What are the Stanley Cup playoff expectations for the New Jersey Devils?

Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna discuss the New Jersey Devils clinching a playoff birth and what the realistic expectations are heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Frank Seravalli: Let’s talk about the New Jersey Devils and the opportunity they have in front of them. They have officially clinched their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs over the weekend. This now brings the total in the Eastern Conference to three, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Devils and the Boston Bruins, who not a big deal have won seven straight. But when you look at the Devils and the job they have done to chase down the Hurricanes, the strides their young players have taken this year, and the way this team now looks with Timo Meier a part of their lineup, what do you view as a ceiling for the Devils and their playoff chances? What’s a realistic expectation to set for this Devils team as they enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a couple of weeks’ time? 

Mike McKenna: Well to be brutally honest, I don’t see them as being the true clear-cut favorites for the Stanley Cup. Could they make it to the Stanley Cup Final? Maybe. Eastern Conference Final to me is more realistic. You know, the Devils are possession monsters, they have plenty of skill like you said in the young talent. I think Fitzgerald has done an excellent job surrounding them with quality players, you bring in Timo Meier and you have a lot of playoff experience in a guy like Ondrej Palat who has started to catch his stride. Even Dougie Hamilton has a lot of playoff experience. But there are two things that make me nervous, I think the Devils are still one injury away on defense to making me really nervous, and you know how playoffs are, it’s rugged and hard hockey. Honestly, I’m not sure what’ll happen in net, Vitek Vanecek has never really been able to lock down a starting job, I thought Akira Schmid has played the best hockey in goal for them but he’s back in the American Hockey League as Mackenzie Blackwood has returned. So, Frank, I have questions in terms of defense and goaltending. But as good as they are offensively, as much as they possess the puck you can’t count them out, I think they could easily make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Winning a Stanley Cup this year seems a bit premature but I think that’s where they’re that.

Frank Seravalli: Personally, I think it’s way premature to even kind of be thinking or talking Stanley Cup with this New Jersey Devils team. Right now with what they have assembled, I think they’re the third-best team in their own division. I understand the injuries, I think the Canes are number one, and then I got the New York Rangers at number two, and I would put the Devils at three even though they will likely have home-ice advantage against the Rangers in what would be an amazing reboot of the Hudson River rivalry, something we could all get behind in the first round. I don’t know if they don’t have home ice if they’ll be entering as the favorites if they were to play the Canes or the Rangers. What do you say? 

Mike McKenna: Yeah, well I kind of agree. The Devils don’t generate as many goals as they should, they’re a bit below that. You look at the Rangers, they’re a big-time plus in goals above expected like they have game changers. Not that the Devils don’t, but at times they have struggled to score recently. I would have the Rangers above them, but not Carolina. I’d take the Devils over the Hurricanes.