Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

What can we expect for the New Jersey Devils this season?

10/05/2021 at 6:10pm EDT

If you are an ardent ice hockey fan, you don’t have to be introduced to the term New Jersey Devils. But, for those not aware, the New Jersey Devils are one of the professional ice hockey teams that compete in the National Hockey League or NHL. As the name suggests, the New Jersey Devils are based out of Newar, New Jersey.

Initially, the ice hockey club was founded in 1974 as the Kansas City Scouts in Kansas, Missouri. Since then, the Devils have established themselves as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. They are one of the best NHL teams to look forward to every season.

Before the much-awaited Devils game next week, let’s see what we can expect from New Jersey Devils 2021. And, if you are interested in placing bets on your favorite NHL team, check out Betmgm. This is a sportsbook to place bets on different sports. Betmgm review has all you need to know.

New Jersey Devils News

The Devils have been rebuilding their team for an eternity now; at least it feels like one. They have collected six lottery packs and two first-overall selections in the past few seasons. However, fans are still lamenting last season’s failed campaign, especially due to its lack of size and form.

Thankfully, with a strong youth core team that consists of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Ty Smith, the New Jersey Devils may be able to break off from their unlucky streak this season. The New Jersey Devils are a much bigger and better team compared to last year.

The 2021 season has already marked the beginning of a new era for the Devils. Hockey fans will argue that a team is made of the people that guide them. Well, there’s good news. Their interim general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, resumed his full-time position, and the Devils were also able to score Lindy Ruff as their head coach.

Even though the first full season under Tom Fitzgerald’s mentorship didn’t go as planned, the Devils’ fans are not losing hope. At the trade and transfer season prior to the commencement of the league, the New Jersey Devils bid farewell to their long-time pack, including Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajack. Both were sent to the New York Islanders in exchange for Mason Jobst and A.J. Greer.

In the NHL Entry Draft 2021, the team also managed to get a hold of Jack Hughes’ brother, Luke Hughes. Luke plays as a defenseman and looks forward to playing for the New Jersey Devils alongside his brother.

On paper, the New Jersey Devils 2021 team is heavy. According to the Per Elite Prospects, the Devils ranked 24th in average height, just below 6’1. This puts them right in between the Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago. For average weight, they finished 25th at 89.11 kg, between the Edmonton Team and Vancouver.

The Devils squad’s average weight is only higher than Philadelphia, Arizona, Pittsburgh, and Florida.

Therefore, based on the current rosters, the New Jersey Devils are combing back with a much stronger, younger team. Hockey fans must have noticed that the team has a tragic history of awful penalty kills, a careless approach to defense, and lacked youth experience to go through the various situations.

These were the points of contention among supporters. However, we can say that this won’t be the case this Devils season. The team’s addition also includes Ryan Graves from Colorado Avalanche, Dougie Hamilton, and Christian Jaros. Not to forget, Mark Jankowski, Frederik Gauthier, and Jimmy Vesey have come back from training camp and are much stronger than before.

This isn’t even the entire picture. The Devils continued to load up on talent when free agency began. They have signed Jonathan Bernier as goaltender from the Detroit Red Wings. They have also signed Mackenzie Blackwood on a whopping $8.25 million contract and Tomas Tatar with a $9 million deal.

New Jersey Devils 2021 Team Line-Up

According to team predictions, this is how the New Jersey Devils schedule and team line-up will possibly look like:

On Forwards:

  1. Janne Kuokkanen, followed by Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich.

  2. Miles Wood, followed by Pavel Zacha and Michael McLeod.

  3. Nolan Foote followed by Jesper Boqvist and Andreas Johnsson.

  4. Tomas Tatar, followed by Nico Hischier, or Jesper Bratt.

On Defense:

  1. Ryan Graves followed by Dougie Hamilton

  2. Jonas Siegenthaler and P.K. Subban

  3. Ty Smith and Damon Severson

For Goalies:

Jonathan Bernier and Mackenzie Blackwood.

What can we expect from the New Jersey Devils 2021 Season?

Since the National Hockey League season has gone back to its post-COVID standard divisions, the New Jersey Devils will be seen making their mark through a tough Metropolitan Division. The teams expected to stand in their way include some big names such as the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, the Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders.

The Devils squad is pretty young; therefore, they are expected to put up a great fight this season. Their off-season acquisitions will be more than enough to put them in the tough fight for a coveted Wild Card spot.

Jack Hughes will definitely make amends after the disappointing rookie season in 2019-20 by holding the team together. Ty Smith will build on his impressive rookie season in which he scored over 23 points in just 48 games. Yegor Sharangovich, who is likely to be paired with Jack Hughes, has been a big surprise to the Devils since his addition. He has already posted 30 points in 54 games.

In the upcoming season, the New Jersey Devils will first face off against the San Jose Sharks. The match is scheduled for November 6, 2021, in the SAP center.

Fans are excited to see the Devils regain their spot. Besides, our fate in Tom Fitzgerald and Lindy Ruff has been restored. It’s going to be an exciting season.

The games will be exciting, and we can guarantee that, though no one can predict the result, yet for the Devils fan, we sure hope the wins outweigh the losses.

Create an Account

In order to leave a comment, please create an account.

About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

Email Paul anytime at [email protected]

Most Recent Posts

Most Recent Comments

Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry Drama Surrounds The Latest Loss By The Leafs - 2 hours ago
Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry Drama Surrounds The Latest Loss By The Leafs - 2 hours ago
Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry Four NHL Playoff Game Today, Two Teams Facing Elimination - 2 hours ago
Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry NHL Short Notes - 3 hours ago
Comment by Paul in Kukla's Korner Hockey from the entry NHL Short Notes - 3 hours ago