Written By Neil Villapiano
The 2023-24 season is just around the corner for the New Jersey Devils. With rookies reporting to camp this Wednesday and the veterans reporting next week, we are finally going to see the team play hockey again. Coming off of a historic season in which the team returned to postseason hockey and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, expectations are very high for this New Jersey team. With the start of camp also comes storylines; this club certainly has some interesting ones. Here are three to keep your eyes on heading into next week.
1. Young Guys Fighting for Roster Spots
The Devils' roster, for the most part, is pretty much set. The top six have been established, but there is some potential for guys to earn the bottom six minutes. When it comes to who will be competing for those spots, there are a few names. The first is Alexander Holtz. The former first-round pick has yet to become a full-time NHL player as well as live up to the hype of his draft position.
The Devils have made it clear to the Swedish-born winger that this camp is a make-it-or-break-it position for him. He still possesses the skills to be a very dangerous offensive player, but he needs to work more on getting his overall game polished. It will be interesting to see where head coach Lindy Ruff puts him in the lineup during the preseason.
The other young players to watch out for are Nolan Foote and Graeme Clarke. With Foote, the Devils have a guy who physically fits more of what you would want from a bottom-six forward. At 6'3" and 191 pounds, the forward can use his body and be an energy guy. He also can provide some scoring as well. In 19 career NHL games, Foote has tallied five goals and seven points. He's a kid that general manager Tom Fitzgerald has praised when he talks about a product of New Jersey's development team.
As for Graeme Clarke, he's more of an under-the-radar prospect. Since being drafted in 2019, the right winger has yet to make his NHL debut. He has however had a ton of success developing in the AHL. In 151 minor league games, Clarke has a total of 43 goals and 100 points. He's coming off a year in which he set a career-high in goals (25), assists (33), and points (58). He's gotten progressively better each season which again is in part to the development team. He's mainly a goal scorer and he'll have to showcase that off a bunch if he wants to make the team out of training camp.
2. The Goaltending
The biggest area of question for the Devils heading into the season is the men between the pipes. Despite becoming just the second goalie in franchise history to win 30 or more games in a season, Vitek Vanecek was incredibly disappointing in the postseason. In seven games played, the Czechia-born netminder posted a rough 1-3 record, a 4.64 GAA, and a .825 SV%. Vanecek's track record in the playoffs has not been good and has made many very worried about relying on him when the stakes are raised. He'll have the chance to prove the doubters wrong and he'll need to if New Jersey wants to take another step towards Stanley Cup glory.
Then, there's Akira Schmid. The 23-year-old came onto the scene in the middle of the regular season and was very successful. What stood out was his phenomenal performance in the Devils' seven-game series win vs. the New York Rangers in the 1st round of last year's playoffs. In five games, Schmid posted a 4-1 record, a 1.38 GAA, and a .951 SV%. He also earned two shutouts including one in Game 7 to vanquish the Hudson River rivals and advance to the second round. However, things did not go well for him vs. the Carolina Hurricanes.
He ended up getting shelled in the first two games of the series and didn't play again until Game 5 in which the season came to a sad end in overtime of that game. Schmid comes into this season with a chance to play a full year in the NHL. He is another product of great development and has improved a ton each year. He has the build and makeup to be the franchise goaltender. The question for him though is whether is he truly ready to become the #1 guy. Only time will tell.
3. What to Make of Luke Hughes and Šimon Nemec?
Sticking with youth, the back end of the Devils will look different. After losing Damon Severson and Ryan Graves to free agency, some spots on the team's defense need to be filled. New Jersey brought in veterans such as Colin Miller this offseason to reapply for some experience. However, there will be a bit of a youth movement as well. The two guys that stand out are two of the last three first-round picks of the Devils. Those two are Luke Hughes and Šimon Nemec.
For Hughes, the expectations are pretty high. He was called up late in the season and immediately made an impact. He not only got his first two points but his first goal and game-winning overtime goal in just two regular season contests. He followed that up with two points in three playoff games. It's clear that the talent is there and the excitement around the 20-year-old defenseman is through the roof. However, he will certainly go through growing pains during what will officially be his first season in the NHL. Nonetheless, the youngest of the Hughes brothers is fully ready for the opportunity.
As for Nemec, it's not as clear. That has nothing to do with skills. In his first season in North America last year, the Slovak native finished with 12 goals and 34 points. His performance was good enough to be named to the inaugural AHL Top Prospects Team. Nemec has the tools to become a top defenseman for New Jersey and in the NHL. When he makes it to the NHL is the question. It's looking more and more likely that the Devils will want Nemec to play another year with the Utica Comets and continue developing. That being said, it's still possible he could break out in camp and become a staple on the back end in 2023-24.
There will be a ton to keep your eyes on once training camp gets underway. The wait is almost over Devils fans. Get excited!
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