Jack Hughes Says The Devils Need To Be More Physical

The New Jersey Devils have an issue this year when it comes to being physical, not only in the offensive zone but their defensive zone. Jack Hughes was not shy to call it like it is after the Devils 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday night.

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“They played physical, and we didn’t match that.… we just gotta be physical in our own way,” Jack Hughes said following the team’s loss on Saturday night.

This season, the Devils are lacking that physical presence on the ice. They just do not have that player anywhere on their roster. And you can clearly see teams like the Rangers, Capitals, Jets, and Avalance exploit that weakness. Especially the Avalanche, who pushed the Devils around without any issues.

Not saying Ryan Graves was the heaviest guy out there or Miles Wood was the next coming of Wayne Simmonds, but this roster is missing that type of player. Players like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are continuously getting hit. Nobody is stepping up to atone for those hits.

While Ondrej Palat has had his fair share of fights this season, he should not be the leader in penalty minutes. He was brought in to be a leader and scorer. Not a fight. Not to mention, the Devils do not have that player on defense as well. Kevin Bahl can be that player, but he has yet to show it on a consistent basis. We have seen him throw his weight around. The Devils saw it last year in the playoffs against the Rangers. It is there, but he has to do it on a consistent basis.

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The stat sheet says the Devils outhit the Rangers 29-23 in the game on Saturday, but everyone remembers the big game-changing hits by Jacob Trouba on Tomas Nosek and Vincent Trocheck on Alexander Holtz. And nobody really stepped up for those hits, either. The roster makeup is not there. It just is not.

So what do the Devils do? Well, general manager Tom Fitzgerald needs to find a way to address this situation in the AHL or atone for his mistake by not addressing it in the offseason and try to make a trade for someone who can add that physical presence but can also provide offseason.

Tom Wilson‘s name was out there until he re-signed in Washington. The problem is those players really do not exist in today’s NHL. Especially on offense, however, they could address their need for physicality on defense by acquiring either Nikita Zadorov or Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames.

Both Zadorov and Tanev’s names have been linked to the Devils. Each player brings that physical edge the Devils are lacking on defense. Both players are on expiring deals. However, the Devils are up against the salary cap like most teams are, and in order to get something, they will need to give up something to get one of these players.

Zadorov showed his physical game against the Toronto Maple Leafs with his hit on Tyler Bertuzzi. Besides bringing size, strength, and physicality, he is also a good bottom-four guy and a penalty-kill guy as well. He’s a better skater than expected, given his size, and he brings an element of versatility since the lefty can play left or right defense.

Tanev is a defensive defenceman, a player the Devils need to go alongside Luke Hughes. Similar to what we saw in Ottawa with Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot. Tanev is good in his own zone as a shutdown defender and is a solid penalty killer. In addition, he can block shots and stop zone entries. All of which the Devils are having problems with this season.

The Devils and Flames are no strangers. New Jersey acquired Tyler Toffoli to play alongside Jack Hughes in the offseason from Calgary for Yegor Sharangovich and a 3rd round pick. Again the Devils, like the Maple Leafs, and the Vancouver Canucks are in on these players.

Again the makeup of this team is not what it was last year; however, there is time to adjust it. But that time is running out.

The lack of physicality is an area of concern, and Jack Hughes knows it. He has seen it firsthand. And he knows the Devils have to get back to it, especially if they are going to start winning hockey games again.