Devils' October Schedule Will Provide Early Tests
The New Jersey Devils' October schedule is no walk in the park, but they should be able to get through it relatively unscathed.
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Is it October yet? Why, yes, it is. Regular-season hockey is around the corner, with the New Jersey Devils beginning their regular-season slate against the Carolina Hurricanes eight days from now.
That’s a difficult first opponent for the Devils, and unfortunately for them, it won’t get easier to start the season. The Devils have a challenging October schedule, but if they can get through it relatively unscathed, that should provide some excitement for where the season is headed.
Devils’ First 5 Games Present a Challenge
The Devils play 11 games in October, eight of which will come against teams that made the playoffs a season ago. Their first five games, in particular, will provide them a stern test.
After the Hurricanes, the Devils’ next four games come against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.
Though the Panthers are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, that tilt may not be as intimidating as it was just a week ago. Not only will the Panthers be without Matthew Tkachuk until potentially the new year, but Aleksander Barkov is out for 7-9 months after tearing his ACL and MCL in practice.
The Panthers are still a good team without Tkachuk and Barkov, but I’m unsure whether they remain great. The Devils did take five of six points from the Panthers during the regular season last year, so perhaps that’s a more winnable tilt than perception may have it, especially with the injuries.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are looking to build off a surprise 89-point season that put them only two points behind the Devils for a playoff spot. They have been a trendy pick to make the postseason among some pundits, but I’m not buying it yet.
The Blue Jackets’ process from a season ago will have to improve significantly if they want to pose a serious threat to the Devils, Washington Capitals and even the New York Rangers. The Athletic has the Blue Jackets projected for 85 points this season, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re a bit worse than that.
If the Devils can get out of this stretch with a 2-2-1 record, you will gladly take it. Anything better, which is possible, and they’re flying high.
It Doesn’t Get Much Easier After the First 5 Games
The Devils’ first five games may be difficult, but it doesn’t get much easier after that. They’ll have to play the Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, and have a home-and-home with the Colorado Avalanche that begins a west-coast swing that bleeds into November.
That sounds difficult, and it is, but it’s not a death sentence by any stretch. I’m not a Maple Leafs hater, but I’m not sure how much I believe in their roster without Mitch Marner.
Of course, they still have Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares, but their depth is questionable. More importantly, they might struggle if they don’t improve at five-on-five.
The Maple Leafs finished 23rd in expected goals share (xG%) a season ago. Will they get stellar goaltending from Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll? I wouldn’t rule out. I don’t think their results last season were a fluke, but the Maple Leafs will need to improve at five-on-five to avoid regressing in the standings.
The Maple Leafs will pose the Devils a challenge, but the home-and-home against the Avalanche will be the toughest remaining games on the Devils’ schedule in October.
Ideally, you want a split of that home-and-home, but it won’t be easy. Still, these should be good measuring sticks for a team that should challenge for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Even the San Jose Sharks, who the Devils also play twice in October, won’t be the pushovers that they were a season ago. They won’t be a playoff team, but they should be better than the 52 points they totaled a season ago, so the Devils can’t take them lightly.
Devils Can Get Through October
I know what you might be thinking after reading the first two-thirds of this article. Alex, why are you scaring us like this? Trust me, I’m not trying to, but October will be a good test for the Devils.
The thing is that the Devils should be good enough to come out of this part of the schedule in a favorable spot. No one is saying they have to go 11-0-0 or even 8-3-0, but 6-4-1 or something similar? That seems attainable.
The Devils have high-end talent with Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. Could the complementary pieces be better? Yeah, probably, but they do appear to be upgrades over what they were a season ago.
Evgenii Dadonov, Arseny Gritsyuk and Connor Brown will add some needed pace to the Devils’ lineup, but their preseason appearances show they should have more to offer.
Gritsyuk, in particular, looks like he will be a threat to score more often than not. Sheldon Keefe may want to start him on a line with Paul Cotter and Luke Glendening, but it may not take long for him to work his way up the lineup.
On defense, the Devils should be one of the better teams in the Metro and even the NHL. With Luke Hughes signed to a new lucrative contract, they should have one of the better blue lines in the East.
And perhaps most importantly, the Devils should have the goaltending to help them steal some games. Jake Allen was one of the best one 1Bs in the NHL last season, and we know Jacob Markström can be a top-10/15 goalie when healthy.
The Devils may have a difficult schedule to start the season, but they should be talented enough to get through October. If they do, they should be able to bank points heading into American Thanksgiving, putting them in a prime position to qualify for the postseason.
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