New Jersey Devils notes: On Miller unlocking Hughes and Lazar's surprisingly strong play

Colin Miller has seamlessly transitioned into the Devils' lineup and helped get the most out of Luke Hughes.

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A few New Jersey Devils notes on this off-day:

Miller is a difference maker

I thought Colin Miller was a very astute off-season addition to replace Damon Severson on the 3rd pairing and afford Simon Nemec more time to develop in Utica.

He is a solid puck mover, play-driver, and – much like Severson – was coming off a season in which he was absolutely dominant in a 3rd pairing role.

Tom Fitzgerald was betting that Miller could provide a lot of what was lost with Severson but at a more affordable price; and for good reason.

Although it took some time for Miller to get off the ground – he noticeably struggled in preseason play before suffering an injury – he now looks like everything the Devils could have hoped for and more.

His passing has been terrific thus far. He has routinely connected on Severson-esque multi-zone passes and helped the Devils quickly transition from defense to offense.

He has threatened as a shooter in the offensive zone, he has looked stable in the defensive zone, and – perhaps most importantly – he has really helped unlock Luke Hughes on the 3rd pairing.

We are still dealing with small samples, of course, but the outputs Hughes has managed with Miller compared to Brendan Smith are night and day.

If Miller can help bring out the best in Hughes, and turn the 3rd pairing from a clear negative to a clear positive, the Devils will be very tough to deal with at 5v5. There won’t be any vulnerable pairing on defense.

Lazar deserves to keep his spot