Devils Enter Camp with Lofty Goal | FEATURE

The Devils reported Thursday to Prudential Center for the first on-ice day of training camp. And there was certainly a palpable difference in the atmosphere from the training camps of the past few years.

And for a hint of why, just look at the playful banter between Devils head coach Lindy Ruff and general manager Tom Fitzgerald at their media availability Thursday.

Ruff: “Maybe before, we maybe had one good line, then we had two goods lines, now we have three good lines.”

Fitzgerald interjected with a smile: “Four.”

Ruff responded with a laugh: “I was going to get to the fourth. The fourth line may have been our best line at the end.”

Fitzgerald and Ruff have a shared sense of optimism. And looking at the Devils roster, there is good reason for that optimism. They are blossoming with talent and depth.

They’re led by a budding NHL MVP in 22-year-old Jack Hughes, who had 43 goals and a franchise-record 99 points last season. They have a Selke runner-up in captain Nico Hischier, who posted 31 goals and 80 points on his own. They also have 40-goal scorer Timo Meier (40), 30-goal scorer Jesper Bratt (32) and 20-goal scorer Dawson Mercer (27). Their defense is led by Dougie Hamilton and his 22 goals and 74 points. And they have a 30-win (33) netminder in Vitek Vanecek.

Individual accolades aside, the Devils are coming off a season of historic proportions.

Literally.

The club set a franchise record with 52 wins, a franchise record with 112 points, an NHL-record 49-point improvement (82-game season), a franchise record 11-game road winning streak, to go with an overall 13-game winning streak.

The Devils finished with the third-best record in the entire National Hockey League and the club’s second postseason berth since 2012. Not to mention defeating their Hudson River Rival, the New York Rangers, in a dramatic seven-game series in the opening round.

And all the Devils did in the off-season was acquired former Stanley Cup champion Tyler Toffoli and re-sign Bratt and Meier to eight-year contracts.

So, needless to say, the vibes are good coming off last year’s unprecedented success. But Ruff’s message to the team on Wednesday, the day everyone reported, was that last year is, well, last year.

“We can’t look back at last year anymore,” Ruff said. “We know that we had a good year. We want to try to remain consistent. Consistent means we want to be a good offensive team, that’s our strength. We became a lot better defensive team. And I think we can get a lot better in that area.

“If you want to be a good team year after year, you have to be consistent. You have to know who you are.”

The Devils know who they are in regard to their play on the ice and their demeanor in the locker room. And that’s partially why they’ve successfully built this team up over the past few seasons.

“For me it’s about culture on and off the ice, how we represent the organization, what we expect from one another,” Fitzgerald said. “What we permit from each other is what we promote from each other. What you tolerate is what you celebrate.”

The biggest reason for the vibrant training camp atmosphere though is that for the first time in a decade, the Devils are entering a training camp with the real belief that they could be a Stanley Cup threat.

“We like where we’re at. The window (to compete for Cups) is just opening up for this group,” Fitzgerald said. “The expectations and standards are very high, and rightfully so. We talked about how we got to this spot, especially in my tenure here and where we’re at, watching these kids mature and building around them. I call it building around the edges. Adding specific pieces that can help tow this organization down the road into championships.”

Talk of “down the road” and “the future” and “patience” are gone. The talk of competing “here” and “now” and “expectations” has arrived. The Devils aren’t the team selling their assets for future capital. They’re a team selling their future capital for present assets to win. And win right here, right now.

“We’re here,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ll be renting players, maybe our own. Maybe renting players at the deadline or during the season.”

Unlike training camps in years past, the Devils have high hopes and high expectations. And that’s the palpable difference. The players, coaches and staff can sense something special inside the locker room. Where that takes them is to be determined over the next 82-plus games.

And even if the Devils don’t win 52 games this year, or net 112 points, that doesn’t mean the team is taking a step backwards. On the contrary, progress won’t be measured in regular-season wins or records. Progress isn’t measured in individual awards or achievements.

It’s measured in Cups. And that requires the ultimate sacrifice.

“For us to get to the next level, we’re going to need our players to turn themselves over to the team,” Fitzgerald said. “Not what’s best for you, but what’s best for the team. That’s not just third or fourth liners not getting 15, 18 minutes, but understanding what you do and what you bring is going to help us win. Same goes for the top-6 guys.”

This has been part of Fitzgerald’s plan all along. He built this team and the foundation through the draft. He’s added the pieces on the edges to push this team forward. They’ve remained patient through growing pains and struggles. They’ve gone through the rebuild phase. They’ve gone through the “learning to win” phase. And now the time has come to win.

Entering camp, the goal for the season is no longer about learning or progress or taking steps forward. The goal is for the Devils to self-actualize their potential.  

And this 2022-23 Devils squad has the potential to reach for the sky.

“We have expectations every year. Whether lofty or achievable, they are goals,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re all about winning hockey now.”

Emphasis on the now.