The New Jersey Devils finished the 2014-15 in disarray. No matter what anyone says, the team was inconsistent from start to finish and cost Peter DeBoer his job. In his place was a troika of co-head coaches that was nothing short of disastrous.
The on-ice product was not much of a looker. The offense ranked 28th in the league and the penalty killing unit was 21st in efficiency.
In some respects, it was an even bitterer season for the Devils as their cross-river rivals, the New York Rangers, won the President’s Trophy and the New York Islanders headed to the post season again.
The Devils were in the 25th spot in the league just ahead of the woeful Carolina Hurricanes.
When leading after the first period they were successful in winning just north of half the time with a .593 winning percentage. They were also unable to respond to deficits late in the game with dreadful winning percentages.
Their goals against average as a team was in the middle of the pack with a 2.55GAA. The league range was 2.44 to 3.37.
Despite the poor on-ice performance the Devils may not be that far away from competing in the post season. A stronger, consistent presence behind the bench is a must.
Adam Henrique picked up 43 points on the year with 16 goals. Mike Cammalleri was their leading goal scorer with 27 and 42 points.
Of the entire roster, only nine players skated with a positive plus/minus rating on the campaign.
Scott Gomez had something of a rebirth in New Jersey this past season. After leaving the Devils for the Rangers and then on to the Montreal Canadiens Gomez was a non-factor for those teams. His return to Newark was seen as a re-energizing of his career. It remains to be seen what happens next for him though.
One problem that may exist in New Jersey is the play of Cory Schneider who ended with a 26-31-9 record and a 2.26 GAA.
Schneider was the workhorse for the club but was unpleasant after most losses and never seemed to take responsibility for losses. A new coach and system may improve his attitude.
For current prospects in the Devils’ system, Stefan Matteau could crack the lineup in camp. Jacob Josefson has to step it up or he could go down as one of the Devils bigger busts. Ryan Kujawinski and Blake Colemen will get a long look at camp. The Devils preach patience but they might be running out of it after not making the playoffs 3 straight years now.
Where the Devils will go this Entry Draft is to play to their strength in drafting terms. Pro Hockey News sees Jersey heading to the back line and bolstering the blue line.
Of interest is Ivan Provorov of the Brandon Wheat Kings. The 18-year old defenseman is 6’, 200 pounds. He started his hockey career with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in Russia.
His Central Scouting numbers show he scored 15 goals and added 46 assists and was a +36 rating and 42 penalty minutes in 60 games. Those numbers were significant improvements over his year in the USHL with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
His abilities on offense demonstrate a penchant for moving the puck up with his skating talent and contributing to the offense. But most analysts also suggest his defensive qualities are the selling point. His speed and strength enable him to make the quick plays in the defensive zone to limit opposition chances.
Provided the Devils don’t pull another move like they did to get Schneider ahead of their draft pick, Pro Hockey News believes the Devils will stay close to form and select a defenseman in the sixth position.
“With the sixth pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the New Jersey Devils select defenseman Ivan Provorov of the Brandon Wheat Kings.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.