Good afternoon Devils fans. The regular season is upon us and the 23-24 New Jersey Devils have finalized their opening night roster to be cap compliant. Per NHL.com, the roster as of now will be:
14 Forwards:
Nathan Bastian Jesper Bratt Erik Haula Nico Hischier Alexander Holtz Jack Hughes Curtis Lazar Michael Mcleod Timo Meier Dawson Mercer Tomas Nosek Ondrej Palat Chris Tierney Tyler Toffoli
7 Defensemen:
Kevin Bahl Dougie Hamilton Luke Hughes John Marino Colin Miller Jonas Sieganthaler Brendan Smith
2 Goalies:
Vitek Vanacek Akira Schmid
Simon Nemec was sent down to Utica. 4 players, including Nolan Foote, Nico Daws, Keith Kinkaid, and Brian Halonen were placed on injured non-roster reserve.
4 Takeaways from the Opening Night Roster:
1. Alexander Holtz Earned It
Arguably the largest storyline for any prospect this summer was the future and place of Alexander Holtz in the organization. The highly touted 21 year old Swede forward was in the outliers of last season’s group for most of the year, with many arguing that if he wasn’t going to play regularly, he should either head back to Utica or be traded while his value was strong. Looks like both parties took notice. Holtz, to his credit, increased his speed, stamina, and decision making quality of the summer, looking to be a much improved and dangerous winger. After a strong preseason, he’ll be pushing for top 6 minutes.
2. Nemec Continues His Development
A debatable surprise from the roster announcement came in the form of Simon Nemec, who will start the season in the AHL. Yes, it does make a lot of sense. The young Slovakian defender was eyeing a spot on the main roster but his preseason campaign was a mix of good and bad: solid puck moving and attacking capabilities being underscored by lackluster defensive chops and clearances. Many surely can’t wait to see him suit up regularly but he may need a few more months to cook and develop with the minor system, honing a stronger 2-way game.
3. New Faces are Here to Stay…For Now
Over the summer, the Devils were coming out of their first playoff appearance in 5 years, a huge surprise and turnaround for the organization. Their main goal was to lock up key pieces long term, continue youth development, and build depth. The acquisition of Tomas Nosek, Colin Miller, and Chris Tierney checked off the last box. These players, along with a seldom utilized Curtis Lazar last season, give the Black and Red some wiggle room on their bottom-3 and last defensive pair. Now, other questions will emerge. Will these players bring much to the team not just during the season but the dog days of April and May? If not, are they moved or demoted to make room for other players, particularly the youth pieces in Clarke, Foote, and Nemec? Things will be cleared in a few months.
4. Can Optimism and Prep Time Elevate Players to New Peaks?
The expectations this season is not if the Devils will make the playoffs, for how long will they last. Their surprise comeback defeat of the Rangers earned them the first 2nd round playoff appearances since the cup year. This team, with the experience of last season and the time/prep of the offseason can end up making the difference as we approach the home openers. Now, what’s exciting is, if the team can remain healthy, what each player could achieve? Here are some reasonable or unreasonable goals for each player:
Offense:
Nathan Bastian - Avoid the IR list and develop strong chemistry with some combination of Nosek, Lazar, Mcleod, or Foote eventually Jesper Bratt - Become a point per game player Erik Haula - Remain healthy and elevate your 3rd line Nico Hischier - Remain a point per game player with a +36 rating Alexander Holtz - Never get sent down to Utica, can he go 20/20 for goals and assists? Jack Hughes - Can he hit 110 points? Curtis Lazar - Play 20+ games Michael Mcleod - Continue faceoff dominance while bringing playoff flashes into regular season play (maybe 10-12 goals) Timo Meier - Hit 40+ goals Dawson Mercer - Hit 65+ in a mid-6 role Tomas Nosek - Make the 4th line dangerous again without increasing defensive liability Ondrej Palat - Stay healthy and gather points on the 3rd line Chris Tierney - Play 35+ games Tyler Toffoli - Put up top 6 numbers with top 6 minutes like he did in Calgary
Defense:
Kevin Bahl - A full season with +18 rating Dougie Hamilton - Repeat last year’s success or come close Luke Hughes - Develop a balanced NHL and hit .75 points/game John Marino - Look as good all year as he has in the preseason Colin Miller - 20 Assists Jonas Sieganthaler - 30 points without backstepping on defense Brendan Smith - +7 rating
Goalies:
Vitek Vanacek - .920 Save Percentage Akira Schmid - 20+ Wins
The Devils will open up their season at home vs. Detroit, 7:30 PM. Here were the lines from today’s practice, per Amanda Stein:
#NJDevils shaping up like this at practice this morning… with the caveat that Erik Haula is not on the ice: pic.twitter.com/EZ8gmPKptB
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) October 10, 2023
What are your thoughts? How will this roster change as the year progresses? Any goals I’ve laid out that you would change?
Leave your thoughts and comments below. Raise Hell,
-Josh Biringer