New Jersey Devils 2015-16 Season Primer

Looking at the New Jersey Devils heading into this season – outlook, potential lines, roster, top prospects, draft history, stats and season schedule.

New Jersey Devils

2014-15 Record: 32-36-14, 78 points (7th Place in Metropolitan Division)
2014-15 Outcome: Missed Playoffs – Finished 25th overall

Total Cap Hit: $58,808,331
Total Salary: $56,840,000
Cap Space: $12,591,669

Source: General Fanager

In: David Schlemko, D (FA – Cgy), Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, LW/RW (FA – Pit), Yann Danis, G (FA-Minors), Marc-Andre Gragnani, D (FA-Europe), Jim O’Brien, RW/C (FA-Minors), Paul Thompson, RW (FA-Minors), John Moore, D (FA – Ari), Kyle Palmieri, RW/LW (T – Ana), Vojtech Mozik, D (FA-Europe), John Hynes, Head Coach (Named), Sergey Kalinin, RW/C (FA-Europe)

Out: Dainius Zubrus, W/C (Released), Peter Harrold, D/W (FA – StL), Joe Whitney, LW (FA – NYI), Scott Clemmensen, G (Retired)

Source: Sports Forecaster

Offseason Changes:

The New Jersey Devils are embarking on a new era as Team President/GM Lou Lamoriello and director of scouting David Conte, the central figures that brought three Stanley Cup championships to the Garden State, are gone after almost 30 years.

Lamoriello’s replacement, former Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero began putting his personal stamp on the organization by hiring Wilkes-Barre/Scranton bench boss John Hynes as the Devils new coach and has started to transition away from aging veterans in favor of giving the organization’s young players an opportunity to play and make their mistakes at the NHL level.

Shero terminated the final year of 37-year-old Dainius Zubrus’s contract and did not bring back veterans Scott Gomez, Michael Ryder, Martin Havlat, Steve Bernier, Mark Fraser and team captain Bryce Salvador (all except Fraser are 30 or older).

The Devils acquired 24-year-old forward Kyle Palmieri from Anaheim for two draft choices and signed former Rangers blueliner John Moore to a three-year deal, after he did not receive a qualifying offer from the Arizona Coyotes.

Outlook for the 2015-16 Season:

New Jersey offensive struggles were at the heart of their poor record, finishing 28^th in the NHL with 181 goals (ahead of only Arizona and Buffalo). That will continue to be a challenge this season, as younger veterans Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique assume the mantle of leadership from 39-year-old Patrik Elias.

Zajac and Henrique are penciled in as the club’s top two centers, but the need for more skill up front may open the door for 2015 sixth overall pick Pavel Zacha to make the team if Shero believes that big 18-year-old’s future is better served playing alongside a veteran like Elias instead of returning to the OHL Sarnia Sting for another year.

Veteran sniper Mike Cammalleri led the club with 27 goals, and in spite of his advancing years, Elias can still be an effective offensive player, but there is not a lot of scoring depth after that.

Long Island native Palmieri will be inserted into a top six role and hopes to build on some scoring success with Anaheim. Veterans Tuomo Ruutu and Stephen Gionta will play supporting roles and 2012 first rounder Stefan Matteau, KHL import Sergei Kalinen and winger Reid Boucher will get a real chance to make the club out of training camp.

Winger Ryane Clowe played only 13 games last season due to recurrent concussion issues and at 32-years-old, has retired.

On defense, New Jersey has already moved to a younger group with the exception of veteran Andy Greene and has reason to be optimistic. Former 2011 lottery pick Adam Larsson found his stride after struggling for two years, leading the Devils blueline in scoring, which gave Shero the confidence to sign the 22-year-old to a six-year contract extension this summer.

Damon Severson succeeded as a 20-year-old rookie after jumping from the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets to the Devils blueline, while Eric Gelinas and Jon Merrill regressed slightly in their sophomore seasons. Moore was added as a free agent and is a veteran of the Metro Division with previous stints with Columbus and New York.

Cory Schneider finally got the chance to be a number one goalie after years of apprenticeship behind Roberto Luongo and Brodeur and put up impressive numbers (2.26 GAA, .925 save percentage) in spite of New Jersey’s shortcomings. The 29-year-old goalie had a losing record (26-31-9), but gives the Devils a chance to win on most nights and should be included among Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist, Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask as one of the league’s best.

