Devils season preview: Health of Hall, Schneider important

The 2018-19 NHL season begins Oct. 3. With training camps open, NHL.com is taking a look at the five keys, the inside scoop on roster questions, and the projected lines for all 31 teams. Today, the New Jersey Devils.

Coach: John Hynes (fourth season)
Last season:44-29-9; fifth place Metropolitan Division, lost to Tampa Bay Lightning in Eastern Conference First Round
RELATED: [Complete season preview coverage]

5 KEYS

1. Schneider's health

Cory Schneider was given a five-month recovery period after surgery for torn cartilage in his left hip May 1. Though Schneider may not be ready to start the season against the Edmonton Oilers in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Oct. 6 as part of the 2018 NHL Global Series, he will be on the trip that begins with a preseason game against SC Bern of Switzerland's National League A in Bern on Oct. 1. Schneider missed 16 games with groin/hip issues late last season and was 0-10-2 with a 4.04 goals-against average and .863 save percentage in 12 games prior to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Keith Kinkaid will need to shoulder the load as he did at the end of the regular season, when he went 7-0-1 with a 2.25 GAA and .931 save percentage in his final eight starts.

2. Continue improvement on special teams

A big part of the Devils' 27-point improvement in the Eastern Conference (97 last season, 70 in 2016-17) was their play on special teams. They tied for ninth on the power play with the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights at 21.4 percent, and tied for first on the power play at home with the Pittsburgh Penguins at 26.7 percent.
New Jersey tied for seventh on the penalty kill with the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets at 81.8 percent, and led the NHL with 12 shorthanded goals.

3. Stepping up

After losing forwards Brian Gibbons (Anaheim Ducks), Patrick Maroon (St. Louis Blues) and Michael Grabner (Arizona Coyotes), and defenseman John Moore (Boston Bruins) as free agents, New Jersey will need players like Pavel Zacha to fill the gap.
Zacha, the No. 6 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, is a smart player in his end and can handle defensive responsibilities as a center and on the penalty kill. However, he needs to shoot more, exhibit more consistency, and prove he can do it on a nightly basis after scoring eight goals in each of the past two seasons.

4. Rookie relevance

The Devils could have three rookies in the lineup to start the season. Forward John Quenneville appears to be front-runner because he is most experienced, but forwards Joey Anderson and Michael McLeod will look to make those decisions difficult. On defense, Egor Iakovlev, who signed a one-year, entry-level contract May 21, or Ty Smith, the No. 17 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, could replace Moore.

5. Health dependent

Forward Marcus Johansson was limited to 29 games because of a bruised ankle and two concussions, and forward Kyle Palmieri missed 20 games because of injuries, including a broken right foot, but was second on the Devils in goals (24), power-play goals (11) and game-winning goals (five). Forward Taylor Hall, who won the Hart Trophy voted as NHL most valuable player, had a full offseason of training after surgery April 30 to repair torn ligaments in his left hand; he played with the injury since late December.

ROSTER RUNDOWN

Making the cut

The most intriguing battles in camp involve the search for bottom-six forwards and a bottom defense pair. Forwards Nick Lappin, Quenneville, Anderson and McLeod have impressed in training camp. Defensemen Steven Santini and Mirco Mueller appear to be in line for more prominent roles, but Iakovlev and Smith have performed well.

Most intriguing addition

Iakovlev, who played six seasons for Yaroslavl and SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League, has good game sense, is a smooth skater, can transition well, and plays with an edge. The left-handed shot had one assist and was plus-2 in five games to help the Olympic Athletes from Russia win the gold medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.

Biggest potential surprise

Smith possesses speed, skill, creativity and intelligence. He looked solid at the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo and hasn't looked out of place in training camp. The Devils could keep him for nine NHL games before deciding whether they will return him to Spokane of the Western Hockey League. New Jersey isn't going to rush Smith (5-foot-11, 175 pounds), but if he continues to exhibit good work habits and excels in transition, there's a chance he will stay.

Ready to break through

Anderson (5-11, 190) signed a three-year, entry-level contract April 15 after helping the University of Minnesota Duluth win the NCAA championship with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 36 games as a sophomore. He can play on the power play and penalty kill, and is a solid net-front presence. The 20-year-old had seven points (four goals, three assists) in seven games and helped the United States finish third as captain at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Taylor Hall -- Nico Hischier -- Jesper Bratt
Marcus Johansson -- Travis Zajac -- Kyle Palmieri
Blake Coleman -- Pavel Zacha -- Stefan Noesen
John Quenneville / Miles Wood -- Brian Boyle -- Joey Anderson
Andy Greene -- Sami Vatanen
Will Butcher -- Damon Severson
Mirco Mueller -- Steven Santini
Keith Kinkaid
Eddie Lack