Introduction
The New Jersey Devils have had a plethora of issues over the past several seasons. One of the main troublesome areas is depth scoring. Unfortunately, this seems like it may be the case again as head coach Lindy Ruff has slim picking on who to assign to the team’s bottom-six.
The Devils should have a solid top-six forward group for the first time in years. Down the middle, the team will have Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. While the wings project to be Kyle Palmieri, Nikita Gusev, Jesper Bratt, and Andreas Johnsson. The possible combination of these six can be found below:
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| Andreas Johnsson | Nico Hischier | Nikita Gusev |
| Jesper Bratt | Jack Hughes | Kyle Palmieri |
Where it gets interesting is the bottom-six. There are probably only three “locks” to be in this group as Travis Zajac, Pavel Zacha, and Miles Wood will almost certainly headline the unit. The remaining spots are going to come down to camp performances by other members of the Devils’ roster.
Now, this article is being written with the idea that the Devils do not make any moves to acquire anymore more forwards. This is something general manager Tom Fitzgerald should certainly do given the current candidates. However, for the sake of this article, and the fact that it seems unlikely any more additions are made to the forward group, let’s proceed like what the Devils have at this moment is what the team is rolling with.
The Rest of The Group
Jesper Boqvist
Jesper Boqvist had a terrific preseason before struggling mightily in 35 NHL games. He only registered four goals and no assists as well as a minus-11 rating. His Corsi For % (CF%) of 44.07 and Goals Above Replacement (GAR) of -6.2 was well below league averages and ranked in the basement of the NHL as a whole. It was a dire struggle for Boqvist at the NHL-level.
However, he ended the season on a very high note. He spent the last couple months of the season in the AHL with the Binghamton Devils where he found his game. While playing in all different situations, he tallied 11 points (eight goals) in only 19 games. He was terrific for Binghamton in the thick of a playoff race.
Boqvist’s SHL production indicates a very strong prospect. And last years’ time with Binghamton will certainly help hurry along much-needed development. Not only would it be surprising, but a little disappointing if he does not lock down a bottom-six spot to start the season with New Jersey.
Nick Merkley
Acquired in the Taylor Hall trade last season, it seems like the Devils may have found something in the former 30th overall pick. Merkley excelled in his short stint in the NHL last season as he tallied two points and a plus-two rating in very limited ice time during four games. In this small sample size, he also posted an Expected Goals (xG) of 50.51 which is solid given the Devils’ performances last year.
Merkley played the majority of the season in the AHL with both Binghamton and Tucson. In total, he tallied a respectable 11 goals and 24 assists in 54 games. Merkley, like many other NHL players, spent some of the COVID-19 break overseas. He played with Ässät of the Liiga. He put up great numbers totaling 13 points in 19 games. For reference, the Liiga is roughly the fourth-most prestigious professional hockey league in the world. This behind the NHL, KHL, and the SHL.
Merkley should be a strong candidate to break the roster on opening night. He is already 23 years old so he is reaching that “make-it-or-break-it” time of his career. Given his performance in the NHL last year, as well as his strong showing in the Liiga this offseason, he should earn a bottom-six spot out of training camp.
Yegor Sharangovich
If there was one good occurrence to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic it was the revelation of Yegor Sharangovich’s development in the KHL. While playing for Dinamo Minsk, Sharangovich appeared in 34 games. Over this time, he tallied a staggering 17 goals and eight assists, as well as a plus-11 rating. His goal total ranks fifth in the whole KHL. Once again, for reference, the KHL is most likely the second-most prestigious professional hockey league in the world. So, this output was certainly impressive.
What makes this explosion so surprising is Sharangovich wasn’t all that big of a goal scorer for Binghamton last season. He did register nine goals and eight assists, but this was only in 68 games. Now granted, he only played a bottom-six, penalty-killing role for a strong Binghamton team, so he did not get a fair shot. Nonetheless, his performance in the KHL was certainly a more than welcome surprise.
Sharangovich would be the biggest surprise to make the roster and crack the lineup on opening night. Maybe not so much now given his performance overseas, however, I expect his play to carry over in some fashion. And given the pedigree of the remaining candidates earning a spot out of camp should be a real possibility for the Belarusian.
Honorable Mentions:
Janne Kuokkanen, Brett Seney, Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, Nolan Foote
Conclusion
Unfortunately, the New Jersey Devils’ bottom-six candidates are a bit underwhelming. General manager Tom Fitzgerald would be wise to make an addition, but at this point, that seems a tad unlikely. In the end, it is fine given the Devils’ current competitive status.
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| Jesper Boqvist | Travis Zajac | Pavel Zacha |
| Miles Wood | Yegor Sharangovich | Nick Merkley |
Given the options, the six Devils’ in the chart above are who I believe are the early favorites to lock those spots down in camp. These lines would bring a mix of youth and experience as well as speed and defense. Given what the Devils have, the combination of the top-six and bottom-six charted above may be one of the stronger groups the Devils have had in recent years.
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