Devils miss playoffs after struggles at home

The New Jersey Devils failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 10th time in 12 seasons.

New Jersey (37-37-5) was eliminated from contention when they lost 5-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. 

The Devils reached the second round of the playoffs last season for the first time since 2012 after finishing with the most wins (52) and points (112) in their history.

Here is a look at what happened in the 2023-24 season for the Devils and why things could be better next season:

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Tomas Nosek, F; Chris Tierney, F; Kurtis MacDermid, F; Brendan Smith, D; Nick DeSimone, D; Kaapo Kahkonen, G

Potential restricted free agents: Dawson Mercer, F; Nolan Foote, F; Nico Daws, G; Akira Schmid, G

Potential 2024 Draft picks: 6

What went wrong

Home invasion: The Devils have a .463 home points percentage (17-20-3), tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the sixth lowest in the NHL, and have allowed 3.63 goals per game at home, the second-highest average in the League after the San Jose Sharks (3.90).
 
Injury woes: Injuries played a part in New Jersey’s struggles. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton tore a pectoral muscle Nov. 28 and hasn't played since. Prior to his injury, the Devils ranked first in the NHL on the power play (36.8 percent) in 20 games (10-9-1). Without him, they are 30th at 16.0 percent in 59 games (27-28-4). Goalie Vitek Vanecek (lower body, illness) had been out for 13 games when he was traded to the San Jose Sharks on March 8, and forward Nathan Bastian (23 games; lower body) remains out. Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (foot, upper body) missed 25 games, and defenseman Brendan Smith (knee) missed 10. Center Jack Hughes (upper body) was sidelined twice totaling 16 games before it was announced Tuesday that he'd miss the final four games and have shoulder surgery.  Forwards Timo Meier (13 games; lower body, mid-body), Nico Hischier (11, upper body) and Nosek (31, broken foot) also missed significant time.

Goalie carousel: New Jersey has used five goalies this season, two short of the team record of seven set in 2021-22. Vanecek, who was traded for Kahkonen, had a 3.18 GAA and .890 save percentage in 32 games. He never regained the confidence he had last season when he won nine of his first 12 games and set NHL bests with a 2.45 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 52 games. Daws (.894 save percentage in 21 games) and Schmid (.895 save percentage in 19 games) bounced between the NHL and Utica of the American Hockey League. Kahkonen, who has the Devils' only shutout this season, is 1-3-0 with a 2.92 GAA and .918 save percentage in five starts since joining the Devils. Jake Allen, acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on March 8, is 5-5-1 with a 2.86 GAA and .911 save percentage in 11 games with New Jersey. The Devils have allowed 271 goals, fourth-most in the NHL. Since the start of the 2020-21 season, they've used 12 goalies.

Reasons for optimism

Blue line bookends: Rookie defensemen Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec have proven they can be fixtures for the future. Hughes, the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, has 45 points (nine goals, 36 assists) in 79 games, the most by a rookie defenseman since the franchise relocated to New Jersey in 1982. He leads NHL rookie defensemen in goals, points, power-play goals (four) and power-play points (23) while averaging 21:26 of ice time. Nemec, the No. 2 selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, is third among rookie defensemen in blocked shots (102), fourth in points (19) and fifth in assists (16). He is averaging 19:57 of ice time in 57 games.

Captain courageous: Hischier, New Jersey's captain, has 65 points (27 goals, 38 assists) in 68 games, his third straight 60-point season. He also won 56.9 percent of his face-offs, his best total in seven NHL seasons. He was a finalist last season for the Selke Trophy, awarded to the best defensive forward in the NHL, and it seems like a matter of time until he wins it. The center had two goals and an assist in his most memorable game this season, a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Feb. 17. Hischier led Devils forwards in ice time (22:05) and won 18 of 29 face-offs (62.1 percent) in his first NHL outdoor game.

Forward thinking:  The Devils have plenty to get excited about when it comes to their forward group. They have five players with 20 or more goals this season: Jack Hughes (27), Jesper Bratt (25), Timo Meier (25), Dawson Mercer (20) and Hischier (27). Bratt scored 25-plus goals and 70-plus points for a third straight season; he has 79 points (25 goals, 54 assists) and 25 power-play points (six goals) while averaging 19:12 in ice time in 79 games. Hughes has topped 25-plus goals and 55-plus points a third straight season; he has 74 points (27 goals, 47 assists), 31 power-play points (nine goals) and averaged 20:58 of ice time in 62 games.