Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, but I think the Devils are happy to see that October is over and November is here. The Devils are off to their worst start in over two decades with a 3-8-1 record. This is unacceptable for a team that is expected to win the Stanley Cup year after year. Memories of their first period in the season opener against Dallas are probably long gone as a result of their struggles. The question now is, what would have been of the Devils had Ilya Kovalchuk actually made it 3-0 instead of hitting the post? They probably would be on a roll and their record might be 8-3-1 instead. Moments after hitting the post, Dallas cut the lead to 2-1 and their struggles began from there.
Salary Cap and Injury Problems also added to the Devils struggles. The Devils had Kovalchuk locked up since September 4th, so Lou Lamoriello had a lot of time to make a trade, but decided to wait until training camp was over. However midway through the preseason defenseman Bryce Salvador suffered a concussion and it gave the Devils minor cap relief. During the Capitals 7-2 rout of the Devils, Anton Volchenkov and Brian Rolston suffered injuries and it forced the Devils to ice a line-up with only 16 skaters. Since then, Matt Corrente, Jacob Josefson, Mark Fraser and now the face of the Devils, Zach Parise could miss significant time. The Devils are 0-4-1 at home and hopefully they can finally get one home win this Friday against the Rangers.
If Parise misses significant time, the Devils can possibly learn from 2 years ago, when Marty Brodeur was out 4 months and the Devils united as a team as a result. When Marty first got hurt, the Devils struggled for two weeks before coming together and became the best defensive team in the league. If the Devils cannot score with Parise and Kovalchuk in the line-up it cannot get any worse. It might be time for certain Devils to step up their play and not rely on Ilya. We shall see what November will bring, but it will certainly tell the tale of the Devils season.
The Devils have not missed the playoffs since 1996, but in this new NHL missing the playoffs for a year or two might not be a bad thing. Before the lockout, veteran teams thrived and youth was not emphasized as much. In this new NHL it is all about marketing youth and veterans are struggling to find their grooves. The veterans only have to lead their teams, but its youth putting up points. All the teams that are thriving now, struggled in the years leading up to the lockout. This is all due to high draft picks and youth development. Here are some examples of the Stanley Cup Champs since lockout:
2006: Carolina Hurricanes
Before Lockout playoff year: 2002
Franchise Turning Point: Drafting Eric Staal in 2003 and Cam Ward in 2002
2007: Anaheim Ducks
Before Lockout Playoff Year: 2003 (Lost to Devils in Stanley Cup Finals in 7 games)
Franchise Turning Point: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, signing Scott Niedermayer
2008: Detroit Red Wings
-This was the first pre-lockout dominant team winning the cup in the new NHL.
2009: Pittsburgh Penguins
-They have not made the playoffs since 2001 before the lockout and made the playoffs in every year since 2007 by developing youth like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury
2010: Chicago Blackhawks:
-Missed Playoffs almost every year before lockout, but the drafting of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, singing Marian Hossa led them to the cup win.
So, for the Devils they might want to think about this and say, maybe it is good for them to miss the playoffs and get a top draft pick, which could turn their franchise around. Teams like Washington with Ovechkin are close to getting over the hump. Edmonton with Taylor Hall, Magnus Pajarvii and Jordan Eberle and the NY Islanders with John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey are close to breaking out of their funks. The Devils have Parise and Kovalchuk, but they need another youngster who can help.
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