Rebuilding Devils seem destined for bottom of NHL East Division

The NHL is employing an unbalanced schedule this season with teams playing only division games. This is the third in an eight-part series previewing the Pittsburgh Penguins and the seven opponents they’ll face eight times apiece in the East Division.

The New Jersey Devils, like the New York Rangers, are on an upward trajectory after making a series of high draft picks in the last few years.

The Devils seems to be a year or two behind on the development curve, however.

Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier could end up every bit the scoring duo that Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko will be, but the Devils haven’t supplemented with a big-ticket free agent like Artemi Panarin. In fact, even with defenseman P.K. Subban on the roster, their payroll is the smallest in the league.

So, with general manager Tom Fitzgerald at the helm, the Devils are improving at a slower, steadier pace.

They made one curious decision in the offseason, hiring retread Lindy Ruff to replace John Hynes behind the bench. Wouldn’t a young team flourish with a coach who has fresh, new ideas?

The Devils could show improvement in spite of that move, though, because of potentially massive improvement between the pipes.

During Hynes’ five-year tenure, the Devils had two winning season. Those years, their team save percentages were .914 and .908. In the three losing seasons, the save percentages were .906, .901 and .896. Coincidence? Probably not.

This season, the Devils put together a pretty good tandem. They signed Corey Crawford, who looked great at age 35 in the playoffs last season to pair with 24-year-old Mackenzie Blackwood, who has turned in two promising NHL seasons.

The wild card with the Devils is their cap space.

A flat cap born out of covid-related revenue losses has put a lot of teams right up against the upper limit. Fitzgerald could be sitting pretty, waiting for panicked GMs to give him a call.

On top of that, proven goal scorer Kyle Palmieri is in the last year of his contract and could be a coveted trade-deadline rental. The Devils are in position to stockpile even more assets for the future.

DEVILS AT A GLANCE

Last year: 28-29-12 (68 points)

vs. Penguins last year: 1-2-0

Matchup to watch: P.K. Subban vs. Sidney Crosby. Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Key losses: Cory Schneider’s demise mirrored that downfall of the Devils in recent seasons. He’s headed to the Islanders.

Key additions: The Devils traded for Andreas Johnsson, a solid middle-six forward, from Toronto, and Ryan Murray, a solid middle-pair defender, from Columbus.

What they’re saying: “We’re not going to pretend (about) where we’re at right now. I like the mix of guys we have for where we’re at. I’ve said it all along. This team is going to go when Nico (Hischier) and Jack (Hughes) are both hitting their stride and we can start thinking about bigger acquisitions. Right now, I’m comfortable with where we’re at. We’re going to stay patient.”

Trophy contenders: Mackenzie Blackwood (Vezina: 17-1), P.K. Subban (Norris: 100-1)

Odds to win Stanley Cup: +7000

Odds to win division: +1600

Smart money: Improved goaltending will make the Devils a tough out, but this division isn’t a place for a rebuilding team to get into the playoffs ahead of schedule.