The Devils did more to re-shape their team via trade this summer than they did any other way. Will the Personnel Changes Made This Summer Pay Off? He may be the most irreplaceable player on the team this year, and if he struggles to stay healthy (or multiple key players go down for long periods of time) then 2022-23 might wind up being a repeat of 2021-22. A player of his skill level who contributes at the pace he does can’t be replaced if the Devils hope to turn things around starting this season, they will need Hughes to miss few to no games. While he missed a team high 33 games, Hughes still managed to finish third on the team in points and tied for the lead in goal scoring. No quality player was missed more however than Jack Hughes. Dougie Hamilton missing 20 games was another big blow, and while Damon Severson filled in admirably as the #1 RD, it weakened the team’s depth to be missing a player of Hamilton’s quality. Nico Hischier’s 12 games out of the lineup might not seem like much, but considering the minutes and matchups he plays, that’s a huge hole. While some players only missed a few games, such as Jesper Bratt, there were some that missed hefty chunks of the season. The Devils weren’t the most injured team in the NHL last season, but they did see stretches of the season where they were missing key members of the team. Can the Devils (and Jack Hughes in Particular) Stay Healthy This Season? Today, we take a look at three issues for the 2022-23 Devils team as well as some hypothetical answers when possible. While a number of questions surrounding the team were answered during the summer, there are still some questions/narratives that continue to be brought up. We are now under a week away for New Jersey Devils rookies reporting for training camp and under two weeks away from veteran players joining team.
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