Expectations were set high for the New Jersey Devils entering the 2023-24 season. After finishing with their best regular season in franchise history and showing the growth from their young core, building upon that was the task at hand. However, the season fell off the rails and the team failed to build upon that winning season.
From bad health to poor goaltending, the Devils were a mess. There is optimism though, as the core is a year older and the rookies are entering their sophomore seasons. With a new bench boss and new faces being added to the team, here are some questions for the Devils entering the 2024-25 season.
Can Markstrom Be the Savior in Net?
Devils fans had it good, really good that is for a while. You never had to worry when Martin Brodeur was in net and even when the team acquired Corey Schneider things were in good hands when it came to the goal crease. However, since the days of Schneider, it has been a disaster when it comes to the goaltending.
During the 2021-22 season, the Devils used seven different goalies. It was a year to forget if you are the Devils. Despite there being optimism and a strong season put forth by Vitek Vanecek (2022-23), the New Jersey ran into the goalie problem once again.
Vanecek failed to build off his strong 2022-23 season. He was never there to make the key save and the Devils lost more games due to poor goaltending. Vanecek had one of the worst seasons of his career, with a 3.18 goals against average, a .890 save percentage and a -11.2 goals saved above expected. He was traded and the Devils finally said, “enough is enough” and added a reliable goalie.
Jacob Markstrom is a Devil and it’s a glorious sight to see. He is without question the best goalie the Devils have had since Schneider and it’s not even close. But can he be the savior in net? Can he deliver and give the team a chance to win on a nightly basis?
The Devils are not a bad hockey team. In fact, there play under former head coach Lindy Ruff suggested they were a very good hockey team that was plagued by poor goaltending. Markstrom owns a career save percentage of .909 and a goals against average of 2.72. All eyes will be on him, as he takes the crease.
Will Health be on Their Side?
Injuries are always going to happen. That’s just part of sports and part of the tough game that is hockey. But, for the Devils, the injuries were too much to overcome, as the team’s best players missed game action and it was noticeable within the lineup.
Dougie Hamilton missed the regular season with a torn pectoral muscle. His ability to generate offense from the back end and be a presence on the power play was sorely missing. Over the first 20 games of the season (Oct. 12 – Nov. 28), the Devils’ power play was scorching hot and was firing on all cylinders. In this time span, they went ahead and led the league in goals (25) and scored well above their expected rate.
Without Hamilton, the power play struggled. They scored 30 goals across the next 82 games (sixth fewest over that span). This also doesn’t include Jack Hughes being out and the absence of Timo Meier.
Those three were just the crux of the plethora of players who missed time with injury for New Jersey. Hopefully, 2024-25 will bring more health.
Expecting a Big Year for Timo
Timo Meier is the biggest question mark. It was an extremely tough year for the winger, as he was battling numerous injuries. At points, people prematurely wondered if his new deal would be one of the worst in the league.
Meier had a tough start from October to January. He had 18 points in that span and the Devils didn’t get their best version of him. Fast forward from February to April and Meier was a new player, more importantly, a healthy player. Meier had 34 points in these months, nearly doubling his production. Meier was also impacting the game better too. The team had better puck possession, controlled the expected goals share, and was thriving in the high-danger areas of the ice. You got the best version of Meier to end the year and it benefited the offense.
On paper, the Devils have one of the deepest rosters across the entire league. Getting a full season of a healthy Meier should only propel the strong talent around him even farther.
Will the Sophomore Slumps Occur?
The sophomore slump is a very real thing, just look at Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers. He went from winning the Calder Trophy to have a tough season in 2024. He got rewarded with a contract extension, but the slump is a real thing. For the Devils, they’ll have two players entering their sophomore season and looking to take the next steps in their young careers.
Between both Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, both were thrown into the fire. Due to injuries, they certainly didn’t have a choice and both rookies played strong for the Devils and played heavy minutes. Hughes finished the year with 21:09 of average time on ice and Nemec averaged 19:52. Sure, they both had their rookie moments, but both did some really good things during the year.
Hughes will dazzle you with his offense. He logs time on the power play and helps bring that added layer of production from the back end. However, Hughes will be out for 6-8 weeks due to a shoulder injury. Luckily, he will not need surgery, but him finding a groove could take time. Nemec, who is also battling an offseason injury, is more known for his defensive game, but has shown flashes offensively. The big thing for them is being able to build upon it and not hit the sophomore slump.
Fortunately for both, they are projected to play alongside veterans. This will help them develop and have someone to lean on in the process. These two are the cornerstone pieces for the future and seeing them continue to grow in their second year is enormous for the team.
Can Keefe Guide the Devils to Where They Need to Go?
The Devils have cycled through numerous coaches, staff, and even endured a personnel overhaul. They’ve been to the postseason twice since 2012, advancing past the first round during the 2023-24 season.
Since general manager Tom Fitzgerald took over, the Devils have done leaps and bounds. He has drafted well, added to positions of need, and has continued to be aggressive in building a winning team and finding a way to get there. While former head coach Lindy Ruff did do some good things with this team, New Jersey thought it was best they parted ways after a rough 2023-24. In the door comes Sheldon Keefe.
Keefe has seen success as a bench boss. He helped guide the Toronto Marlies to winning the Calder Cup and was immediately hired as the Maple Leafs head coach. Keefe guided the Maple Leafs to the playoffs every season and has helped Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner develop further in their careers. Can Keefe get the Devils over the hurdle?
He’s walking into a desirable situation and familiar territory in terms of the roster construction. The teams’ stars are the younger players and Keefe will play a role in growing their games. With his track record of guiding a team to the postseason, the goal is to get the Devils to take the leap.
The task is tall, but not improbable and with a wide open Eastern Conference that’s the goal.