5 New Jersey Devils Who Need A Bounce-Back Season

The New Jersey Devils were bad again last season. It was another season where everything seemed to go wrong. Okay, not everything. Honestly, the season before was much worse for the future of the franchise. Jack Hughes looked really good at times last season, and that was as important as anything. However, the losses kept piling up. The game wasn’t too exciting on the ice. Things just didn’t seem to work after a COVID-19 breakout early in the season.

This season, the expectations are different. The Devils added Dougie Hamilton in the offseason, and he’s changing what people think of the team by himself. The Devils also added Jonathan Bernier, Ryan Graves, Tomas Tatar, and a few young players that could have this team building expectations for its fans.

However, there are some players on the roster that haven’t lived up to expectations or a player that is coming off a bad season. They need to come in with a bounce-back season in the worst way. Some are going into contract years, and others are trying not to get lost in the shuffle with other prospects getting closer to NHL ready.

This season is very important for many members of the Devils. The coaches are facing crucial seasons as they try to show their historically bad special teams from last season were a one off. There are seven players who are expected to be in the starting lineup that are in contract years. There is a lot to prove this season, and these five players really need to prove last year was the exception, not the rule.