Devils News Rewind: Hughes, Flames Defensemen & More
Updates on Jack Hughes, monitoring Calgary Flames defensemen as trade targets as the season progresses & more in this edition of Devils News Rewind
It's time for another edition of New Jersey Devils News Rewind. There wasn't too much in the way of Devils news over the last week, but what did get out there was significant, namely regarding Jack Hughes.
Hughes went hard into the boards against the St. Louis Blues on Friday and did not return to the game. Elliotte Friedman provided an update on Saturday night and in the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast.
Plus, we'll look at some Calgary Flames defensemen who could be available (also via 32 Thoughts) as possible targets for the Devils as the season progresses.
Finally, Vitek Vanecek records a personal milestone. Let's dive into the latest Devils news.
Devils Avoided Worst-Case Scenario With Hughes
As was reported by Friedman over the last couple of days, the Devils avoided a worst-case scenario with Hughes and his injury. Friedman stated that while he wasn't 100 percent sure, it was likely a shoulder injury for Hughes.
Hughes dislocated his shoulder two seasons ago, but it sure doesn't appear that's the case this time. Friedman mentioned how the Devils initially thought Hughes could be out for months when he first got hurt, but they don't believe that's the case anymore.
The Devils are listing Hughes as week-to-week, so it's a bit unknown how long he'll be out. But Ryan Novozinsky of The Star-Ledger reported that a person with knowledge of the injury guessed it's about a 3-4 week timeline for Hughes and that it was his right shoulder.
Hughes will miss the team's first matchup with the New York Rangers on Nov. 18. But even then, the Devils' schedule isn't all difficult, especially if Nico Hischier returns to the lineup in the next week or so.
As their 4-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks showed, they should be able to get by without Hughes for the next few weeks. It may end his chances of winning the Hart Trophy, but the fact that his injury isn't a worst-case scenario is the biggest takeaway.
Keeping an Eye on Flames Defensemen
Per Friedman, "Calgary could have three defensemen on the market. Three good defensemen: Noah Hanifin, Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev...I think they've begun to make their phone calls just to see what the market is. I don't necessarily think anything is happening soon, but they're making their calls."
To be clear, the Devils weren't connected to any of the Flames' defensemen. But the fact that Calgary is already gauging the market for Hanifin, Zadorov and Tanev is worth mentioning regarding the Devils.
For this post, let's focus on Zadorov and Hanifin. It's early in the season, and the Devils' defense is improving, but a left-handed blueliner sure looks like it could be a need for the team down the road.
That's where Zadorov and Hanifin could be fits and for different reasons. Zadorov is not much of a puck-mover, but he's a high-end defensive defenseman. His even-strength defense has been worth an expected goals above replacement (xGAR) of 8.8 since the start of the 2021-22 season.
And though Zadorov is not an offensive defenseman by any stretch, he's not an offensive liability, either; his impacts have been positive since the start of 2021-22.
As for Hanifin, he's the opposite of Zadorov. He's a puck-moving, top-four defenseman who excels offensively more so than defensively. His even-strength offense has been worth an xGAR of 10.1 since the start of 2021-22, a top-50 rate in the NHL. And when looking at both's impacts, it's hard to deny either player wouldn't help:
Kevin Bahl has played well to start this season, but can he be trusted in a top-four role in the playoffs? And even if he can, it's hard to deny that Hanifin wouldn't be an upgrade.
Imagine a top four with Hanifin, Jonas Siegenthaler, Dougie Hamilton and John Marino heading into the playoffs. It's hard to argue with that look, especially since Bahl and Luke Hughes would be the third pair.
Zadorov probably wouldn't play top-four minutes with the Devils. But he could if needed and would be a significant upgrade over Brendan Smith and a reliable defensive partner for Luke Hughes. At 6-foot-6, 248 pounds, he'd add a physical presence on the Devils' back end, a reason why general manager Tom Fitzgerald may covet him if defense is the way to go ahead of the deadline.
Since finding a goaltending upgrade in-season is easier said than done, putting forth the best blue line possible may be the best way to help Vanecek and Akira Schmid ahead of a playoff run. And a left-handed shot would be the best way to do so.
It's obviously too early for the Devils to be looking to make a trade. Giving Colin Miller a look and moving Luke Hughes to the left side is something they need to do first, too. But a left-handed defenseman looks like it may be a need down the road. That's why it'll be worth monitoring Zadorov and Hanifin as the season progresses.
Vanecek Achieves a Milestone
With the win over the Blackhawks, Vanecek became the eighth Czechia-born goaltender to record 80 career wins; Dominik Hasek has the most at 389 wins.
Vanecek is in his fourth NHL season and, at 27 years old, has a chance to work his way up this ranking. He's had a bit of an up-and-down beginning to the season, but his start against the Blackhawks was encouraging.
Vanecek recorded 33 wins in 52 starts in 2022-23, and he already has six in seven starts in eight appearances this season. One has to assume his save percentage will climb closer to his career average of .908 as the season continues. And given that the Devils look formidable again, a 30-win campaign isn't impossible.
If so, that means Vanecek could top 100 career wins by the time the season ends, a worthy milestone that he and the organization should very much take pride in.
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Advanced stats from Evolving Hockey
Can never have too many good players but I don’t have as much interest in Hanifin. Would be a fan of a move for Zadorov though.