New Jersey Devils Q&A - July 24th, 2024

I answered questions re: season expectations, my optimal lineup, PTO targets, and more.

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I haven’t written a Q&A post since the end of May, long before the off-season fireworks commenced.

Now that things have really quieted league-wide, it feels like an appropriate time to change that.

Let’s get right into it.

Q: What does the 2024-2025 season look like for the New Jersey Devils?

Very, very good. I expect they will fight for top spot in the Metro Division and be a real threat come playoff time.

The Devils have a handful of dynamic stars who produce offense in bulk. They drastically improved the team’s defensive acumen – not just with the additions of Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, and Johnathan Kovacevic, but up front as well.

Tomas Tatar was terrific in 2022-23, often playing against top players alongside Nico Hischier. Stefan Noesen has posted a even-strength defense GAR of at least +1.9 in three consecutive seasons. And, heck, Paul Cotter was +2.4 this past year.

As much as Fitzgerald wanted the Devils to get tougher to play against in terms of physicality, he made sure that edge and heaviness came along with strong defensive impacts.

The roster is very talented, deep, and balanced. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen, who figure to make up one of the league’s best tandems, should get plenty of help at both ends of the rink. The Devils are going to win a ton of games as a result.

It also looks like a down year at the top of the Metro Division. The New York Rangers are a good team, for sure, but they were +1 at 5v5 a season ago and didn’t add much to give them a boost there.

The Carolina Hurricanes also lost what felt like half their roster. I have a ton of faith in their systems and there’s every reason to believe Rod Brind’Amour will get the most out of what he has. They’re not going to fold. I just don’t see as much talent as in recent years.

There’s no reason the Devils can’t contend for the No. 1 seed in the Metro and make plenty of noise come playoff time.

Q: What newcomer are you most excited to see play?