time in his career and scored 27 points. None of them are what you would call game changers.
Next season preview
What could go right?
Simply getting healthy would go a long way to help the Devils reach the playoffs once again. Full seasons from Kyle Palmieri and Marcus Johansson would boost their non-Hall scoring, as they both previously hit the 50-point plateau in their careers, something only Hall and Hischier did last season. Speaking of Hischier, the Devils are expecting big things from the first overall pick in his second season. If he, Bratt and Butcher can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, the Devils will be competitive in the Metro.
Cory Schneider had surgery to repair an injured hip that bothered him for the last year and a half, an ailment that could explain his poor performance over the last couple of seasons. If he returns fully healthy and plays like he did between 2010 and 2016, where his lowest save percentage was .921, he will be able to steal games, once again.
What could go wrong?
While it’s not impossible for Schneider to return to form, the odds are against him. He is, after all, a 32-year old coming off hip surgery and two subpar seasons. Keith Kinkaid is a good backup who can give you solid stretches of play, but he isn’t an established starter. Already 29-years old, his 38 starts last seasons were a career-high and his .913 save percentage ranked 18th out of the 32 goalies to start at least 38 games. Okay numbers, but definitely not good enough for a contender.
Mediocre goaltending would put even more pressure on Hall to replicate his heroics from last season. It’s always risky to have so much riding on a single player, especially one who just shattered his previous career-highs and has had injury troubles in the past (knock on wood). Without another monster season from him and/or solid play between the pipes, the Devils will be in tough to make the playoffs for a second straight season.