New Jersey Devils 2014-15 Season Primer

The New Jersey Devils are the next Metro division team we are featuring in our season primer series.

Use the below Tabs to view Devils info for this upcoming season, as well as some numbers from last year.

2013-14 record: 35-29-18, 88 points
Where they finished: 6^th in the Metropolitan; tied for 10^th in the East; tied for 19^th in the NHL

Player Salaries: $65,890,000 (22)
Cap Payroll: $64,723,334
Bonuses: $3,060,000
Cap Space: $4,276,666
Forwards: $45,250,000 (14)
Defensemen: $11,706,667 (6)
Goalies: $4,600,000 (2)
Source: CapGeek.com

In: Corbin McPherson D, Martin Havlat RW/LW, Mike Cammalleri LW/C, Scott Clemmensen G

Out: Anton Volchenkov D, Mark Fayne D, Maxim Noreau D

2014-15 Team Outlook:

Last year, the New Jersey Devils missed the playoffs the past two seasons since going to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012. Scoring has been a problem for the team in each one of those seasons, finishing near the bottom of the league in goals for on a yearly basis.

In 2012 when they were firing on all cylinders, the team had the likes of Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, both of which they have since lost for absolutely nothing in return. The fact that the Devils still remained in the playoff conversation last season (only missed out by five points), says something about how quickly general manager Lou Lamoriello can rebuild a team.

This offseason Lamoriello focused on removing the problems up front, signing a few notable free agents (Mike Cammalleri and Martin Havlat) who have made solid careers out of providing offense. With the new acquisitions, the Devils now have a plethora of offensive wingers at their disposal, some might even say they have too many, as it once again could force Patrick Elias into a centre position. Elias struggled with faceoffs last season, winning only 40.8 per cent of his draws, but head coach Peter DeBoer has already went on record stating that he is likely to return to that spot.

The offense should be improved with the new signing, although it is still heavily based on veterans and could seriously use an injection of youth going forward. Because of the depth at the wing positions, the Devils possess a very interchangeable top-nine, with almost all of the players having played top-six roles on other teams in the past. With that said, on the first-line is likely to be Cammalleri and Jaromir Jagr, with Travis Zajac in the middle. The second-line could have Elias in the middle, with Adam Henirque (who can switch with Elias at any time), and likely Michael Ryder. Danius Zubrus or Stephen Gionta will likely centre the third line, with the other being in the middle of on the fourth line. Their bottom-six wingers will include some combination of Martin Havlat, Ryane Clowe, Tuomo Ruutu, Damien Brunner, Steve Bernier, and Jacob Josefson. Other forwards looking to make the team will be veterans Cam Janssen, Tim Sestito, Mike Sislo, and Joe Whitney, along with prospects Stefan Matteau and Reid Boucher.

Although the offensive unit will be relying on older players, the Devils’ defense-core will see a few youngsters get some serious minutes this season. One of those players is Eric Gelinas, who scored seven goals and 29 points in 60 games last season, but remains a RFA at this point. Andy Greene will be on the first-pairing, but his partner remains to be seen. The logical choice would be Marek Zidlicky, however, if the Devils elect to go that route then the last defense-pair will see two of the younger players together, something teams like to avoid. When you look at the minutes handed out last season, it would appear that Jon Merrill would be the most likely to take on big minutes, as he played over 19 minutes a night as a rookie. If that is the case with Merrill on the first pairing, it could be Zidlicky, with former 4th overall pick Adam Larsson skating alongside him on the second pair. On the last pairing would then be veteran Bryce Salvador, along with Gelinas once he is signed. Peter Harrold appears to have the inside track on being the extra defenseman, although prospects Raman Hrabarenka, Alexander Urbom, and Reece Scarlett will give him a run for his money.

In net there is a noticeable absence, as Martin Brodeur will not be returning after 22 years with the organization. Corey Schneider will be taking over as the legitimate number one goalie after spending his entire career to date battling for that position, first on Vancouver with Roberto Luongo, and the with Brodeur on the Devils. Brought in former Devil Scott Clemmensen, who could battle with Keith Kinkaid for the backup position. Prospect Scott Wedgewood waiting in the wings for his opportunity to make the NHL.

With the new firepower on the offensive end, mixed with the high-end young skill at the back, the Devils should have a shot at making the playoffs in 2014-15. Much of their success will still rely on the way that the old guard in Jagr and Elias perform, so the Devils better hope they don’t finally show their age. New Jersey will be battling for one of the last seeds in the East with several other teams such as Toronto, New York Islanders, Columbus, and Washington so actually making the playoffs won’t be an easy task. Expect the Devils to finish somewhere between the seventh to tenth spot in the standings when it’s all said and done.

Written by Greg Stamper, who can be found on twitter @g_stamp91.

The depth chart listed below was taken from NHL.com’s 30-in-30.

