Belarus' forward Yegor Sharangovich (Photo by GINTS IVUSKANS/AFP via Getty Images)
The New Jersey Devils had a big surprise on the NHL roster last season when some of the young players stepped up. There was hope that veterans like Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, P.K. Subban, and Nikita Gusev would help them at least stay competitive. It worked out pretty terribly. Two of them ended up traded after disappointing years, one was unceremoniously cut, and the other played better but not to the point the Devils defense was something to behold.
In fact, it wasn’t the veterans who helped this team at all.