Lichtenstein: Devils' Slump Calls For Shakeup From Shero

By Steve Lichtenstein
» More Columns

You know how everyone says that the Christmas season starts earlier every year? How stores now promote sales even before Thanksgiving week?

Well, I could see Devils general manager Ray Shero doing something similar in advance of the NHL's trading season. For if anything can be gleaned from his team's noncompetitive efforts over its last three games, it's that this configuration will not get the job done.

We may be only 28 games in, but New Jersey seems destined for its fifth consecutive non-playoff season. The club's 5-0 defeat -- the 10th (and seventh in regulation) in its last 13 games -- to the rival Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday further proved the Devils' inferiority when compared to the NHL's contending class.

This slump wouldn't be so concerning if the Devils resided in a less affluent neighborhood. Unfortunately, five members of the Metropolitan Division rank within the NHL's top seven teams in points. New Jersey is in sixth place in the division, but the seven-point deficit by which it trails Washington for the eighth and final postseason seed seems like miles of ground to make up.

Devils coach John Hynes and his players can point all they want to the team's "battle level" after these setbacks, but at some point Shero needs to review the weaponry that is doing the fighting.

He could only conclude that his roster is ripe for a shakeup.

For a team that was known for so many years as one that played it close to the vest, the Devils have been hemorrhaging goals, allowing a league-worst 50 over the last 13 games. Though they have increased their speed and skill up front this season, they are nowhere near productive enough to keep up with that pace.

This is not an indictment of the Taylor Hall trade. Though Shero's summer blockbuster cost New Jersey top pair defenseman Adam Larsson, Hall has played beyond Devils' fans dreams. The 25-year-old left wing is a threat to generate a scoring chance every time he is on the ice.

Shero, however, did not adequately fortify the back line to account for Larsson's departure. His plan called for smooth-skating 22-year-old Damon Sieve-rson, I mean Severson, to be Andy Greene's partner on the top pair, but Severson has often been ineffective in the net-front coverage and puck-clearing duties required of shutdown defensemen.

It's not just Severson who has been negligent. Veterans Ben Lovejoy and Kyle Quincey, both signed by Shero to free agent contracts over the summer, have also underperformed in the Devils' end. The Quincey/John Moore duo was on the ice for five straight goals against straddling the Devils' losses in Montreal (5-2) on Thursday and to St. Louis (4-1) on Friday, New Jersey's first regulation loss at Prudential Center this season.

There's not much Hynes can do tactically to coax better performances. He's playing the right guys -- forward Jacob Josefson and defenseman Jon Merrill had been deserving healthy scratches for most of this ragged run.

Hynes has tinkered with his line combinations, held players accountable, and hasn't been hesitant to call up young legs from Albany to try to stem the tide.

The Devils are getting almost nothing from all the forwards (Beau Bennett, Vern Fiddler, Devante Smith-Pelly, Sergey Kalinin and Josefson) Shero signed or re-signed in free agency over the summer. Preseason waiver claim P.A. Parenteau's output plateaued before he registered his first goal in 14 games against the Blues. While Kyle Palmieri's 200-foot game is still commendable, he is far off the pace from the 30 goals he contributed last season to earn a new five-year contract. Only Hall, Travis Zajac and Mike Cammalleri have produced to expectations.

No, this is Shero's mess to fix.

With over $9 million in salary cap space at his disposal and certain clubs concerned about protecting all of their assets from next summer's expansion draft, Shero certainly has some options when it comes to potential partners for deals.

However, as much as I'm rooting for Shero to be proactive in making improvements, that hasn't been his style, the Hall trade notwithstanding.

The more likely scenario is that the Devils will again be sellers. They've already rolled out the free sample, as left wing Reid Boucher, who often played with Zajac and Palmieri on the Devils' top line last season, was waived and claimed by Nashville at the beginning of December.

What's next? It's tough to say given the low values that would be attributed to many of their assets based on their feeble performances to date. I would keep an ear to rumors regarding Cammalleri. Though he is 34 with two more years at a hefty $5 million charge per season on his contract, Cammalleri recently tallied nine goals in an eight-game span. That was surely noted by the more offensively-challenged contenders. Plus, he has playoff experience.

Shero didn't throw in the towel last season until he dealt Lee Stempniak at the Feb. 29 deadline. As the Devils' losses mount during this grueling holiday slate, I expect shopping season to begin somewhat sooner this go-around.

For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Jets and the NHL, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1