Devils 2024-25 Metro Opponent: Blue Jackets
The New Jersey Devils should finish well ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2024-25 Metropolitan Division standings
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The New Jersey Devils had a busy offseason, making additions on multiple fronts. But how do they stack up against their Metropolitan Division rivals, some of who had busy offseasons themselves?
Starting with the Columbus Blue Jackets and working our way up the 2023-24 NHL standings, let's compare the Devils to each of their Metropolitan Division rivals.
Devils Forwards vs. Blue Jackets Forwards
Assuming everyone stays healthy, this is where the Devils should have a big advantage over the Blue Jackets. Don Waddell had a relatively quiet offseason, his first as general manager of the Blue Jackets, with his main addition being signing Sean Monahan in free agency.
The Blue Jackets inked Monahan to a five-year deal at an average annual value (AAV) of $5.5 million after coming off one of his best seasons in years. He finished with 26 goals and 59 points in 83 games between the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets and should become the Blue Jackets' 1C in 2024-25.
That is a bit of a problem, though. While Monahan is a capable top-six forward when healthy, asking him to anchor the top line might be a big ask. One would have to think the reason for that is to get Johnny Gaudreau going, as he struggled in his first two years with the Blue Jackets.
But even then, the Blue Jackets' top-end talent doesn't stack up well against the Devils. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier are all better than the Blue Jackets' top-three forwards, and you can probably throw Timo Meier into the mix, too.
The Blue Jackets have some promising young talent up front in Dmitri Voronkov, Yegor Chinakhov, Kirill Marchenko, and most notably, Adam Fantilli. Kent Johnson is a bit of a wild card since he's had an up-and-down start to his Blue Jackets tenure, but he could be a factor, too.
Still, the Devils have a deeper forward group, especially after adding Stefan Noesen and Paul Cotter this offseason. A fourth line of Cotter, Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian should outplay Justin Danforth, Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier. And the Devils have game-breaking talent, whereas the Blue Jackets don't, especially once Patrik Laine gets traded.
The Devils get the edge here.
Devils Defense vs. Blue Jackets Defense
The Blue Jackets have plenty of talented young defensemen on the way up, but they just might not be ready for the show yet. Still, I expect them to be a better defensive team in 2024-25, mostly because a defensive-minded Dean Evason is taking over as head coach.
Evason doesn't have much talent to work with defensively yet, but there is some. David Jiricek was a high pick in the 2022 draft and has top-pair potential. He's not there yet, but I'd bet on Evason helping Jiricek improve his game to become a meaningful NHL contributor.
And, of course, there's Zach Werenski, who totaled 57 points in 70 games last season. Without him, the Blue Jackets blue line would be in plenty of trouble, but he can at least stabilize their top pair until their young talent starts filling out their NHL lineup.
Though the Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson trades were panned when former GM Jarmo Kekalainen made them, neither defenseman was awful in 2023-24. In fact, Severson was quite good, while Provorov was at least average. They will both remain in the top four this coming season and with Evason being a more defensive-minded coach, they could have some success.
How do they fare against the Devils, though? That depends on Dougie Hamilton staying healthy. He's a game-breaker and one of the best offensive drivers in the NHL from the back end. If he stays healthy, it changes the game for the Devils.
Brett Pesce is one of the better shutdown defenders in the NHL, something the Blue Jackets don't exactly have on their blue line at the moment. Jiricek could be that one day, but he's not there yet. And I wouldn't call Provorov or Severson shutdown defenders.
The Devils should also have better defensive depth than the Blue Jackets. One of Jonas Siegenthaler, Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes will be on the third pair, which should be a luxury regardless. Šimon Nemec should round out the third pair, and there's no questioning he's already better than Erik Gudbranson.
Even if Denton Mateychuk makes the Blue Jackets roster and carves out a role for himself on the third pair, the Devils should have the edge on defense. The Blue Jackets will be a better defensive team because Evason is their coach, but I wouldn't expect them to be better than the Devils, who have more defensive talent.
Markström & Allen vs. Merzlikins & Tarasov
Goalies are voodoo, so you never know how this will turn out. But at least on paper, the Devils have a better tandem with Jacob Markström and Jake Allen. Markström finished in the 99th percentile in high-danger save percentage a season ago and was top 10 in goals saved above expected.
Meanwhile, Allen showed he could be a league-average goaltender in the 13 games he played with the Devils after last season's trade deadline. The Devils' defense should be improved this coming season, so I expect him to complement Markström well.
Merzlikins was better a season ago than in 2022-23, but he still finished with an .897 save percentage (SV%). Tarasov showed some promise in 2023-24, finishing with a .908 SV%, but it only came in a sample of 24 games. Could he start getting more reps if Merzlikins continues to struggle? It's certainly possible, but the Devils' tandem should still have the edge.
Devils Should Be Much Better Than the Blue Jackets
The Devils only finished one spot ahead of the Blue Jackets in the 2023-24 Metropolitan Division standings, but it was still by 15 points. That shouldn't be the case this coming season, as I still see the Blue Jackets as the worst team in the Metro, while the Devils should compete for a top-three spot in the division.
However, I do think the Blue Jackets will be better than they were a season ago. Evason is a good coach, and some of their young talent should take steps forward. Does that mean they'll be a playoff contender? I doubt it, but it wouldn't shock me if they ended up with around 75 points in the standings. They might be annoying to play against, but the Devils should still finish far ahead of them in the Metro.
Projected Lineups
Blue Jackets (via Daily Faceoff)
Gaudreau - Monahan - Marchenko
Johnson - Fantilli - Chinakhov
Jenner - Sillinger - Voronkov
Danforth - Kuraly - Olivier
Werenski - Severson
Provorov - Jiricek
Mateychuk - Gudbranson
Merzlikins
Tarasov
Devils
Tatar - Hischier - Meier
Bratt - Hughes - Mercer
Palát - Haula - Noesen
Cotter - Lazar - Bastian
Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Dillon - Pesce
L. Hughes - Nemec
Markström
Allen
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