Aside from the eternal optimists, most fans can agree that the New Jersey Devils are not going to be primetime contenders in 2015-16. The offense has continued to sputter out of control since the loss of Zach Parise in 2012. The defense is still a work in progress even though it shows great promise. The only strength of the team is goaltending which will not be a concern until Cory Schneider starts slowing down – many years away.
More realistically, this team is about to ice one of its worst rosters in 20 years with a new general manager, rookie coach and entirely new coaching staff at the NHL level with one exception (goaltending coach Chris Terreri).