1) The New Jersey Devils have dropped 10 consecutive games, two of which came vs Colorado(!!) and Arizona(!), and now sit 28th in the NHL as a result.
The Coyotes are six points back and there aren't many games left so realistically 28th is probably the best the Devils could do in terms of positioning themselves for success at the lottery.
As was the case last year, each of the top-3 spots will be up for grabs in the lottery. If all remains the same, the Devils and the Golden Knights will each have a 10.32% chance of winning the top pick, and a pretty good chance of picking somewhere in the top-3.
The Devils probably need a top-two pick, putting them in position to select Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier, in order to get someone who can make any sort of difference next season.
There isn't a Connor McDavid/Auston Matthews up for grabs at the top of the draft so if you're hoping for somebody to come in next year, save the team, and put up huge numbers as a rookie (a la Matthews, Patrik Laine, etc.) you're going to be disappointed.
2) There has been a lot of negativity around the Devils of late, which is understandable, but I want to focus a little bit on some of the positives.
One of those is the play of Kyle Palmieri. He had a rough start to the year but has been playing very good hockey with Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac on the top unit and is quietly putting together another solid year.
Palmieri is producing at a 27 goal, 55 point pace on an 82 game basis. Last year, he had 30 goals and 57 points in 82 games. In other words, his 'down year' has essentially turned into what everyone considered a 'great year'. He's earning his money.
3) Don't be surprised if the Devils take a healthy run at signing Zachary Aston-Reese, whose college career reached its end this past weekend.
The 22-year-old is coming off an excellent season in which he tallied 31 goals and 63 points in 38 games with Northeastern. He is not expected to be a prolific offensive player at the next level but he has averaged better than a point per game in consecutive years so it's clear he is not without some skill.
There will be no shortage of suitors for his services but the Devils can offer the former New Jersey Rocket a place close to home and an immediate spot in the lineup. Putting him in the lineup now would burn the first year of his two-year entry-level deal down the stretch, too, meaning he'd be in line for a new, higher paying contract following the 2017-18 season, provided he shows he is a legitimate NHL talent.
Just something to watch for in the coming days.
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