2009-2010 New Jersey Devils Preview

The Devils have had a very consistent formula for success in the last fifteen years: Great defense and great goaltending equals great hockey teams. Behind the all-time great performances of keeper Martin Brodeur and the strong organizational leadership of Lou Lamoriello, the Devils have consistently been one of the best teams in hockey. Can New Jersey grind their way to another Stanley Cup?

Looking Back at 2008-2009

The Devils had a surprisingly good season last year, winning the Atlantic Division crown despite losing Brodeur for the first extended stretch of his career. Thanks to a breakout season from forward Zach Parise, the Devils scored plenty of goals and moved a little bit away from their lockdown identity and managed to finish the season with a strong 51-27-4 record. Unfortunately for the Devils, they ran into a hot goalie in the first round and were eliminated after shockingly allowing two goals in the final minute of game seven at the hands of the Hurricanes. Devils fans everywhere went from the prospect of advancing in the playoffs to crying in their hands in a matter of minutes.

The Offseason

There were a lot of changes in the offseason, beginning with the resignation of head coach Brent Sutter, who unsurprisingly resurfaced a month later as Calgary’s head coach, where his brother runs the franchise. After the high-profile yet somehow legal coach thievery, Lamoriello went back to his roots and hired notable defensive-minded coach Jacques Lemaire, signaling a return to the Devils hockey of old.

On the ice, there were a lot of notable departures. Perpetual Selke nominee John Madden left for big money in Chicago (despite Lemaire’s system fitting his skills perfectly), diminutive scorer Brian Gionta left for Montreal, goalie Scott Clemmensen took advantage of his great season filling in for Brodeur and earned a hefty paycheck, Bobby Holik retired and Nik Havelid left for his native Sweden. That’s a lot of name players gone in one offseason!

Unfortunately, New Jersey didn’t do a lot to replace all that departed talent, picking up defenseman Corey Murphy and goalie Yann Denis to back up Brodeur. It seems like there will be a bit of a void going into the year after losing so much veteran talent.

> Check out a great selection of New Jersey Devils Apparel & Merchandise through prohockey-fans.com!

2009-2010 Outlook

The Devilshave two superstars that highlight their offense: Parise and captain Patrick Elias. After combining for 76 goals last year, they’re one of the league’s best duos. Behind them, Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac, Dainus Zubrus and Brian Rolston should produce plenty of points and there is still enough talent on hand for three strong lines. New Jersey is very talented up front but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if their production takes a step back in Lemaire’s controlled defensive system, which infuriated superstar Marian Gaborik in Minnesota. Will it reel in the talents of Parise and Elias as well?

Defensively, the Devils are very solid. Paul Martin is the powerplay quarterback and David Oduya is extremely underrated. Meanwhile, their other defenders are extremely solid defensively as Colin White, Mike Mottau and Bryce Salvador should thrive under Lemaire. Keep an eye on Murphy as well as he showed some offensive talent in limited time last season.

But the real star of this team is Brodeur. After his elbow injury, people have begun to question his ability to carry the Devils with 65 or more games of solid production. Perhaps even worse in his eyes is the perception that Roberto Luongo has passed him on Team Canada’s pecking order at the Olympics. Expect the intense Brodeur to come back with a vengeance this year and return to his typically elite standards.

PREDICTION: The Devils are going to be the most predictable team in the league this year. They’re going to emphasize defense and suffocate opposing teams’ rush through the neutral zone. That will cause turnovers which will result in the majority of their goals. Meanwhile, Brodeur will be a rock in net and New Jersey will win a lot of games by 2-1 or 2-0 margins. The Devils are a lock for the playoffs and I think they’ll finish 3 rd in the Atlantic Division after a very tight season-long race with Philly and Pittsburgh.

This team is also a prime contender for the Stanley Cup. Their style of play should translate very well into the postseason and it wouldn’t be a shock whatsoever if they emerged as champions. However, I think that a likely first round matchup with Philadelphia could take a lot out of them and if they run into Pittsburgh or Boston in the second round then I think that the Devils run will end there. While this team still has a ton of veteran savvy and leadership, they still have to replace some of their most playoff-tested contributors and I think the most realistic scenario for this team is to win one playoff series this year but that’s about it.

By Matt Baxendall
DFN Sports & ProHockey-fans.com Staff Writer

Feel your team is underrated? Tell Matt Baxendell why at matt.baxendell@gmail.com

> Check out all of the 2009-2010 NHL previews online with Pro Hockey Fans!

> Find all of the NHL news & articles online from Pro Hockey Fans.