New Jersey Devils Players Still Have Plenty Left to Prove Before Season's End

The New Jersey Devils may be out of the playoff race (12 points out of the last playoff spot with 12 games to go), but that in no way means that what happens the rest of the season is inconsequential. 

With the team in perhaps its most obvious state of transition in 20 years, some players must use this opportunity to prove to general manager and interim coach Lou Lamoriello that they still belong in New Jersey.

Others are certain to still be with the Devils when the 2015-16 season begins, but they can use the last 12 games of this season to start solidifying a significant role with next year's team.

At each position, the story is different, but there is no doubt that there is much at stake for many New Jersey Devils before the season draws to a close.

Goaltenders

Between the pipes, Cory Schneider has already proven himself.

He has a 1.74 goals against average and a .943 save percentage in 2015. There is no doubt that Schneider has carried the Devils during the second half of the season.

In fact, CJ Turtoro at InLouWeTrust.com recently compared Schneider and the Devils to Vezina and Hart front-runner Carey Price and the NHL-leading Montreal Canadiens. He found the teams are actually not that far apart in terms of advanced statistics, and Price is in large part carrying that team to success. 

Given Schneider's play in the second half of the season, Turtoro concluded:

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I wouldn't be shocked if [the Devils] undeservedly made the playoffs next year riding on Schneider's back. [They] would be quickly dispatched by a team that is head and tails better than [them] in the first round, but goalies can carry teams. It's happening in Montreal right now.

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Clearly then, Schneider's place is secure.

It seems reasonable to assume that Keith Kinkaid's spot as the team's backup goalie is safe, as well. His 2.56 goals against average and his save percentage is .915, and both are right around the league average.

For a backup goalie on a mediocre team, those numbers are more than acceptable.

Defensemen

There are two categories of defensemen that need to prove themselves for next season.

First, there are the less talented, older players who will be fighting for a spot on the team. Assuming that Bryce Salvador retires or departs after this season, the two players that fall into this category are Peter Harrold and Mark Fraser.

Harrold started the season in the Devils organization, playing 13 games with the team's AHL affiliate in Albany before being called up at the end of November. Harrold played 17 games in the playoffs for the Devils in their run to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final and has since played 95 games over three seasons.

There is nothing flashy about Harrold's play, but former coach Peter DeBoer found his serviceable play valuable. The new coaching staff appears to think of him similarly, as he has actually played regularly as a fourth-line winger over the last few weeks.

Fraser returned to the Devils after a difficult 2013-14 season split between Toronto and Edmonton. He signed an AHL contract with the Albany Devils in November and played his first game with New Jersey on Jan. 3. He has been regularly included in the lineup since then.

Both players have provided some level of value to the Devils this season, but neither is a talented enough player to have a definite spot in next year's team. A noteworthy final 12 games would go a long way toward earning either player a chance to be in 2015-16's opening day lineup.

The fate of the players in the first category also depends on what happens with the players in the second category, defensemen New Jersey would like to keep, but may have to trade to acquire offensive talent.

Andy Marlin/Getty Images

In this category, the Devils have Adam Larsson, Damon Severson, Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas. I have elected to exclude Andy Greene from this discussion, as I cannot see Lamoriello being willing to part with his most talented, reliable and experienced defensemen, particularly given the youth in the rest of the defense corps.

Larsson, 22, has had a breakout season, working his way up to the team's top defense pairing with Greene. He has 18 assists, which leads Devils defensemen, and has played less than 20 minutes in only one game during 2015. 

Severson, 20, started the season on New Jersey's top defense pairing. Even though he missed 31 games with an ankle injury this season, he still has 15 points.

Merrill, 23, has suffered from a bit of a sophomore slump, but he remains a viable second-pairing defenseman.

Gelinas, 23, is the biggest goal scoring threat of the bunch but has failed to impress management with his play in his own end. 

Each player certainly has talent and could be a significant contributor for New Jersey in the future, but the Devils need goal scorers and may have to sell a few assets to acquire them.

With an abundance of young defensemen in New Jersey and Albany, if the Devils have to sell, it will be from this position.

So, the last 12 games of the season provide a platform for these young defensemen to prove not only that they should be significant factors next season, but that they also are too valuable to trade away. The Devils will hope that all four players impress for the rest of the season, driving up the trade value of which player or players they might choose to deal.

Forwards

Though New Jersey has few goal scorers, the team still has plenty of forwards with something to prove before the season ends. 

Established veterans Patrik Elias and Dainius Zubrus have had difficult seasons, but they still have one year remaining on their contracts. For both players, strong play over the team's last 12 games could help secure a place on one of the team's top three lines for next season.

Scott Gomez and Jordin Tootoo both contributed to the Devils in an unexpectedly significant way this season. Both players also have one-year contracts, so continued strong play would help Gomez and Tootoo either secure a place in New Jersey next season or increase interest from other organizations.

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The bottom six forwards Stephen Gionta, Jacob Josefson and Tuomo Ruutu each are relatively secure in their places on the team for now, but if the Devils do add offensive talent, some forwards currently playing regularly will have to be benched, released or sent down to make room for them.

Strong play as the 2014-15 season draws to a close will help these three make sure that they are not the victims of such moves.

In truth, the effects of the final games of this season will be somewhat unknown until Lamoriello begins his offseason moves. Tom Gulitti of the Fire and Ice Blog reported Lamoriello has said the Devils "have to get a couple of offensive forwards," but how this affects individual players will be unclear until the moves are made.

Still, it is clear the Devils need to make changes, and Lamoriello is ready and willing to make moves when the right ones appear. So, many New Jersey players still have plenty to prove to the Devils' boss before the season ends.

Those that do well will have the inside track to staying in New Jersey with significant roles for next season.

Those that do not may find themselves on the way out of Newark.