After an impressive 2022-23 season, the New Jersey Devils look to take the next step going into the 2023-24 season.
2022-23
Record: 52-22-8 (112 pts) – 2nd in Metropolitan
Playoffs: Lost to Carolina in Second Round
Key Losses
Damon Severson (D – CLB), Ryan Graves (D – PIT), Miles Wood (F – COL), Yegor Sharagovich (F – CAL), Jesper Boqvist (F – BOS), Mackenzie Blackwood (G – SJ), Tomas Tatar (F – UFA), Andrew Brunette (Associate Coach)
Key Additions
Tyler Toffoli (F), Colin Miller (D), Tomas Nosek (F), Travis Green (Associate Coach)
2023-24 Preview
New Jersey took a big step last season and have asserted themselves into the conversation of being Stanley Cup contenders. The only thing that stands in their way is the Carolina Hurricanes who defeated them in round two after beating Hudson River rivals the NY Rangers in round one. This team showed they are a young force to be reckoned for years to come with with a young core that features Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt. That doesn’t even include the young Hughes brother in Luke who looks to play a big role on the back end this season after making his playoff debut and showed he belongs in this league. What’s even more scary, is there’s even more young talent to come to the Garden State on defense such as Simon Nemec. Despite losing Damond Severson and Ryan Graves on the back end, these two young kids have the talent and potential to fill those roles.
The Devils did go out and add a very nice piece to the top six by acquiring Tyler Tofoli from the Calgary Flames who will look really nice to either Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier. Re-signing trade deadline acquisition Timo Meier as well as RFA Jesper Bratt were huge moves that the Devils had to make. Meier once he got going in Jersey was a lot for opposing defenses to handle. Bratt showed last season that’s very capable of producing and putting up points for years to come and is a valuable asset in the top six. The Devils are one of the upperclassmen of the Metropolitan division but face stiff competition with the favorites in the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins who went out and acquired 100 point Norris Trophy wining defenseman Erik Karlsson to their mix. I see the Devils returning to the playoffs in one of the top three spots in the division. If New Jersey wants to go further, their defense and goaltending has to play at a higher and more elite level for them to get all the way to the top of the mountain. They certainly are capable, they just have to go out and do it now,
Read our other 2023-24 Team Previews: ANA, ARI, BOS, BUF, CAL, CAR, CHI, COL, CLB, DAL, DET, EDM, FLA, LA, MIN, MON, NAS
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