What Should the Devils Do This Offseason?
The NHL season is just one series away from concluding, and New Jersey has a big offseason upon them. Though their season's end was not how it was expected, all they can do now is look to improve in the future. Cursed with a season full of injuries, it’s difficult to establish what their weakness was if fully healthy. From how their first-round matchup against Carolina went, New Jersey has quite the checklist to complete before the Fall. A few key items need to be checked off this Summer, some things that are more important than fans may think.
Bottom-Six Players
From how the postseason went, their bottom six players could improve a bit. Throughout the season, there was a big lack of scoring from the bottom two lines, causing a few bad losses. Two big disappointments this season have undoubtedly been Erik Haula and Dawson Mercer. Haula was expecting a much better season, sadly, his point-per-game average dropped to his lowest, making him a potential target for a future trade. Mercer has certainly seen better seasons, dropping to 33 and 36 in his previous two. Some new talent could potentially help motivate these two into the players they used to be.
Salary Cap Situation
As most fans are aware, the salary cap is rising to $95.5 million next season, and even more in the later seasons. New Jersey and GM Tom Fitzgerald can potentially take advantage of this, potentially locking up key stars until 2030. With the amount of expensive contracts they have with their veteran players, they have limited cap space to make the right moves. Getting that competitive edge back by improving their roster is huge, but it all depends on how they address their situation. If New Jersey wants to get up there in the standings next season, then this situation needs to be fixed quickly.
Another Goaltender
New Jersey goaltender Jacob Markström has just one year remaining on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent. As for their backup, Jake Allen hits the NHL market this Summer. Though they still have Nico Daws, his recent performances wouldn’t make many fans confident in him. His recent performance in Utica shows he still has some developing to do before returning. Though here for a short time, Allen did his duty as a backup, pleasing most fans throughout these last two seasons. Though Markström will surely keep this Devils team up in the standings, another backup these players can rely on is never a bad thing.
As the offseason goes, New Jersey will need to be smart with their moves to get where it wants. Though the right moves will make this Devils team scary, much more than trades will need to be done to ensure success. For one, superstars will need to remain healthy to perform well in the postseason. With injuries from Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton in the regular season, and even Luke Hughes during the playoffs, they were no match against Carolina through those five games. Health is one thing, but New Jersey also needs to ensure their stars are here to stay long-term, and fans are confident knowing an extension for Luke Hughes will be made any day now. New Jersey looks to bounce back after an unfortunate season. They fill out this checklist for next season, and they’re surely making a run.
