Lol he does look awesome, maybe not elite, but he’s showed he belongs. Good to see him tuck a few. The next games will be critical- now he’s going to be the focus of every teams game plan. How will he react?

Too many penalties. Just brutal. Only given up one 5v5 goal on the season to date, and it was a lucky bounce that happened to land on Chytils stick.

Smith is the first devils rookie defenseman to have a point in 3 straight games. Love it. He looks ready.

Blackwood is amazing.

I didn't mind the 4th line that much tbh
59 has got to be better though

I might have been exaggerating but Hughes is playing amazing right now. Good to see him score some goals. I think it might be tough for Hughes to handle that tough load, especially against good defenses but I think he could be solid.

Some of those penalties were a little soft but it is still not an excuse. Plus the Devils have a terrible special teams

Smith has been amazing and the chemistry between him and Hughes is unreal.

Blackwood=Brick wall

They haven't been bad but I expected way more, especially since all of them were drafted high/had a ton of potential

I think that Lindy is giving alot of them a shot and some are responding better than others
I think those three have played better than goose and johnson. The good I see in this is those two will have their game come around, the youngsters are slow getting there but I'm encouraged

McLeod and Bastian, in my opinion, need to stay in the lineup. They bring size and speed and aren’t afraid to throw their bodies around.

I remember reading a quote from an NHL GM that said if the McLeods had the Strome’s brains and the Stromes had the McLeod’s skating ability, they would be unstoppable. Every time I watch Mike I think of that. He flys around the ice but has no idea what to do with the puck when he gets it lol

That second line hasn't been playing good. They need Bratt back. I think those youngsters could get better throughout the season, if they get a solid amount of playing time

Likely the worst of the 3 games for the fourth line, but through all three, solid performance & at times thry have driven play. In particular, McLeod has been excellent imo. Sadly, he will need to move to RW when Nico returns, which is not ideal for his continued development.

I understand fans are disappointed with Zacha and McLeod, but its not their fault that they were drafted where they were ... if you can forget that, you may appreciate that the Devils may have very strong third line and fourth line centers just kicking off their careers. Need a few more goals from both, but 10-15 from each seems feasible to me.

Oh wow that's interesting. I think McLeod and Bastian would be perfect bottom 6 players. Hopefully Ruff could get them out on the PK more. I feel like they could be great penalty killers

I think Zacha and McLeod could turn into great defensive, bottom 6 players. Looking back at that draft it was pretty sad seeing all of the elite players the Devils passed up on, however, Zacha and McLeod still have a ton of potential. It will be interesting to see what the Devils will do with them, especially since they have a stacked center core

Sounds right to me Nico, Hughes, Zacha & McLeod down the middle. Id sign up for that.

If these young guys keep this up & with Foote/Holtz waiting their turn, feels like the end of the line for Palms, Goose & Zajac at the deadline or at end of season as UFAs. Interesting to see if/who they keep around in that veteran leadership role.

The only one I see staying is Plams, since he is from NJ. I think Goose will leave/be traded and same with Zajac.

Idk, unless Goose gets back on form soon, feels like Palms will get the best return & Fitz will go for the assets. If you can get a first for Palms, I think you have to do it.

Difficult to call.

Zajac to LouLam seems obvious match

Definitely Zajac to Isles. Palmieri seems like he is more likely to stay plus he plays good with Nico. Hopefully Goose could get back to form,with Bratt coming back soon