Latest Devils Lines Shuffle Exemplifies Forward Depth Issue

Scoring goals wasn’t an issue anyone anticipated the New Jersey Devils to have this season. And to be fair, it wasn’t to start. However, the Devils have recently fallen from grace, and their goal scoring ability has gone with it. They need a change, and one was attempted on Tuesday morning. However, the latest Devils lines shakeup exemplifies the glaring issue with New Jersey’s forward depth.

READ: Nichols: Stale Devils Need a Change, Fitzgerald & Keefe Shan’t Wait Any Longer

Looking back to general manager Tom Fitzgerald‘s work over the summer, he did a tremendous job addressing the team’s most glaring weaknesses in 2023-24.

The Devils lacked an adequate blueline and goaltending. One certainly impacted the other, and the result was a major regression from their 112-point season in 2022-23.

Those issues were rectified by the acquisition of goaltender Jacob Markstrom, and defensemen Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, and Johnathan Kovacevic.

The Devils were circling the forward market for top-six players as well. However, Nashville swept up both Johnathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos, two players the Devils were interested in bringing to New Jersey.

As a result, they settled for bringing Tomas Tatar back, with the hope that he could rekindle his effectiveness as Nico Hischier‘s line-mate.

“I think when you look at the top six, I think we have plenty of top six players,” Fitzgerald said on July 3rd addressing free agency. “And I also think we’ve got enough complimentary top six players that can play with true top six guys. I’m not sure how many teams in the league can have six top six guys, right? So you know, Tomas Tatar was a player that we’re very familiar with, we know he’s played really well with top six guys on our team. So it just gives us more flexibility. But when your phone rings from top six players, you listen to them because they identified you as a team that they think they can really fit. Then it’s a matter of working out the details of the contract.”

Well, Tatar hasn’t exactly worked out the way Fitzgerald, or anyone, had hoped. Through 43 games, the 34-year-old forward has just four goals and 11 points. He’s also played mostly bottom-six, fourth line minutes this season.

Before Christmas, the Devils were scoring nearly three and a half goals per game. Goal scoring wasn’t an issue on the Devils’ radar coming into this season. However, recent struggles have seen the Devils’ goal scoring plummet, and they’re close to three goals/game at 3.02 as of Tuesday.

The more concerning issue?

On Tuesday, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe shuffled the lines in search of more offense. The result was a startling combination of forwards who were not meant to be in the elevated roles they’re in.

Jack Hughes skated with Ondrej Palat and Nathan Bastian. Hischier with Stefan Noesen and Jesper Bratt. Timo Meier alongside Paul Cotter [playing center] and Dawson Mercer. The fourth line remained the same, consisting of Curtis Lazar centering Tomas Tatar and Kurtis MacDermid.

Keefe noted he’s looking at the history of players who have had success together as part of his new lineup strategy.

However, he is only working with what he has at his disposal. The idea is he’s hoping to spread the Devils’ elites throughout the lineup with the hope that they’ll elevate the play of others.

However, asking Hughes to turn Bastian into a top line forward, despite how well he’s playing in a checking role, seems like an unrealistic task amid a four-game slide.

Similarly, demoted Meier, the Devils’ highest paid forward, seems counterproductive. Meier is a play-driver and perhaps Cotter and Mercer benefit as a result, but it’s another questionable decision, and not one Keefe likely wanted to make. But, instead, felt he had to.

“I’m just looking to change it up,” Keefe explained to the media on Tuesday. “It’s obviously a good time to change it up and see if we can create some new chemistry that can have some things fall into place. And at the same time, we’ve been very patient with the group that we’ve gone with. Only subtle changes really through most of the season. We’re just past the midway point, so we can look at some different things.”

Another question the Devils face which hasn’t surfaced until recently is, what exactly is Noesen?

The returning Devils forward has already broken his previous career-high in goals (14), netting 17 through 47 games this season.

However, his production has tailed off as well, with just one goal—an important game-winner in overtime—against the Tampa Bay Lightning through his last 10 games. Is Noesen the goalscorer we saw earlier this season? Or the depth forward they believed they were signing?

MORE: Devils Locker Room: Simple Q, ‘What’s Been the Biggest Challenge Recently?’ (+)

And when will the Devils’ top guys get going again? Hughes hasn’t been himself and Bratt has been missing from the goal scoring department. Hischier has been the lone Devils’ provider, with three goals in his last five games.

These are all questions that certainly require answers. The issue is, no forward help is coming through the pipeline.

For a moment, the Devils could at least see a scenario where Arseni Gritsyuk jumps into the lineup following the conclusion of his KHL season. However, it seems regulations have changed overseas, and he’s more likely an option next season.

After Gritsyuk, there’s no forward depth for the Devils to turn to internally who isn’t already on the roster.

By no means is this an obituary. We’ve seen this current group of Devils thrive, and it wouldn’t come as a shock to see them playing that way again.

However, it’s clear that the Devils need reinforcements.

We already know Fitzgerald is kicking tires on depth. Jake Evans is one name the Devils have been publically linked to, and Fitzgerald mentioned he’s hoping to acquire a center that can play on the third line.

However, the Devils likely need a top-six forward as well. Someone who will knock each peg in the right place in terms of lineup construction.

The Devils have lacked a natural shooter ever since Tyler Toffoli was traded. They need a trigger man for both even strength—ideally on Hughes’ line—and on the power play.

Some natural fits could be Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders.

Is J.T. Miller a fit? On the ice, certainly. However, that requires some major surgery. This one feels less likely.

There will be other options, too. Perhaps some we’re not even thinking of.

One thing is for sure. The Devils are going to need reinforcements. That won’t be easy to navigate as the 31 other NHL clubs see their desperation. The preference is to get this addressed sooner rather than later.

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