New Jersey Devils 2020-21 NHL season preview

By James O'BrienDec 27, 2020, 5:19 PM EST

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The 2020-21 NHL season is almost here so it’s time to preview all 31 teams. Over the next few weeks we’ll be looking at how the offseason affected each team, the most interesting people in the organization, and the best- and worst-case scenarios. Today, we look at the New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils 2019-20 Rewind

Record: 28-29-12 (68 points in 69 games played); eighth in Metropolitan Division; 14th in the Eastern Conference.

Leading scorer: Kyle Palmieri (25 goals, 45 points)

Heading into 2019-20, the Devils carried great expectations. They just drafted Jack Hughes first overall, and traded for P.K. Subban. At that time, Taylor Hall‘s Devils future was unclear, Ray Shero seemed like a GM on a mission, and John Hynes was still head coach.

No, you’re not alone in feeling like that happened about a lifetime ago.

By just about any standard, the Devils’ 2019-20 season was a disaster. To put things mildly, expectations are far more muted this time around. We’re just starting to see what Tom Fitzgerald has in store as the Devils’ new GM, and it will probably take some repetitions before people remember that Lindy Ruff is (somehow?) their head coach.

Chances are, the Devils’ 2020-21 will present some changes, and some twists and turns. It will be tough to top the twists of last season, although COVID-19 might throw in a curve or two.

Additions

Corey Crawford (free agency), Andreas Johnsson (trade), Ryan Murray (trade), and Dmitry Kulikov (free agency).

Subtractions

Cory Schneider (buyout), Sami Vatanen (free agency), Mirco Mueller (free agency), and John Hayden (free agency).

3 Most Interesting New Jersey Devils

• Jack Hughes

When it comes to disappointing Devils, Hughes is either at the top of the list, or close to that first spot.

Now, it’s one thing not to be a smash-hit rookie after being drafted first overall. We’ve seen even top prospects stumble before they can truly sprint. But you can keep lowering the standards, and Hughes’ 2019-20 season continues to look disappointing.

But, yes, he’s still only 19. And … hey, his brother Quinn Hughes enjoyed the kind of success the rest of the Hughes clan hopes to attain.

Like his brother, Jack Hughes can already skate at a high level, so in a visceral sense, he should be fun to watch in 2020-21 even if he doesn’t improve as much as the Devils would like. It’s easy to picture Hughes putting this tough rookie campaign behind him. Consider, for instance, that Joe Thornton struggled during his “Big Bird” phase. While they’re very different skaters and body types, both are cerebral playmakers. That part of the game can improve with reps in the NHL, so the Devils hope Hughes breaks through — preferably soon.

• P.K. Subban

In an NHL full of players who are far too vanilla, P.K. Subban brings welcome personality to the league. During a normal campaign, Subban would already have a case for being one of the three most interesting people for his franchise of the moment.

But the 2020-21 NHL season isn’t a normal one for P.K. Subban, even beyond the notion that this season won’t be normal for anyone.

After some strong work with the Predators, Subban’s game absolutely collapsed last season. Based on Evolving Hockey’s Goals Above Replacement metrics, Subban ranked as the 20th-worst skater in 2019-20. When you’re carrying a $9 million cap hit, you don’t want to be a stone’s throw from Jack Johnson:

2020-21 Devils preview Evolving Hockey Subban GAR bottom 20 — *via Evolving Hockey*

Beyond being a gregarious presence, a keyed-in Subban can be an absolute blast to watch.

Maybe Subban was beat up last season, and will enjoy a bit of a renaissance? (If so, expect to see the hashtag “Subban-issance.” Or something like that.)

Unfortunately, if 2019-20 Subban is a sign of things to come, he’ll instead not exactly be a blast to watch.

• Tom Fitzgerald

Ultimately, it’s too early to know if Fitzgerald can steer the Devils back on course.

So far, there’ve been some shrewd moves; Crawford, Johnsson, and Murray are all low-risk moves that can bring rewards. Even head-scratchers like hiring Lindy Ruff might make sense if the Devils figure they’ll need to take their lumps before getting better.

But getting better boils down down to Fitzgerald making the right moves. Will the Devils flip pending UFA Palmieri at the deadline, let him walk after 2020-21, or sign him to an extension? Can they weaponize more than $14M in cap space? Will young players prosper under Ruff, or will their development suffer?

There’s a lot to do, and it’s up to Fitzgerald to optimize the prime years of Hughes, Nico Hischier, and others.

Best-Case Scenario

Look, no one enjoys slogging through a bad season. Every failed year chips away at confidence in your front office, and patience from fans. Still, the Devils probably need another blue chipper or two, so the ideal scenario involves short-term pains for long-term gains. (That said, the Devils would love to see Jack Hughes look like a no-brainer top pick starting in 2020-21.)

Worst-Case Scenario

There’s some danger that the Devils could get stuck in the middle. In particular, a goalie tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Corey Crawford might steal some games. Improvement from key players could boost the Devils some more. Playing well has its benefits, but if the Devils miss the playoffs while hurting their lottery odds, that could be the worst of both worlds.

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James O’Brien is a writer forPro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line atphtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.

Rangers sign Filip Chytil to 4-year extension

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 7:53 PM EDT

Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK — The New York Rangers have signed forward Filip Chytil to a four-year contract extension worth $17.75 million, locking up another member of their core long term.

The team announced the deal Wednesday night. Chytil will count just under $4.44 million annually against the salary cap through the 2026-27 season.

Chytil, 23, is in the midst of a career year. He has set career highs with 22 goals, 20 assists and 42 points in 66 games for the playoff-bound Rangers.

The Czech native is the team’s sixth-leading scorer and ranks fourth on the roster in goals. The 2017 first-round pick has 144 points in 342 NHL regular-season and playoff games. He was set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.

New York already had top center Mika Zibanejad signed through 2030, No. 1 defenseman Adam Fox through 2029, veteran Chris Kreider through 2027, winger Artemi Panarin through 2026 and reigning Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Igor Shesterkin through 2025.

General manager Chris Drury’s next order of business is an extension for 2020 top pick Alexis Lafrenière, who is only signed through the remainder of this season and can be a restricted free agent.

Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews returns to ice, hints at retirement

Associated PressMar 29, 2023, 9:51 AM EDT

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

CHICAGO — Longtime Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews returned to the ice but hinted his stellar NHL career could be winding down after 15 years.

Toews, 34, skated with teammates prior to Chicago’s game with the Dallas Stars. It was his first time practicing with them since a game in Edmonton on Jan. 28.

He made a statement through the team on Feb. 19 saying he would be stepping away because of the effects of Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and “long COVID.”

In meeting with reporters, Toews stopped short of saying he hoped to play in any of last-place Chicago’s nine remaining games. His eight-year, $84 million contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

Toews said he’s feeling stronger, but isn’t sure if he’ll be able to play again for the Blackhawks or another team.

“Both if I’m being fully honest,” Toews said. “I feel like I’ve said it already, that I’ve gotten to the point where my health is more important.

“When you’re young and you’re playing for a Stanley Cup and everyone’s playing through something, that means something and it’s worthwhile. But I’m at that point where it feels like more damage is being done than is a good thing.”

Toews, the Blackhawks’ first-round draft pick (third overall) in 2006, joined the team in 2007 and was a pillar of Stanley Cup championship clubs in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

At the peak of his career, he was one of the NHL’s top two-way centers, winning the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward in 2013.

In 1,060 regular-season games, Toews has 371 goals and 509 assists. In 139 playoff games, he’s posted 45 goals and 74 assists, and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.

Toews missed the entire 2020-21 season with Chronic Immune Response System, which caused debilitating inflammation and fatigue.

He appeared in 71 games in 2021-22, then started this season with renewed energy before slowing and eventually shutting himself down.

Entering this season, it looked as if Chicago might deal him, as it did fellow star Patrick Kane, before the March trade deadline. But Kane went to the New York Rangers and Toews to injured reserve.

Toews believed he was progressing before a relapse in January left him so sore and tired that he could barely “put on my skates or roll out of bed to come to the rink.”

Toews said his progress over the past month has been “pretty encouraging” and he’s delighted to be back among his teammates. He has no timetable beyond that.

“We’re just going to go day by day here,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. He deserves anything he wants to try to achieve here.”

Richardson hoped Toews “can take that next step later in the week and hopefully (he) gives us the green light to go in a game.”

But Toews emphasized his long-term health and ability to lead a “normal life” is most important. He wants to go out on a positive note and not hit the ice for a game playing through excessive pain and dysfunction.

“It’s definitely on my mind that this could be my last few weeks here as a Blackhawk in Chicago,” Toews said. “It’s definitely very important for me to go out there and enjoy the game and just kind of soak it in and just really appreciate everything I’ve been able to be part of here in Chicago.”

Budding Wild star Matt Boldy more willing to shoot, and it shows

Associated PressMar 29, 2023, 9:48 AM EDT

Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Matt Boldy was unable to resist a smile in the aftermath of his second hat trick in five games for the Minnesota Wild, a young right wing and reluctant star trying to make sense of a remarkable hot streak.

Does the puck feel as if it’s automatically going in the net these days each time he shoots?

“Yeah, it does,” Boldy said in the locker room after leading the first-place Wild to a 5-1 win over Seattle. “My linemates are playing great. Hopefully you guys are giving them a lot of credit. You look at some of those goals – just putting it on a tee for me.”

This non-attention-seeker has found himself squarely in the NHL spotlight. Boldy has 11 goals in nine games since Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov was sidelined with a lower-body injury to raise his goal total to 28, in part because he’s been more willing to shoot. With vision and stickhandling as strengths and the humility of being a second-year player, it’s easy to be in a pass-first mindset.

“Everybody kind of took turns talking to him. But it’s not that he didn’t want to. A lot of times a situation like that where a guy’s got that skillset, it’s a real unselfish quality, right?” coach Dean Evason said. “But I think he gets now that he helps the team a lot when he scores goals.”

The Wild were confident enough in Boldy’s scoring ability to commit a seven-year, $49 million contract extension to him earlier this winter, after all.

“I think I’ve always had that mentality, but sometimes you just get into spots and it comes off your stick good,” Boldy said. “When things are going well, the puck goes in the net.”’

The Wild are 6-1-2 without Kaprizov. Boldy is a big reason why.

“You go through the slumps, you learn what you need to do to score. I think he’s found a good way to be in the right spot and shoot the puck when he had a good opportunity,” center Joel Eriksson Ek said.

The Wild have only won one division title in 22 years, the five-team Northwest Division in 2007-08. They’re leading the eight-team Central Division with eight games to go, with both Colorado and Dallas too close for comfort. They haven’t won a playoff series since 2015.

With Kaprizov due back before the postseason and Boldy on this heater, a Wild team that ranks just 23rd in the league in goals per game (2.93) ought to have a better chance to advance. Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson have been ideal linemates for the Boston College product and Massachusetts native.

Since the Wild entered the league in the 2000-01 season, only five NHL players have had more hat tricks at age 21 or younger than Boldy with three: Patrik Laine (eight), Marian Gaborik (five), Steven Stamkos (five), Alex DeBrincat (four) and Connor McDavid (four). Boldy turns 22 next week, so there’s still time for one or two more.

“He’s big. He controls the puck a lot. He’s got a good shot, good release. He’s smart. He switches it up. He’s got good moves on breakaways. He’s a total player,” goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said. ”Fun to watch him grow this year.”

Pezzetta scores shootout winner; Canadiens beat Sabres 4-3

Associated PressMar 27, 2023, 11:57 PM EDT

Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports

BUFFALO, N.Y. ⁠— Brendan Gallagher and the Montreal Canadiens rallied back to avoid playoff elimination with less than three weeks left in their season. The Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, are running out of chances to stay in the Eastern Conference wild-card hunt.

Gallagher forced overtime by scoring his 200th career goal, and Michael Pezzetta scored the decisive shootout goal in a 4-3 win over the Sabres on Monday night.

“It’s one of those things I think we earned that chance. We weren’t fantastic but we did enough on the road tonight to get a win,” Gallagher said. “Smiles all around.”

The Canadiens could laugh, especially after Pezzetta celebrated his goal by putting his stick between his legs and riding it like a wooden horse — much like former NHL tough guy Dave “Tiger” Williams did during his 14-year NHL career spanning the 1970s and 80s.

“I’m not sure we’ll see that again. One of a kind,” said Gallagher. “I’d be worried about falling over.”

Pezzetta scored by driving in from the right circle to beat Eric Comrie inside the far post. Buffalo’s Jack Quinn scored in the fourth shootout round, but was matched by Montreal’s Jesse Ylonen, whose shot from in tight managed to trickle in through Comrie.

Jordan Harris and Alex Belzile also scored for Montreal, and Jake Allen stopped 30 shots through overtime, while allowing one goal on six shootout attempts.

Montreal would have been eliminated from playoff contention for a second straight season – and two years removed from reaching the Stanley Cup Final – with any type of loss.

The Sabres squandered a 3-2 third-period lead to drop to 3-6-3 in their past 12. Buffalo also blew a chance to move to within four points of idle Pittsburgh, which holds the eighth and final playoff spot.

“Just a little hesitation,” forward JJ Peterka said of the Sabres third-period lapse. “We didn’t play with much energy and we didn’t play that aggressive as we played the two periods before. I think that was the difference.”

Buffalo’s Lukas Rousek scored a goal and added an assist while filling in for leading scorer Tage Thompson, who did not play due to an upper body injury. Peterka and defenseman Riley Stillman also scored, and Comrie stopped 38 shots through overtime, and allowed two goals on six shootout attempts.

Montreal blew two one-goal leads to fall behind 3-2 on Stillman’s goal at the 8:31 mark of the second period.

Gallagher scored on the fly by using Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin as a screen to snap in a shot inside the far left post. With the goal, Gallagher tied Bobby Rousseau for 24th on the Canadiens career scoring list.

“I liked the way we corrected ourselves, it’s a sign of maturity, in the way we stayed on task,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said, in recalling how the Canadiens recently unraveled in an 8-4 loss two weeks ago to Colorado, which plays a similar up-tempo style as Buffalo.

PRIDE NIGHT

The Sabres hosted their third Pride Night, with Russian D Ilya Lyubushkin electing not to participate in warmups by citing an anti-gay Kremlin law and fears of retribution at home in Moscow, where he has family and visits in the offseason. The remainder of the team wore dark blue jerseys with the Sabres logo on the front encircled by a rainbow-colored outline.

During the first intermission, the Sabres broadcast a video in which GM Kevyn Adams said: “This is about recognizing someone’s humanity and true identity. We know there are people out there struggling with who they are, and we want them to know that they have an ally in the Buffalo Sabres.”

UP NEXT

Canadiens: At the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

Sabres: Host the New York Rangers on Friday night.