The New Jersey Devils are the surprise of the NHL early on as they sit with a 12-3-0 record one month into the season. Tyler Yaremchuk and Mike McKenna discussed what the team could add in order to solidify themselves as a top Stanley Cup contender on Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live.
Yaremchuk: “One team that will certainly be looking to add as we move towards the trade deadline — and I know it’s crazy, the trade deadline is three-and-a-half months away — is the New Jersey Devils.
The Devils are absolutely remarkable. They’ve won nine games in a row, they sit at the top of the Metropolitan Division, are four points clear of second place, and the fans were apologizing to head coach Lindy Ruff with a “Sorry Lindy” chant over the weekend.
Heading into the year, the question was ‘are the Devils good enough to make the playoffs?’ They’ve answered that question. Now the question is, what needs to happen here in order to be a Stanley Cup contender?”
McKenna: “I think that New Jersey is a little bit thin on the blueline in terms of depth. I love the top six that they’ve been rolling out, but if anybody gets hurt on defense, I’m worried about this club being able to keep it up.
The Devils could use somebody like Nick Holden. Somebody who could be a fifth or sixth defenseman that’s just rock-steady, you know what you’re going to get, somebody who doesn’t even need to be in the lineup every night. That would help shore them up and give them some insurance.
But if you’re looking to improve this club now and into the future, they’re going to have to find a little bit of grit come playoff time. I don’t think Miles Wood can carry it all on his shoulders. I’m not sure who you have to subtract in order to do that, though. And that’s going to be the hard part for general manager Tom Fitzgerald. Does he have to take a player out of the lineup in order to insert someone who’s going to add a little bit of heaviness and toughness?
The big thing that scares me is goaltending. Jonathan Bernier might be back, Vitek Vanecek is hurt, and MacKenzie Blackwood is hurt. This team could be sunk by goaltending. If it’s going to be Akira Schmid, he’d better take it and run. He’s played well in the AHL, but he’s unproven at the AHL level.
I don’t know how Tom Fitzgerald can address the team’s goaltending in-season. There isn’t much out there or available.”
You can watch the full episode here…
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