FORWARDS
Mike Cammalleri – Travis Zajac – Jaromir Jagr
Patrik Elias – Adam Henrique – Michael Ryder
Marty Havlat – Dainius Zubrus – Damien Brunner
Ryane Clowe – Stephen Gionta – Tuomo Ruutu
Jacob Josefson – Steve Bernier

DEFENSEMEN
Andy Greene – Adam Larsson
Jon Merrill – Marek Zidlicky
Eric Gelinas – Bryce Salvador
Peter Harrold

GOALTENDERS
Cory Schneider
Keith Kinkaid

Forwards	POS	HT	WT	DOB	BIRTH PLACE
Steve Bernier	R	6′ 3″	215	31-Mar-85	QUEBEC CITY, QC, CAN
Damien Brunner	R	5′ 10″	185	9-Mar-86	ZÜRICH, CHE
Mike Cammalleri	L	5′ 9″	190	8-Jun-82	RICHMOND HILL, ON, CAN
Ryane Clowe	L	6′ 3″	225	30-Sep-82	ST. JOHN’S, NL, CAN
Patrik Elias	L	6′ 1″	195	13-Apr-76	TREBIC, CZE
Stephen Gionta	C	5′ 7″	185	9-Oct-83	ROCHESTER, NY, USA
Marty Havlat	R	6′ 2″	210	19-Apr-81	MLADA BOLESLAV, CZE
Adam Henrique	C	6′ 0″	195	6-Feb-90	BRANTFORD, ON, CAN
Jaromir Jagr	R	6′ 3″	230	15-Feb-72	KLADNO, CZE
Tuomo Ruutu	R	6′ 0″	205	16-Feb-83	VANTAA, FIN
Michael Ryder	R	6′ 1″	200	31-Mar-80	BONAVISTA, NL, CAN
Travis Zajac	C	6′ 3″	205	13-May-85	WINNIPEG, MB, CAN
Dainius Zubrus	R	6′ 5″	225	16-Jun-78	ELEKTRENAI, LTU
Defenseman	HT	WT	AGE	DOB	BIRTH PLACE
Andy Greene	5′ 11″	190	31	30-Oct-82	TRENTON, MI, USA
Peter Harrold	5′ 11″	180	31	8-Jun-83	KIRTLAND HILLS, OH, USA
Bryce Salvador	6′ 4″	215	38	11-Feb-76	BRANDON, MB, CAN
Marek Zidlicky	5′ 11″	190	37	3-Feb-77	MOST, CZE
Goalie	HT	WT	AGE	DOB	BIRTH PLACE
Cory Schneider	6′ 2″	200	28	18-Mar-86	MARBLEHEAD, MA, USA

A look at the New Jersey Devils top prospects heading into this season. Each source may use different classifications as to if a player is deemed a prospect or has graduated on from a prospect.

RK	NHL.com	ESPN Corey Pronman	Dobber Prospects	Hockeys Future	The Hockey News
1	Reid Boucher	Steven Santini	Reid Boucher	Jon Merrill	Stefan Matteau
2	Stefan Matteau	Damon Severson	Damon Severson	Damon Severson	Steven Santini
3	Keith Kinkaid	John Quenneville	Stefan Matteau	Reid Boucher	Damon Severson
4	Damon Severson	Stefan Matteau	Keith Kinkaid	Stefan Matteau	John Quenneville
5	Steven Santini	Reid Boucher	Joe Whitney	Steven Santini	Reid Boucher
6	John Quenneville	Blake Pietila	Blake Coleman	John Quenneville	Keith Kinkaid
7	Seth Helgeson	Joshua Jacobs	John Quenneville	Seth Helgeson	Graham Black
8	Scott Wedgewood	Ryan Kujawinski	Scott Wedgewood	Joshua Jacobs	Reece Scarlett
9	Raman Hrabarenka	Artur Gavrus	Reece Scarlett	Graham Black	Blake Pietila
10	Ryan Kujawinski	Reece Scarlett	Joshua Jacobs	Blake Coleman	Scott Wedgewood

* Dobber Prospects – Prospects based on relevance in a fantasy-hockey keeper league, not actual talent on the ice.

