Tag / NJ Devils

by Frank Maduri

NJ Devils: West to East Coast – The Road Ahead

The New Jersey Devils lost yet another game on the road last night to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime. Since the teams reached the extra session, the Devils will earn a point in the standings for the overtime loss, but it still leaves an unsettling feeling for the fans. This 2016-17 Devils team has struggled on the road so far, and the reverse is also true: the team has been very strong on their home ice (7 wins, and only 2 losses – both in overtime) which has buoyed their overall performance.

There are some fans and local “beat” media types that are quick to point out that many of those games where the Devils performance has lacked are in games against top tier teams or teams with winning records, for the most part. They would also be correct in generalizing the effort of New Jersey being very resolute in many of those games, where they have battled to stay in those losing games rather than give up.

However, in my view, the fact that the Devils have played 14 games on the road this season and have won just 3 of those games and lost 11 times (7 in regulation and 4 in overtime), is a concern. I can concede that it is still early, there is a great deal of hockey still left to be played; but the reality is that these trends get entrenched and they are difficult for teams to turn around.

In addition, the team has been without star forward Taylor Hall who was out with an injury until his return last night to the action in Chicago. Hall does significantly impact the manner in which the team approaches the strategy to a given game. His ability to use his speed and skating ability to push the puck forward puts pressure on the opposing team and changes the way in which the Devils hold the zone offensively and transition the puck as well. That type of impact cannot be underscored. It obviously remains to be seen how a healthy and effective Taylor Hall as well as the health of other key players impacts the performance of the team on the road as the season moves forward.

The silver lining in the case of a tough team like Chicago is that the Devils will not have to play there again this season. The Devils also dealt with a trip to the West Coast already and subjected themselves to that gauntlet. The point being that they have put some of the more difficult road trips behind them.

It should also be noted that the Devils schedule is “back loaded” with home games in the second half, which if they play to their potential and are in the mix for a wild card playoff spot, they should be able to win several of those home games, so they figure to be well positioned in the long term.

Conversely, they have not played many Metropolitan Division opponents so far this season, so New Jersey has some difficult games ahead against teams in the top of the standings such as the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the surprising Columbus Blue Jackets.

In addition, the Devils have several games remaining with the top teams from the Atlantic Division such as the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Boston Bruins. It is going to be “tough sledding” until February where they have nine of their eleven games that month are at home at Prudential Center.

In the meantime, we will learn if Travis Zajac has found his scoring touch again after the hat trick last night. We will see how the new defensive pairings for this season hold up under the crucible of Metropolitan divisional rivalry games. We will see if the young Devils prospects can continue to contribute in the various facets of the game on a consistent basis.

The Devils have areas to improve and they have areas where they have been surprisingly better than anticipated, but that is not unlike many other teams at this point in a hockey season. It remains to be seen how the road ahead will treat New Jersey, but I know one thing: they have to figure out a way to win games away from Prudential Center, or else this season will be over before we know it.

by Frank Maduri

The New Jersey Devils Sign Dainus Zubrus

The New Jersey Devils had big news today: the team agreed to terms with Dainus Zubrus on a new contract. The news was broken by www.nbcsports.com and the deal according to their report, is a 3 year deal worth $3 million per year.

On a personal level, I am very excited about this move because Zubrus is a fan favorite on the Devils roster. I really enjoy watching him play, and I am glad he did not leave via free agency. He has played for 6 years for the Devils and his original deal paid him at a rate of $3.4 million per year (www.nbcsports.com).

A Pay Cut – no big deal

The media has spun the fact that Zubrus took a pay cut today, but he had played overseas for years before joining the Devils. So he is now 35 years old and coming off a bad season in 2013. He had 2 goals and 9 total points in 22 games in 2013 (www.nhl.com) and he also had wrist surgery last season, which I think contributed to the poor performance. A player like Zubrus gets a lot of velocity on his shot and the torque on his passes from his wrists. When that area is injured, then a player can have difficulty adjusting their game.

However, I think Zubrus is going to bounce back and have a very solid year for the Devils in 2013-14. I think he is capable of producing goals for this offensively starved team. I think he wanted to come back to the Devils, and he also knew that other teams probably would not offer him more than a 1 year deal coming off that poor season in 2013. He has been loyal to the Devils, and they showed faith in him by giving him a 3 year deal at 35 years old.

I also do not think it is a big deal that he took a pay cut, he is also thinking about the entire team concept. The Devils have to negotiate with several free agents this offseason including Patrick Elias and David Clarkson.

The NBC Sports.com article I read also mentioned that the timing on the Zubrus deal was deliberate to help persuade David Clarkson that the Devils were willing to bring back veteran players to make a serious playoff run. I also think the timing was deliberate with the Draft approaching this weekend, the Devils wanted to make sure that they had one of their top forwards signed in case they do not get the player they want in the first round.

Impact on the Draft

I still think that the Devils can obtain a top offensive prospect in the Draft, but this pick is a big one for the organization because the Devils do not have a 1st round pick next year. They are forfeiting their first round selection next year as part of the penalty for the Ilya Kovalchuk contract, where the NHL charged the Devils with attempting to circumvent the salary cap.

The signing of Zubrus I think takes the pressure off the Devils front office of having to get an “NHL ready” player in the first round. They could take a guy like Bo Horvat, who is a center that needs more minor league preparation time before making the jump to the NHL.

Fan Favorite – Zubrus

The Devils fan base is loyal to their players, especially guys who came into the league with the team. Zubrus is one of those guys who endeared himself to Devils fans because he is a grinder, he gets in there as a forward and is not afraid to do the dirty work. He can make hits along the boards, and he forechecks well. He is a hard nosed, tough player and Devils fans love that because it embodies New Jersey: strong, tough, resilient, and hard working people.

That is why myself and the many fans in the Devils Army are so happy today. I am thrilled to be able to watch Dainus Zubrus continue his Devils career and I wish him all the success in the world in his new contract.