from Andrew Gross of The Record,

The oddsmakers and many preseason prognosticators are not giving the Devils much more of a chance this season. The odds of you and I landing on the moon are just slightly higher than the Las Vegas odds for the Devils to win the franchise’s fourth Cup. And many preseason predictions, some based on advanced metrics, foresee the Devils finishing eighth in the eight-team Metropolitan Division, and possibly last in the 16-team Eastern Conference.

That, of course, is not how these Devils see it, not after adding elite left wing Taylor Hall from the Oilers, not with a healthy Mike Cammalleri in camp, not with the preseason promise of first-rounder Pavel Zacha earning a spot among the top nine forwards, not with French import Yohann Auvitu showing he might be a real foreign find for the defense corps.

"This year, we go in with the mentality to prove people wrong but to take the next step," Zajac said. "We’ve got to get back there."

"There" being the playoffs, of course.

"When it’s that long, you kind of forget how to win, what it takes to win," Zajac said. "Last year, we kind of got that back. It was a step in the right direction. We have to make sure winning is a theme here. The excuses are over. Now is the time to go out and get the job done."

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