Keith Kinkaid succeeded veteran Scott Clemmensen as the backup after three full seasons in the AHL and showed the capability to allow Schneider to play a more manageable 60 games instead of being overworked.

Trending Up:

Larsson began to show the talent in his fourth NHL season that he flashed as a 19-year-old rookie in 2012. The fourth overall pick split time between Albany and New Jersey in 2013 and 2014, which raised concerns that the Swedish blueliner might be a bust.

Trending Down:

Zajac had a dramatic downturn in his offensive numbers in 2015, scoring 25 points after a 48-point season in 2014. The 30-year-old is signed through 2021 at $5.75 Million per season.  Henrique has not made any positive strides since impressing in his rookie year, when the Devils made their run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Trade Deadline Outlook:

The Devils have all the looks of a team beginning a long rebuild, which could mean that pending free agents like Elias, Ruutu, Stephen Gionta and Jordin Tootoo could be moved. Shero has the luxury that many NHL teams do not have, with over $12.5 Million in cap space, but New Jersey’s budget limitations may not allow Shero to be adventurous and take on salary from other teams for future assets.

Playoff Chances: Low
Prediction: 7^th in Metro

Written by Michael Augello, who can be found on twitter @MikeInBuffalo

Devils: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule

Potential line combinations, defensive pairings, and goalies.

Mike Cammalleri – Travis Zajac – Kyle Palmieri
Patrik Elias – Adam Henrique – Sergey Kalinin
Jacob Josefson – Pavel Zacha – Jordin Tootoo
Stefan Matteau – Stephen Gionta – Tuomo Ruutu
Reid Boucher – Jim O’Brien

Andy Greene – Adam Larsson
Damon Severson – Eric Gelinas
John Moore – Jon Merrill
David Schlemko

Cory Schneider
Keith Kinkaid

Some top New Jersey Devils prospect lists heading into the season.

* Different sites have different guidelines for who is a ‘prospect.’

1. Pavel Zacha: Centre – 6’3” / 210 lbs – Zacha will be given an opportunity to make the Devils roster out of training camp as they are desperate for some youth and skill up front. It is expected he will at least start the season on the Devils, but at 18 years old, he is too young to play in the AHL. It will be interesting to see where he would be assigned if he proves to not be ready for prime time.

2. Steve Santini: Defence – 6’2” / 207 lbs – Santini was limited to just 22 games due to injury in his sophomore year with Boston College. which also cost him an opportunity to play for the USA WJC team. The big defenceman will return for his junior year and will take on a bigger role as he will be an alternate captain. With Mike Matheson leaving BC, Santini has the chance to be the top pairing defender with Ian McCoshen. Santini has can’t miss potential as a shutdown defensive defenseman.

3. MacKenzie Blackwood: Goalie- 6’4” / 214 lbs – Despite an ankle injury Blackwood started 51 games in his second season for Barrie and raised his game late in the season with a stellar performance against the Belleville Bulls in the playoffs. Blackwood has size and athleticism that projects him as a potential star starting goalie. He will likely play two more seasons in the OHL, then will likely  need some time in the AHL. With Corey Schneider signed through 2021/22, there is no need to rush the next starting goalie for the Devils.

4. Joseph Blandisi: Right Wing – 5’11” / 182 lbs – After Colorado failed to secure his rights, the Devils scooped up the late blooming forward. Blandisi was returned to Barrie of the OHL for an over age season and he dominated, scoring 112 points in 68 games including 52 goals. Blandisi will turn pro and has a shot at jumping right to the NHL. One teams trash is another team’s treasure.

5. Sergey Kalinin: Right Wing – 6’3” / 190 lbs – Kalinin is the second player out of the top five on this list acquired via free agency rather than the draft. At 24 years old, Kalinin is mature and has been playing against men in the KHL the past five years, and he should be able to secure a NHL roster spot to start the season. His size is NHL ready and can play any position upfront. He plays an aggressive, agitating game not unlike Leo Komarov of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Like Komarov, Kalinin has limited offensive upside. Several other prospects in the system have a higher ceiling, but Kalinin is more ready to go.

Devils: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule

A look at the New Jersey Devils drafting from 2010 to 2015.

Devils: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule

New Jersey Devils 2014-15 player stats.

Devils: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule

A look at the New Jersey Devils 2015-16 schedule.

Devils: Outlook | Lines and Roster | Top Prospects | Draft History | Stats | Schedule