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2023 New Jersey Devils Predictions with Futures Odds and Expert NHL Picks

by Ryan Cobbett - 9/29/2023

New Jersey Devils predictions Vitek Vanecek

Summary of last season

The New Jersey Devils finished just one point behind Hurricanes as they finished second in the Metro Division with 112 points. New Jersey was able to do this thanks to their elite road performance. Sixty of the 112 team points came while on the road. A lot of their success came through due to a great offensive approach. The Devils would net the fourth most goals as a team last season and carried a +65-goal differential into the playoffs. However, their season ended after Caroline mopped the floor with them, winning the series in five games.

Jack Hughes led the team in points with 99, as the budding star scored 43 goals and notched 56 assists. Nico Hischier, Dougie Hamilton, and Jesper Bratt would all exceed the 70-point mark with Hischier also reaching 80. There were six Devils that tallied 20 or more goals last season. G Vitek Vanecek was incredible for New Jersey last season as he went 33-11-4 allowing just 2.45 GA/G with a .911 SV%.

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Seasons come and go, so now it’s time to take a look at what we can expect from the New Jersey Devils in 2023-24:

Key Additions/Losses

C Jesper Boqvist (21 points), LW Miles Wood (27 points), and D Ryan Graves (26 points) all signed elsewhere depleting the depth a bit, but there was no bigger departure than when LW Tomas Tatar (48 points) signed with Colorado. New Jersey was active in the trade market as well, trading away D Damon Severson (33 points) to Colombus and G Makenzie Blackwood (22 games played) to San Jose.

However, they would bring in D Collin Miller, who posted 21 points with Dallas last season, as well as F Tyler Toffoli from Calgary. Toffoli notched 73 points for the Flames last season. Unfortunately, New Jersey had to send C Yegor Sharangovich (30 points) to Calgary in the deal.

The Devils would also sign F Tomas Nosek, who recorded 18 points with Boston last season, to help replenish some of the depth lost.

X-Factor

Tyler Toffoli- Toffoli will team up with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt to form one of the best top lines in the NHL. All three have the potential to find the back of the net, and they will be able to make creative plays and confuse the opponent. Toffoli notched 34 goals and 39 assists a year ago, making him an incredible asset to complement Hughes.

Goalie Outlook

Vitek Vanecek is back as the starting netminder, with Akira Schmid (who took over for Vanecek in the playoffs last season) back as the next guy up. Schmid had some success in limited time last season as he appeared in 18 games, allowing just 2.13 GA/G and a stellar .922 SV%. This is a good tandem that will be a strength for this team. If their top two lines don’t take the night off, and whoever is in the net can be average, the Devils will win a lot of games. And to take the pressure off, these two goalies are far better than average.

Grade: A

Key Schedule Stretch

January 11th- January 27th- Of the nine games in this stretch, just three are at home and two of those opponents are Dallas and Vegas. They will also be taking trips to Tampa Bay (twice), Florida, Boston, and Carolina. The only cupcake matches in this stretch are a home game against Montreal and a trip to Columbus. That means they will take on seven gauntlets and five of them will be on the road.

Notable Odds

*DraftKings

Stanley Cup Champions - +900

Conference Winner - +550

Division Winner - +240

Hart Trophy- Jack Hughes- +1800

Prediction

There will be a lot of eyes on Toronto and Carolina this season, but the Devils could sneak into the picture for the top team in the Eastern Conference. Their top two lines showcase incredible offensive potential, while their netminders forecast to be as reliable as any. OT games may stretch the limits a bit with unproven depth, and they may not repeat their road success from last season, but this team will finish second in the Metro again this season and be tough to put out of the playoffs.

Over 107.5 Team Total Points

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