Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving.
Starting to think about the season and expectations got me wondering; What do the Devils need now? What should be their next step?
My rough starting lineup looks like this:
Johnsson - Hischier - Gusev
Bratt - Hughes - Palmieri
Boqvist - Zajac - Kuokkonen
Wood - Zacha - McLeod
Can crack the bubble; Merkley, Bastian.
Murray - Seversen
Butcher - Subban
Kulikov - Smith
Can crack the lineup; White, Jacobs
Blackwood - Crawford
Wedgewood will fill in for injuries.
So, thinking out loud, what do I see here?
Wood, Zacha and McLeod - willl they be happy with 4th line minutes? Or will one get traded? (especially if the Devils sign one more forward free agent)
McLeod's time is now or move on especially with a few talented forwards in the system.
Kuokkonen, could be the bump down if there is a free agent signing.
Zacha, yes he can contribute in many ways (just not the top forward we drafted him to become) but will he be satisfied with his role? He could be the first trade bait.
I have sad this before, Id love to see another forward signing. I have said Haula for a while but at what cost? Who gets bumped?
Or a blockbuster to bring in a Johnny Gaudreau kind of player? We have assets to make a compelling offer for a player of his caliber. This will also accelerate the need for youngsters in the system to develop and fill a hole. Maybe this, shortened season, is that year to make a move for the next 3 years. This would be my next step. And Fitz could be the GM that does this ala Palmieri trade which has been great!
On D, will Subban bounce back? He better hope so if he wants to get traded to a contender or have another free agency pay day.
What is Butcher? The rookie year Butcher or last year's Butcher? Can Ty Smith give him a run for his spot?
As much as I want to improve our D, the additions of Murray and Kulikov suggest we are done for now. Again Subban being traded and Butcher's season will determine the next step for our defense.
In goal, I think we have a nice tandem and do see Blackwood and Crawford splitting time this season. Blackwood #1 goalie with Crawford #1B.
Make an offer to Calgary for Gaudreau:
Zacha or McLeod, Butcher and a 2nd for Johnny G
Truly yours,
The Devils Advocate
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
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