There is obviously not much going on now during the dog days of the summer, so I have decided to do somewhat of a prediction blog for the upcoming season to give you something to chew on during these long, boring days.
With that said, here are a few reasons why the Devils will get back to the postseason, and win at least one playoff round.
Why the Devils will return to the playoffs
I'll just flat out say it: The Devils will make the playoffs in the upcoming season.
Why, you might ask? Well for starters, they will get off to a better start than last season. How do I know? Well, it's impossible to do any worse.
In all seriousness, they will have their first full season with Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise. The Devils as a team have motivation to prove that last season was a fluke, and to get back to their winning ways. They will have a coach in Pete DeBoer who will not take any crap, and will make sure that every man on his team is giving 110% every night. When you give 110% every night, you have a chance to win every night as almost every game will be within reach. With two elite goal scorers in Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, they will come out on top of these close games more often than not.
As I said above, the Devils are a very motivated team with something to prove. They have a good coach and two of the best players in the game (Kovalchuk and Parise) playing for them.
Why New Jersey will make some noise in the playoffs
Not only will the Devils return to the playoffs this season, but they will make it past the first round at least. Yes, I realize I said that.
The Devils two best players - Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise - are both motivated and both have something to prove in the playoffs. Ilya Kovalchuk wants to show he is worthy of his contract, and wants to prove he is not a playoff choker. How can he do that? He can do that by playing well and winning a playoff series - something he has never done in his career.
On the other hand, Zach Parise hasn't had much success in the playoffs throughout his young career. Parise is on a 'prove it' contract, and a big playoffs would help him cash in big time, whether it's with the Devils or another franchise - I`m guessing the Devils.
I'm sure you have all heard the saying "you will go as far as your best players take you". Well, that saying certainly applies to this team, and with the Devils best players having more motivation than most, I think they could take the Devils pretty far.
Follow me on twitter @ToddCordell for the latest news & notes surrounding the New Jersey Devils, and NHL in general.
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