On the Devils' Projected Lineup to Begin 2024-25
It looks like New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe will be sticking with the line combos and pairings he used during the preseason to begin 2024-25.
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Congratulations, New Jersey Devils fans, you've made it to game week. The Devils get their 2024-25 regular season started this Friday with a back-to-back against the Buffalo Sabres as part of the NHL's Global Series.
We'll get into a more in-depth preview of the two games later this week, but for now, let's look at the Devils' roster and how they project to line up to start the season. There aren't too many surprises, but their defense will look different than most had hoped to begin 2024-25.
Meier, Hughes & Bratt
Head coach Sheldon Keefe stuck with his line combos for most of the preseason, and though this trio only got one game together, it appears they will line up as one of the Devils' two main scoring lines.
The Timo Meier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt combo hadn't worked previously under Lindy Ruff, who's now behind the Sabres' bench. But I like that Keefe is giving them another opportunity to see if they can mesh.
They were never awful under Ruff, totaling a 50.8 expected goals share (xG%), but it was never as dominant as it could be. Hughes and Meier are both pretty puck-dominant players, so perhaps that's why they never thrived under the previous regime.
Still, there's no doubt this could be a Devils super line if they pop off. The upside is tremendous, but if it doesn't work, it wouldn't be a shock, given past results.
Tatar, Hischier & Mercer
Is anyone surprised Keefe has reunited the Tomáš Tatar, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer line that dominated in 2022-23? I'm sure that's part of why the Devils brought back Tatar on a one-year deal this offseason.
Tatar, Hischier and Mercer posted a 65.48 xG% in 267 minutes together in 2022-23. It'd be unfair to expect those results again, but there is potential for them to reform some of that chemistry. They were the only Devils line that fared well against the New York Islanders on Friday, totaling a 54.6 xG%.
If the Tatar, Hischier and Mercer line post an xG share in the mid-50s this season, that should bode well for the Devils. The question mark for me is Tatar because I'm unsure how much he has left in the tank.
That's why I could see Keefe moving Tatar down the lineup if it doesn't work out with Hischier and Mercer and trying something different. But it makes sense to start them together for 2024-25.
Palát, Haula & Noesen
Shutdown lines look a bit different in 2024. They need to have some scoring upside, and the Devils might have that with Ondřej Palát, Erik Haula and Stefan Noesen.
Palát and Haula were the Devils' two best defensive forwards last season, with Haula being one of the more underrated defensive forwards in the NHL. His even-strength defense was worth an expected goals above replacement (xGAR) of 6.1, placing in the top among all forwards league-wide.
Meanwhile, Noesen was one of the Carolina Hurricanes' best defensive forwards in his two seasons in Raleigh. All three players should be double-digit goal-scorers capable of 30-40 points. This line has the potential to be a real nice depth unit for Keefe, even if Keefe has to move some parts around.
Cotter, Lazar & Bastian
We might need a better nickname than Meat & Mitts for this combo, but the Devils' fourth line of Paul Cotter, Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian will be the team's energy line, meat & potatoes line, or whatever you want to call them.
I'd guess that Lazar and Bastian spend most of the season playing fourth-line minutes, but Cotter could move up, depending on how he fares. He looked pretty good during the preseason and showed some silky hands and skill.
Most importantly, this line shouldn't be a liability defensively. Bastian and Lazar have always been solid defensive forwards, and Cotter had good defensive impacts with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023-24. They should also provide physicality and help wear down the Devils' opponents.
Dillon & Hamilton
We'll see how long this pairing lasts, but at least to begin the season, Brenden Dillon and Dougie Hamilton will line up together. Their preseason results weren't great, but they did fare better against the Islanders on Friday.
The reasoning for putting them together makes sense. Dillon is more of a stay-at-home defender and should allow Hamilton to do his thing offensively. I just wonder if Dillon can handle the defensive minutes, especially early on with Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce out of the lineup due to injuries.
If it doesn't work, I'd expect Keefe to pair Hamilton back up with Jonas Siegenthaler pretty quickly, given their excellent track record together; they have an xG% just above 55 percent in nearly 1,500 minutes as a defense pair.
Siegenthaler & Kovacevic
Because Luke Hughes and Pesce won't be available for the Global Series and likely the first couple weeks of the season, Siegenthaler and Johnathan Kovacevic will probably be the second pair until everyone gets healthy.
To their credit, Siegenthaler and Kovacevic were one of the Devils' more consistent pairing/combos Keefe used this preseason. They weren't on the ice for a goal against, and the Devils gave up quite a few goals during the preseason. They seem sound defensively, and that's a plus since Pesce isn't around to play a shutdown role.
I do worry about the puck-moving ability of a Siegenthaler and Kovacevic pairing. Neither is the most efficient puck-mover, but if they can lock it down defensively, that would erase those concerns temporarily.
Casey & Nemec
Well, well, well. What do we have here? Because Luke Hughes and Santeri Hatakka are injured, Keefe will give a Seamus Casey and Šimon Nemec pairing a go to start the season.
Casey was one of the Devils' best players during the preseason. He showed off his best traits — hockey sense, patience, skating, puck-moving ability — and a mature game for a 20-year-old making the jump from NCAA hockey.
It seems Casey will be playing on his off-hand (left side), with Nemec playing on the right. Casey has experience playing on his left side, so it's worth a shot.
As for Nemec, he did not look great in his two preseason appearances, but his defense partners were Jakub Zboril and Hatakka. Casey is an upgrade on both, and his game should complement Nemec well. It's not the most experienced pairing, but playing a sheltered third-pair role should help. It should be exciting to see how they fare.
Goaltending
There isn't much to say about goaltending because we know Jacob Markström will get most of the work. We also know that Jake Allen will be his backup and probably play in 30-40 percent of the team's games this season. Assuming both stay healthy, the Devils should have one of the better tandems in the division.
Otherwise, there aren't many surprises with the combos Keefe plans to use to open the season other than the Casey and Nemec pairing. And that's mostly due to injuries. Now, we'll see if the rest of the lineup can help the Devils start this season hot.
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