New Jersey Devils mid-season player grades - Part 1

In the first part of this mini series, David Mudrak grades the Devils' defensemen and goaltenders.

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By David Mudrak (@MuddyOpinions)

As we sit and wait for meaningful games to come back, it seems like a good time to reflect on how the players have performed so far.

While the New Jersey Devils have disappointed, relative to the lofty expectations that they earned because of last season’s success, that is not the case for each player. The team' has struggled mostly from injury problems and a lack of help in one specific area. 

For this post, I will be grading each of the defensemen and goalies who have logged enough time that it makes sense to evaluate them. In my mind, this was 10 games, but I am making an exception for Nico Daws, as he may play an important role in the remainder of the season. 

Furthermore, the grades will incorporate the salary and the expectations of that specific player. The grades are my subjective opinion based on the data listed and observations. Rather than being right about all of these players, I hope that this is an entertaining exercise that will spark some conversation in the comments.  

Defense 

[D] Brendan Smith 34GP (1-4-5)

GAR: 5.5, WAR: 0.9
CF%: 49.72, GF%: 47.50, xGF%: 47.78

Smith is saved from receiving a failing grade because of his unique ability to be outstanding on the penalty kill. His play at even strength is nearly the opposite, as he will often get hemmed into his own zone, take bad penalties, or be unable to locate an open player in time to prevent a high-danger chance. Furthermore, he provides close to no offense. While Smith has helped the team in penalty killing, he hurts them too much in other ways. I have liked his play on the 4th line at times - much more than his play on defense - but even in that position, he has hurt the team in regards to possession and chances.  

[B] Colin Miller 27GP (2-3-5)

GAR: 1.4, WAR: 0.2
CF%: 56.11, GF%: 67.74, xGF%: 52.29

Colin Miller has been a pleasant surprise for the injury-plagued Devils. Miller was brought in to be a 6/7 defenseman who could replace some of what the team was losing with Damon Severson leaving. In that mission, Miller succeeded as he made a positive difference while on the ice and looked more than serviceable in his role as a 3rd pair defenseman. While Miller will never be a big name for the organization, he is the kind of player that greatly matters to a team. Tom Fitzgerald did a great job acquiring him, and Miller has done a great job so far in meeting his expected role. 

[A] Dougie Hamilton 20GP (5-11-16)

GAR: 2, WAR: 0.3
CF%: 59.66, GF%: 45.45, xGF%: 57.02

Dougie Hamilton was doing basically what he was expected to do until he tore his pectoral. In twenty games with the team, he had already earned 16 points and was putting up impressive underlying numbers. When he was on the ice, he helped generate chances and the team keep possession. It was expected that the power play would take a hit from the absence of the team’s number-one defenseman, but the extent to which the whole defensive system has suffered has been alarming. In the twenty games before Hamilton got hurt, every single defenseman was above a CF% of 50, and the only two even close were Kevin Bahl and Brendan Smith. Since his absence, the numbers have tanked, with five out of the nine defensemen who played not cracking the 50% mark. For the sake of this team, Hamilton will need to find a way to stay healthy next season. 

[C] John Marino 47GP (3-12-15)

GAR: 2.1, WAR: 0.3
CF%: 52.29, GF%: 40.74, xGF%: 52.43

John Marino has not played to the standards that he established for the team last year. Marino was a standout at times, and the excitement about him grew during the preseason this year as he more consistently displayed flashes of his offensive talent. However, he has since regressed and struggled a bit. Some of the apparent struggles can be chalked up to goalies not making a needed save, as the GF% and xGF% statistics have a rather large disparity. However, Marino is also one of the players who has suffered the most from the shift in defensive personnel. Since Hamilton was injured, Marino has posted a CF% of 49.13. Marino has also played the most minutes out of any defenseman since that change. Marino earns a “C” here because although he is not expected to be a top-pair defenseman, it is surprising to see him struggle as much as he has. 

[C-] Jonas Siegenthaler 38GP (1-7-8)