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1) I've received a lot of questions about Nico Hischier, Nolan Patrick, and their NHL readiness so I figured I'd touch on the subject in a post.
Some view Hischier as a question mark due to his stature (more so weight than size) while others are worried about Patrick coming off a season where he missed more than half the games.
Personally, I am not concerned about either player and fully believe they are both capable of stepping into the NHL as full-timers this fall.
Hischier plays with some bite in his game and doesn't shy away from contact or the dirty areas of the ice. A few people I've talked to feel he'll need to bulk up a little bit this off-season, as is the case with almost every teenager trying to make the jump, but that won't be a problem.
As for Patrick, he has tallied 178 points in his last 126 games (playoffs included) with Brandon and has nothing left to prove at the WHL level. He also has ideal NHL size and is an older, more physically mature player than most high draft picks (he'll be 19 prior to the start of the season). I think he'll be able to handle himself.
As I've said many times, I'd take Hischier but I feel the Devils will be getting an NHL-ready player regardless.
2) Defense is the most pressing need for the Devils but they could still use some scoring pop up front and they have a lot of money to play with.
As such, many hoped they'd take a run at T.J. Oshie in free agency. It appears the Devils won't get the chance, even if they were interested, as he's reportedly close to an extension with the Washington Capitals.
While many are disappointed by the news, I think it's a good thing Oshie won't end up in New Jersey.
He is a solid player but his impressive 2016-17 totals were inflated significantly by an unsustainably high shooting percentage (he scored on 23% of his shots, 10% more than his career average) and the fact he skated alongside two of the most dominant offensive players in the NHL in Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. He also had a barrage of quality puck movers getting him the puck, a luxury he wouldn't have on a team like New Jersey.
He is on the wrong side of 30, due to regress next season and, quite frankly, the Devils are nowhere close to a position where they can overpay for a guy in hopes he'll be the missing piece.
Terms of an extension are unknown at this point but it's fair to say it'll be a pretty lucrative contract. It's also fair to say he probably took a bit of a discount to stay in Washington and that if signed elsewhere in free agency, especially if it were a retooling team like New Jersey, it'd take more money to get his signature. Keep that in mind if Oshie ends up signing cheaper than you expected.
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