Devils Defense Emerging as Elite

The New Jersey Devils' defense has emerged as one of the best in the NHL a third of the way through the 2024-25 season.

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The New Jersey Devils' defense is no longer Swiss cheese. Those were the words of general manager Tom Fitzgerald when he briefly spoke to Devils media and reporters yesterday afternoon.

It's not hard to discern that after watching what the Devils did to their opponents on their five-game homestand. No team finished with 30+ shots on goal, and four ended with below 20 shots on goal.

The Devils' defense has improved tenfold compared to a season ago. The new personnel has helped, but they're also playing how head coach Sheldon Keefe wants, and it's translating into excellent results.

Devils Defensive Improvement From 2023-24

The Devils weren't the worst defensive team in the NHL last season, but they did take a big step back from their 52-win campaign in 2022-23. They went from allowing 2.41 expected goals per 60 minutes to 2.63 per 60 minutes, enough of a drop to affect team results.

Injuries were part of the Devils' defensive struggles a season ago, but it was just that — only part of it. Even with playing Luke Hughes and Šimon Nemec in bigger-than-expected roles, the Devils' defense fell off a cliff. Their rush defense was among the worst in the NHL, and they allowed many more high-danger looks.

That has not been the case to start this season, and it has only gotten better over time. The Devils allow 2.23 expected goals per 60 minutes, the fifth-best rate in the NHL. It's been even better over their last ten games, as they're giving up just 1.92 expected goals per 60.

I don't have the stats to back this up, but you can tell it's become much more difficult for opponents to generate chances off the rush against the Devils this season. Transitioning the puck through the neutral zone has become much more of a chore than in 2023-24.

This is not to say the Devils are playing a neutral-zone trap a la Jacques Lemaire. They're also generating plenty of offense off the rush, with their five-on-five offense improving along with their defense. But they've changed their style to defend the neutral zone more effectively, and that's a credit to Keefe for getting the team to play the right way.

Devils Have Two Elite Defense Pairs

So how have the Devils gotten here? I've already written about the Jonas Siegenthaler and Johnathan Kovacevic pair a couple of times this season, but a little more content can't hurt, given how well they're playing.