3 glaring regrets for the New Jersey Devils after the first quarter of the season
From heavy reliance on their top forwards to the struggling defense and goaltending, here are three glaring regrets for the New Jersey Devils a quarter of the way through the 2023-24 season.
By Marci Rubin
The New Jersey Devils’ season is not going as well as expected. Fresh off 2022-23’s franchise record 52-win regular season, Devils fans had high hopes for this team. The 2023-24 Devils are in trouble.
Initially expected to be a top team in Stanley Cup contention, the Devils are now fighting for a Wild Card position at the quarter mark of the season. They've fallen way down in the Metropolitan Division standings. The division is tight this year. The only Metro team beneath the Devils is the Columbus Blue Jackets. The fact that the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers are playing better than expected is not helping the Devils’ case.
So what went wrong with this team that is overflowing with young talent? Was last year a fluke? No, but the Devils have made some missteps that are preventing them from being a top team this season. Here are three glaring regrets for the Devils after the first quarter of the season.
3. Relying too heavily on the top forwards
It’s abundantly clear that the Devils have a dangerous top-nine forward group. Their depth forwards have come through, as well. The key, though, is staying healthy. While some might deem this an excuse, the Devils have had some brutally bad luck in the injury department this season, especially among forwards. Injuries revealed the team’s mistake of being too reliant on the top forwards.
Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Erik Haula, and Tomas Nosek have all spent time on the shelf this season. Depth forward Nolan Foote has been injured since before the start of the regular season. Prior to Hughes' and Hischier’s injuries, the Devils were very reliant on the forwards to carry them to success. With the defense and goaltending struggling, players like Hughes, Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Tyler Toffoli carried the team on their backs. When Hughes and Hischier went down and the top two lines couldn't produce as much, the weaknesses with defense and goaltending were insurmountable.
Even with Hughes and Hischier back, the Devils have struggled due to the problems in the defensive zone. A strong offense can’t always prevail. The Devils need to be able to win games 1-0 or 2-1. Giving up six goals to the San Jose Sharks, the team with the worst record in the league, is unacceptable and a hill that even the best forwards can’t climb.
The team continues to make the same troubling mistakes: sloppy play, being out of position, giving up chances, and more. Being too reliant on the top forwards has cost the Devils a shot at being a top team in the Metropolitan Division. The team needs to be more balanced and play more consistently on both sides of the ice.