Biggest Win of the Season Begins Crucial Stretch
A look at the Devils huge OT win over Boston, updating the prospect watch, and looking at possible replacements for Dougie
Welcome to the THW New Jersey Devils Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our Devils writers.
In today’s edition, we look at the biggest win of the season, Devils prospects, potential fits on defense to replace the injured Dougie Hamilton, and much more.
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3 Takeaways From Devils’ 2-1 Win Over Bruins
December 14, 2023 by Daniel Amoia
The New Jersey Devils returned to action on Wednesday evening (Dec. 13) in a tough matchup against the Boston Bruins, one of the hottest teams in the league. Forward Erik Haula returned after missing a couple contests due to injury. Boston was without Charlie McAvoy and Pavel Zacha due to injuries. In a low-scoring affair, Jack Hughes pulled through with an overtime winner to give the Devils a 2-1 victory and improve their record to 15-11-1.
Devils Prospect Watch: December 2023
December 14, 2023 by Josh Reinitz
The New Jersey Devils’ loaded prospect pool has dwindled somewhat with the trade of Shakir Mukhamadullin to the San Jose Sharks and the promotion of Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Alex Holtz to full-time NHL players. The cupboard remains far from barren as the Devils still boast several players likely to have a bright future in the NHL, some sooner than you think.
2024 Stanley Cup Contenders: Eastern Conference Stock Report
December 12, 2023 by Alex Chauvancy
Last week, we took stock of Western Conference Stanley Cup contenders based on preseason expectations. Today, we’ll be looking at the Eastern Conference, which has had a bit more turbulence to start the season than the Western Conference. Which teams are Stanley Cup contenders two weeks away from Christmas?
Potential Devils’ Defense Targets to Replace Dougie Hamilton
December 11, 2023 by JP Gambatese
Recently, it was revealed that Devils’ star defenseman Dougie Hamilton will be out indefinitely after successful surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle. There have been several players who have undergone similar surgeries, including now-retired ex-Devil Travis Zajac — most of whom took between four and six months to return to game action. With that timeline, the Devils will be without Hamilton until at least April.
In Hamilton, the Devils are losing a truly elite, puck-moving, right-handed defenseman with top-of-the-league offensive metrics. In the 20 games he’s played, Hamilton boasts an expected goals share (xG%) of 57.78%, good for 12th in the NHL among defensemen with at least 300 minutes at 5-on-5. Under the same restrictions, Hamilton sits second in the league in expected goals for per-60 minutes (xGF/60). It certainly won’t be easy to replace the star blueliner, but there are some potential fits that the Devils could look at.