Some call it experience, others call it age. Either way, the Devils have it in abundance.
There is no question the franchise is still reeling from Ilya Kovalchuk’s decision to leave $77 million on the table and head back to the Russian KHL before last season, as venerable general manager Lou Lamoriello has done his best for two offseasons to scramble and fill the gaping void left in his wake. What that amounts to is a roster full of veterans on the back end of their careers and the hope there is a little magic left in Lou’s crystal ball.
Jaromir Jagr proved that to be true with a terrific year last season, and he returns at 42 years old and as the team’s leading scorer. Patrik Elias, 38, is the only player remaining from the 2003 Stanley Cup team, and the Devils need resurgences from the likes of Michael Ryder, Tuomo Ruutu, and Ryane Clowe.
With offensive woes still at the forefront of the team’s problems, Lamoriello didn’t sit on his hands and added Mike Cammalleri and Martin Havlat up front in hopes of finding a spark.
The best sign is the No. 1 goalie position is now without controversy as Cory Schneider takes over in full for Martin Brodeur.
Offense
Cammalleri has slipped right into a top-line role after signing a five-year, $25 million deal as a free agent this summer. It seems he will start next to the always-reliable Travis Zajac and Hall of Famer to-be Jagr on a line that surely isn’t the fastest, but is smart.
There is a group of elder statesmen behind them, with Elias (38), Havlat (33) and Dainius Zubrus (36) forming a training-camp line. Talented 24-year-old center Adam Henrique is hoping to improve on his 25-goal performance from last season, but might be hampered if he is surrounded by the likes of Clowe and Ryder. The fourth line again should be centered by Stephen Gionta, and the departure of Ryan Carter to sign with the Wild seems as if it could hurt that checking unit’s ability to poke in the occasional goal (especially against the Rangers).
Defense
If this team is old up front, then at least there is a little bit of youth on the back end — the hardest position to learn at the NHL level. Look no further than Adam Larsson, the Devils’ now-21-year-old blueliner who has spent the past two seasons between the AHL and NHL, struggling to find consistency after a breakout campaign as an 18-year-old.
More will be asked of Larsson this season, along with Eric Gelinas, the 23-year-old with a huge shot from the point. Add in some veteran leadership in captain Bryce Salvador, reliable Andy Greene and the mercurial Marek Zidlicky, and the group as a whole will need to gel quickly to find success.
Goaltending
No longer does Schneider have to look over his shoulder and find a Hall of Famer — possibly the best goalie ever — waiting for his turn.
After splitting time last season with Brodeur, who moved on and is no longer a Devil, the spotlight is now all for Schneider. The franchise invested in Schneider, giving him a seven-year contract extension worth $42 million, so the reins are all his to continue Brodeur’s legacy as the goaltender being the backbone of this defense-first team.
Schneider, 28, had a terrific training camp, and seems up for the challenge of playing 70-plus games under the stress of what might be a struggle to stay in postseason picture.
Coaching
Lamoriello doesn’t take losing lightly, so there has to be some heat underneath the seat of coach Pete DeBoer, especially if the season gets off on the wrong foot. After taking the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012, DeBoer has done a terrific job in the past two years to even make his team relevant — missing the postseason last season by just five points after going 0-13 in shootouts.
There isn’t a lot of coaching to be done in the skills competition, but the main problem to be solved will be how to score more without departing from the franchise’s mantra of defense first.
Keys to the season
Most important offensive player: Mike Cammalleri. A legitimate playoff team can no longer rely on Jaromir Jagr to carry the offensive load, so they need the new addition to step up.
Most important defensive player: Andy Greene. With some youth on the back end, and with Bryce Salvador not the shutdown force he once was, Greene will be relied on for heavy minutes against the best competition.
Top rookie: Eric Gelinas. He is still inexperienced after playing 60 games last season, yet will be looked at to help the power play.
Key coaching decision: How to find offense. DeBoer has some more pieces to work with up front, but still needs to find the right combinations in hopes of sparking his dormant offense.
Prediction
On the back of Schneider and some wise moves from DeBoer, the Devils will find themselves in the mix for a wild-card spot as the season winds down. Yet the big minutes placed on older players will wear at the end of the season, and they’ll miss the playoffs for the third straight year.