Devils Go Streaking 2019-04-02 New Jersey 04/2/2019 - Perhaps nothing exemplifies the sporadic 2018-2019 New Jersey Devils season more than their recent stretch of 20 games. Nine consecutive losses prior to the EHE All Star break were followed up by a 6-game win streak. Then came a 3 game skid, before winning one, and then dropping their latest contest. New Jersey currently sits 2nd last in the league 58 games into the season. It’s been an uphill battle for The Devils all year long. Expectations heading into the year were at an all-time low. General Manager Cole Bates was direct with his intent for a total rebuild, and year one results certainly reflect it. New Jersey enjoyed a hot stretch of 6 consecutive wins while it lasted. The steak came shortly after the acquisition of Alex Steen. Since coming to Jersey, Steen has played heavy minutess in all situations. The veteran forward has also found a home on the top line with Lucic and Barzal. Barzal, who was recently named Assistant Captain, leads the team with 47 points. The Devils star center even earned his first EHE All Star nod this season. Many speculate that once Captain Kevin Bieska is gone, it will be Barzal who is next in line for the "C". The question is whether or not the 21 year old will be ready once that time comes. The progression of pending RFA's Alex Iafallo and Kenny Agostino suggests both could be apart of the bottom 6 long-term. Once signed, they will join Tyler Pitlick as the only forward on the current Devils roster signed beyond 2021. Fellow pending RFA Scott Wilson and 2020 bound RFA Matt Barzal are the only other Devils forwards without UFA status within the next 2 years. New Jersey`s cap situation was positioned in such a way once Bates took over. The expectation is that any UFA between this year and next could be subject to trade. Overall, The Devils forward group remains a work in progress. The likes of Mittelstadt, Borgstrom, Frost, Garland, Dube, Barre-Boulet, Appleton, Blais, Merkley, Sikura, Quenneville, etc, all present hope. Despite having plenty of young talent nurturing in Springfield, there is still loads of work and development ahead. The Devils back end is quite the project on in it`s own right. Veteran`s Jason Garrison and Kevin Bieska log the most minutes, along with 24 year old Brandon Montour. The development of Brandon Montour and Erik Gustafsson present some positives moving forward, but the overall state of their blue line is quite shabby. Prospects Nicolas Beaudin, Cal Foote, Jeremy Davies, David Farrance, and Mario Ferraro have promise but need time. Expect the blue line to be an area of focus this off-season. Between the pipes, Keith Kinkaid deserves credit for his work load considering the lack of help in front of him. What’s clear is that Kinkaid is biting off more of a work load than he can chew. Oettinger and Comrie are good prospects but it’s imperative that New Jersey improves their Goaltending if The Devils want a chance at improvement either this season or next. All-in-all, this is a developing roster with many moving parts. Year one of The Bates Blue Print expected to be one of many tribulations. New Jersey's playoff hopes are shot, but two potentially high 1st round picks give us something else to look forward to. Keep calm and carry on Devils fans, the future is bright. After all, we were expecting to take some hits during Year One of our rebuild. Like Rocky Balboa once said, "You gotta be willing to take the hits!" - Right? (Crickets) Best of luck to all EHE teams down the stretch!
