Metro Division Rivals: New Jersey Devils Revamp
By Frank Walker
One of the Columbus Blue Jackets Metro Division rivals, the New Jersey Devils, have had an eventful offseason. Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello stepped down. This massive development in the changing of direction for a franchise that still needs to name a coach is of obvious importance to Blue Jacket fans as they will have to compete with the New Jersey Devils for playoff positions in the years to come.
To anyone who has followed hockey over the last thirty years Lamoriello’s name was synonymous with Devil’s hockey. He coached the team on several occasions and was the franchise’s leader through their three Stanley Cups and four conference championships.
Lamoriello made it clear on the conference call that it was his call to be replaced with Ray Shero. Shero is a very interesting choice to step in as Devils general manager. Ray Shero’s one stint as a general manager in the NHL was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. While he did win a Stanley Cup in that role there are questions as to his ability to build a team. As a first time GM he had the envious circumstances of starting with Sidney Crosby on the roster. In the years since the Penguins had won the Stanley Cup it could be argued that the decisions that Shero made contributed to the Penguins becoming worse and not better.
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The major inhibitor for Ray Shero is the lack of high end talent that he is inheriting. The situation in New Jersey currently is that there are a few good young defensemen, a group of forwards who have already seen their best playing days, and a goaltender who will be a good starter for the team for years to come. The high and low in this is that the goaltender is the best player on the team. Being set at goalie means you have a lot less to worry about to start. The issue is that there are few blue chip players on the Devils who can be traded for picks and kick start a rebuild. This team will have to be built through the draft with a piece dropped in here and there in free agency.
With the combination of having to start over from scratch without a top three pick in this year’s draft it will take a few years for the New Jersey Devils to return to the playoffs. When it is also factored in that the Devils have to compete with the Rangers (Presidents’ Trophy winner), Islanders, Penguins (they still have Crosby and Malkin), the Capitals, the Flyers (Ed Snyder will not be out spent) and the Columbus Blue Jackets for four playoff spots each season I think it will be a long rebuild in Newark.