Is the New Jersey Devils' defense really a problem?

David Mudrak takes a closer look in his debut article with Infernal Access.

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By David Mudrak (@MuddyOpinions)

I began a version of this article last week, considering the New Jersey Devils' underwhelming position in the standings and what reactions were possible because of them not meeting expectations.

One thing I was worried about, and still am, is an overreaction to a perceived problem that would damage the team in the present – but even more so in the future. 

This team's goal must be to progress in the present while maintaining the longest possible window for contention. In these early successful seasons, teams can shoot themselves in the foot by paying too much for a player or getting bogged down by poor contracts that were signed to patch immediate holes. 

So when I saw a post on X about the need to address the team's poor defense – imploring Fitzgerald to trade for Calgary's Noah Hanifin or Chris Tanev – because the left side is too weak and the team can’t waste this year, I knew I needed to return to the idea and investigate why the Devils should not be worried about the defensive unit yet.

Fortunately, this article feels very timely because X has now exploded into a conversation about what is causing the Devils’ problems and if it is #justthegoalie. 

Unlike the Sith, I do not like to speak in absolutes. Saying it is just the goalie may be a bit too strong - but I would happily declare that the Devils’ problem is mainly the goalie. More importantly, the problem is not the players that make up the backend of this team.

Going into this season, I would have argued that the Devils had one of their strongest defensive groups in recent memory, with the caveat that they are young, and there will be the need to lean on potential and growth instead of guaranteed results. This is still true - even if the team does not have the record most would have expected.

There is a perception that Luke Hughes, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Kevin Bahl are not a good enough group for the left side.

Before getting into how these players are performing, consider that to strengthen the left side, one of these players needs to be replaced.

Who would you replace, and with whom? Each substitution causes arguably more problems than whatever good may come from it.

Luke Hughes is not going anywhere. Jonas Siegenthaler was a revelation the last couple of years. Based on what he is capable of, he is on a strong contract that lasts four more seasons after this one.

Finally, Kevin Bahl functions as an excellent 3rd pairing defenseman on a friendly bridge deal through next year. He will still be under team control after that.

While some available players are better than Bahl, they will not be as cheap and perhaps not belong on the third pair. 

Although overpaying for a replacement, or jettisoning someone of value is likely a good enough reason not to rush into changing the defensive personnel, the numbers these defenders have put up pour cold water on claims that the defense is a significant problem for this team.

Consider the following: