Devils looking to make moves to improve forward depth
The New Jersey Devils have been looking to bolster their forward depth for a while now. But an injury to a key player might speed that up.
According to Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco, the Devils are looking to add some help up front ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline. Di Marco says the team is looking specifically to add down the middle ahead of the team’s Stanley Cup playoff push.
Even in light of the Jack Hughes injury, it sounds like the plan is to still add in New Jersey.
They've been on the lookout for help in their bottom-six, specifically down the middle. #NJDevils @DailyFaceoff
Jack Hughes, the team’s biggest star, left Sunday night’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights after a collision with Jack Eichel near the boards. Hughes would get up and was seen holding his right shoulder, leaving the game.
Hughes is New Jersey’s top player with 70 points in 62 games, and had not missed a game all season long. Hughes has dealt with injuries throughout his career, playing over 62 games just once back in 2022-23 when he skated in 78. That year, he had a career-high 99 points, and was on pace for similar numbers this season prior to the injury. Any updates about the severity or a timeline for a return is unknown.
The Devils have two players north of the 50-point mark: Hughes (70) and winger Jesper Bratt (68). Nico Hischier has missed time due to injury but is on pace for over 60 points. Dougie Hamilton has been a nice re-addition to the blueline after missing most of the 2023-24 season with an injury. But beyond that, the Devils need more scoring weapons. Timo Meier has struggled with just 39 points in 61 games, while Ondrej Palat has 23 points in 60 outings.
Tomas Tatar hasn’t produced anywhere near to the rate that saw him register 20 goals and 48 points back in 2022-23, his last season in New Jersey before splitting 2023-24 between Colorado and Seattle. Stefan Noesen, meanwhile, is on track for a career-best season of 25 goals and 42 points, but has proven to be inconsistent at times.
The Devils currently sit in third spot in the Metropolitan Division with 72 points, two behind Carolina and 12 behind the Washington Capitals. The Devils have an eight-point cushion over the New York Rangers for the final playoff spot in the Metro, and with Jacob Markstrom back, New Jersey’s goaltending should be in good shape.
The Devils are 5-5-0 over the past 10 games, and will look to get back in the win column against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday evening.