It feels like just yesterday that we were gearing up for the NHL season. Seven months have passed and here we are. For 16 teams the quest for the Stanley Cup championship is just beginning. For the New Jersey Devils, they get to begin summer vacation early. Before the start of the season, we took a crack at it and made some bold predictions. We may have been slightly delusional (no, optimistic) coming off of a historic season, so let’s take a look back and see how we did.
Revisiting Bold Predictions for This Year’s New Jersey Devils Team
Prediction: There Will Be Seven 30-Goal Scorers
Verdict: Miss (but not too badly)
The Devils ended up having a grand total of ZERO 30-goal scorers. However, had injuries not been such a big problem they likely wouldn’t have been far off. We predicted Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Tyler Toffoli, Dawson Mercer, and Alexander Holtz would be the ones to do it. Meier led the team with 28 goals but also missed 13 games with injury. Bratt played in all 82 games and fell shy of the 30-goal mark, scoring 27, but having a career-high in points. Hughes and Hischier both finished with 27 goals, but they also missed 20 and 11 games respectively. Then there’s Toffoli. The Devils traded him at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, but before that had 26 goals in 61 games. It’s fair to say three out of the four would’ve hit 30 had they been healthy, and Toffoli likely hit 30 if he’s not traded.
The two biggest swings and misses were Mercer and Holtz. After a breakout 27-goal season in 2022-23, Mercer showed fans why progression isn’t always linear. Mercer tends to be a streaky player and couldn’t find the hot streaks this year like he had the previous year. He did manage to hit 20 goals in back-to-back years which is still a heck of an accomplishment in a down year. As for Holtz, there was hope and expectation he would take a big leap up in both the lineup and in play. And despite a solid 16-goal season, Holtz yet again struggled to get consistent ice time. The 30-goal potential is there, but it may take a few seasons and more of a chance higher in the lineup.
Prediction: A Goalie Not on the Roster Will Lead the Devils in the Playoffs
Verdict: So, so close
If it weren’t for the Devils inability to string two good weeks of hockey together, this prediction would be spot on. Vitek Vanecek turned in a dud of a season and found himself on a cross-continental flight to San Jose. In return, the Devils acquired Kaapo Kahkonen. But more importantly, they also acquired Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens.
Allen did his absolute best to give the Devils a chance to win every night. He ended with a 3.11 GAA and a .900 SV%, but that doesn’t tell the full story. Allen put together multiple 35+ save wins, as well as multiple games over a .940 SV%. If the rest of the roster had only found that similar fight to get into the playoffs, Allen was a hot enough hand that they could have possibly pulled off an upset. Nevertheless, the Devils will have Allen back in the net next year and will look for him to continue his fine form.
Prediction: Multiple Devils Win Awards
Verdict: Yikes
Coming off a season where the Devils had three finalists for awards, it wasn’t too far-fetched to see them do it again. The Devils likely end up with one player as a finalist; Luke Hughes for Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top-rookie. Unfortunately, that award is Connor Bedard’s to lose, and fellow rookie defenceman, from the Minnesota Wild, Brock Faber, will probably be ahead of Hughes on most ballots. However, Hughes and his 47-point season should be enough to secure a nomination. Other than that the Devils should get nothing more. No Hart for (Jack) Hughes. No Selke for Hischier. And certainly no Jack Adams for Lindy Ruff. It would be a major win if Luke can just sneak in as the Calder runner-up.
Prediction: The Devils Will Win the Presidents’ Trophy and Make the Stanley Cup Finals
Verdict: BIG YIKES
There may have been a bit of delusion making this prediction. In hindsight, the Devils defence and goaltending were always going to take a step back. After making it through relatively unscathed by injuries in 2022-23, they were hit hard this year. The Devils never even sniffed the Presidents’ trophy and didn’t even give themselves the chance to play for the Stanley Cup. However, there are a lot of pieces in place for a Presidents’ Trophy and Cup-winning team. A new coach will be imperative, as will a number one goalie and filling in depth across the roster. Next year will go a long way in determining if this is the core that can achieve those goals, but for the 2023-24 season, this prediction was way, way off.
Main photo: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
