Team: 2021-22 New Jersey Devils

Initial Creation Date: Dec. 17, 2021

Published: Dec. 17, 2021

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Think about this stat for a second: There is not one parent on the Devils roster.



Bernier was the last. And only a handful are married.

I have seen a number of Devils fans fans saying the cure to our recent slide should be "Toughness", "Muscle", "Physicality", "Grit".

I could not disagree more. Lack of size is not our problem.

Bahl 6'6" 216 lbs
Bastian 6'4" 205 lbs
Geertsen 6'4" 205 lbs
Graves 6'5" 220 lbs
Hamilton 6'6" 229 lbs
Jaros 6'3" 222 lbs
Siegenthaler 6'3" 210 lbs
Vesey 6'3" 205 lbs

And we play physical enough for our style, which is built on possession, speed, transition. (Please don't use the stat for "hits" as a proxy for physicality...its a useless stat that only indicates you are playing often without the puck).


Priorities should be

1. Focus / mental toughness / organization.
2. Defensive zone exits (and related, shortening our shift times)
3. Net front play (screening goalie, tipping shots and cleaning up rebounds)
4. Reducing shot attempts blocked
5. Increasing blocked shots on our opponents attempts
6. Finishing

(#2-5 are in many ways related to #1. #6 will come if we improve #1-5).


What's not on that list....

1. More fighting, grit, retribution hits
2. More "bro" videos for the socials
3. Ridiculous looking 'flow' and mustaches
4. Streaming your xbox
5. Having a 12-year old running the team social media account.

If there were to be one rule: What would Lou do.

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What we need is an adult or two to show the kids how to be a professional. Every team we play takes a run at Jack Hughes. That is not going to change. If the best player on the opposing team was 20 years old, 5'10" 170 lbs (probably more like 150 lbs)...we would do the same.

When Scott Stevens told his teammates to "be the man", he didn't mean go beat some guy up. He meant, Step up! Be prepared, be responsible, be mature, be professional and be accountable to your teammates. And do your f*ing job.

We need more O'Reilly's or Slavins or Greenes...not Wilsons or Gudas's. We need adults. We need maturity. We need SEROIUS people.

The moves below are just some examples of guys I think would help. There are probably countless others who would fit.

This has to come from top. And yes, we may need to adjust some of the coaching. But I would also say player leadership as well. Miles Wood will return, should get an "A" and Jesper Bratt should be considered for an "A". Michael McLeod, based on his maturation over last couple years, should also get consideration.


[end rant]

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