New Jersey Devils Draft History from the past five years

2014 Draft
Rd.	Draft #	Player	Pos.	Team	Ht.	Wt.
1	30	John Quenneville	C/LW	Brandon (WHL)	6′ 1″	190
2	41	Joshua Jacobs	D	Indiana (USHL)	6′ 2″	196
3	71	Connor Chatham	RW	Plymouth (OHL)	6′ 2″	222
5	131	Ryan Rehill	D	Kamloops (WHL)	6′ 2″	210
6	152	Joey Dudek	C	Kimball Union HS (NH)	5′ 11″	180
6	161	Brandon Baddock	LW	Edmonton (WHL)	6′ 3″	205
2013 Draft
2	42	Steve Santini	D	US-NTDP	6′ 2″	205
3	73	Ryan Kujawinski	C	Kingston (OHL)	6′ 2″	200
4	100	Miles Wood	LW	Nobles (HS MA )	6′ 1″	160
6	160	Myles Bell	LW	Kelowna (WHL)	5′ 11″	212
7	208	Anthony Brodeur	G	Shattuck St. Mary’s HS (MN)	5′ 10″	177
2012 Draft
1	29	Stefan Matteau	LW	USNTDP (USHL)	6′ 1″	207
2	60	Damon Severson	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6′ 1″	175
3	90	Ben Johnson	C	Windsor (OHL)	5’11”	186
4	96	Ben Thomson	LW	Kitchener (OHL)	6′ 3″	205
5	135	Graham Black	C	Swift Current (WHL)	5’11”	173
5	150	Alexander Kerfoot	C	Coquitlan (BCHL)	5′ 9″	153
6	180	Artur Gavrus	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5′ 9″	175
2011 Draft
1	4	Adam Larsson	D	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	6′ 2″	205
3	69	Forfeited pick
3	75	Blake Coleman	C	Indiana (USHL)	5’10”	198
4	99	Reid Boucher	C	USA U-18 (USHL)	5’10”	192
5	129	Blake Pietila	LW	USA U-18 ( USHL )	5’11”	189
6	159	Reece Scarlett	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6′ 0″	155
7	189	Patrick Daly	D	Benilde – St.Margaret (HS-MN)	6′ 0″	178
2010 Draft
2	38	Jon Merrill	D	USA U-18	6′ 3″	200
3	84	Scott Wedgewood	G	Plymouth	6′ 1″	195
4	114	Joe Faust	D	Bloomington-Jeff.	5’11”	190
6	174	Maxime Clermont	G	Gatineau	6′ 0″	190
7	204	Mauro Jorg	F	Lugano	6′ 0″	192

Player	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	S	S%
Jaromir Jagr	82	24	43	67	16	46	5	0	6	231	10.4
Patrik Elias	65	18	35	53	-4	30	4	2	1	116	15.5
Travis Zajac	80	18	30	48	3	28	3	0	3	165	10.9
Adam Henrique	77	25	18	43	3	20	7	3	4	137	18.2
Marek Zidlicky	81	12	30	42	-3	60	8	0	2	128	9.4
Michael Ryder	82	18	16	34	-6	18	4	1	2	166	10.8
Andy Greene	82	8	24	32	3	32	3	0	3	134	6
Eric Gelinas	60	7	22	29	-3	22	5	0	2	124	5.6
Dainius Zubrus	82	13	13	26	1	46	0	0	1	121	10.7
Ryane Clowe	43	7	19	26	-10	33	3	0	1	74	9.5
Damien Brunner	60	11	14	25	-11	26	4	0	1	110	10
Steve Bernier	78	3	9	12	-15	33	0	0	1	104	2.9
Andrei Loktionov	48	4	8	12	2	12	0	0	1	44	9.1
Mark Fayne	72	4	7	11	-5	30	0	1	0	88	4.5
Stephen Gionta	66	4	7	11	-8	18	0	1	1	89	4.5
Jon Merrill	52	2	9	11	-3	12	0	0	2	45	4.4
Ryan Carter	62	7	3	10	-6	35	0	0	2	69	10.1
Anton Volchenkov	56	0	8	8	3	20	0	0	0	42	0
Tuomo Ruutu	19	3	5	8	1	10	1	0	1	26	11.5
Reid Boucher	23	2	5	7	2	4	0	0	0	27	7.4
Bryce Salvador	40	1	3	4	-2	29	0	0	0	24	4.2
Peter Harrold	33	0	4	4	-2	14	0	0	0	32	0
Cam Janssen	24	3	0	3	3	22	0	0	0	11	27.3
Tim Sestito	16	0	3	3	1	2	0	0	0	13	0
Jacob Josefson	27	1	2	3	0	4	0	1	0	21	4.8
Adam Larsson	26	1	2	3	-1	12	0	0	1	20	5
Rostislav Olesz	10	0	2	2	-1	0	0	0	0	9	0
Mattias Tedenby	15	1	0	1	-8	10	0	0	0	9	11.1
Mike Sislo	14	0	0	0	-1	0	0	0	0	20	0
Joe Whitney	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Goalie	GPI	GS	MIN	GAA	W	L	OT	SO	SA	GA	SV%
Cory Schneider	45	43	2680	1.97	16	15	12	3	1107	88	0.921
Martin Brodeur	39	39	2297	2.51	19	14	6	3	971	96	0.901

Performance and Usage Charts for the New Jersey Devils from last season, from Extra Skater.

Media Guide created by Jessica Levine who can be found on twitter @jessicalevine

National Sites
In Lou We Trust and on Twitter
Bleacher Report – Devils
SB Nation – Devils

Local Newspapers
NJ.com
NY Times – Devils
North Jersey.com
Time Union – Albany Devils

Writers – Twitter and Blogs
Tom Gulitti (NorthJersey.com) and Fire and Ice Blog
Rich Chere (Star Ledger) and Blog
Steve Politi (Star Ledger) and Blog
Pete Dougherty (Albany Times Union) and Blog

Misc. Twitter
Analyst Ken Daneyko
Devils Podcast: Talking Red
Local Radio: WFAN660

Team
Devils Site
Devils Twitter
Devils Instagram
Devils Pinterest
Devils PR Twitter
Albany Devils Site
Albany Devils Twitter
AHL PR Twitter
CEO, Scott O’Neil
Prudential Center Twitter