BLOG: Defensive Alignment

NEWARK, N.J. -The biggest lineup shuffle over the weekend for the Devils occurred on the backend. The Devils traded Dmitry Kulikov to Edmonton for a 2022 conditional fourth-round pick and Sami Vatanen was claimed on waivers by Dallas.
That created two holes in the Devils' blue line. Defenseman Will Butcher was reinserted into the lineup for the past two games. The 26-year-old has appeared in 10 games this season for the Devils. Before getting back into the lineup Sunday against Pittsburgh, Butcher had been a healthy scratch since March 6.
"We have a Butcher here that can step in the lineup and play," Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said. "We've got a guy on the offensive side. In Vatanen's case, he was involved a little bit more on the offense where Butcher can take over."

The other insertion for the Devils, a likely successor to Kulikov, is the newly acquired Jonas Siegenthaler, who came from Washington for a 2021 third-round pick Sunday afternoon. The 23-year-old had only played in eight games this season. He appeared in just one game (March 11) since Feb. 4 until making his Devils' debut Tuesday night against the NY Rangers, despite only having participated in one morning skate with the team.
"Caught a little bit between how Washington plays and how we play, which is totally understandable," Ruff said of Siegenthaler's first game in New Jersey. "But overall I thought he adjusted to the game. We put him in a tough situation and we got him through it."

The only wrinkle that the team had to be decided was which Devils' defenseman would play on his weakside. Four of the team's Top-6 blueliners are left-handed - Ty Smith, Ryan Murray, Siegenthaler, Butcher - and two are right-handed - P.K. Subban, Damon Severson.
Ruff would prefer to use a balanced defense with three lefties and three righties. However, circumstances are what they are.
"I think in today's game with the pressure you're under and breaking pucks out and coming up ice in your transition game, I like having the lefty-righty," he said of a pairing. "There are some lefties or some righties that can handle playing the off-side. It takes a little bit more skill and ability, because once you're trapped on your backhand it's a harder play to make.
"In an ideal world I'm a fan of three left, three right. But with many of the teams I've had, I've been doubled up with lefties."
The Devils used the following pairings in Tuesday's game:
Smith-Subban
Murray-Severson
Siegenthaler-Butcher
Butcher drew the straw of playing on his off-side, which makes sense given his skillset. The Siegenthaler-Butcher pairing wasn't a surprise.
However, using Smith with Subban was a little more interesting. Both are obviously the best offensively gifted blueliners on the team. The Devils could have split them to have some balance, but instead went with a top-heavy approach. And Ruff liked what he saw in their first game together.
"I thought that pair played very well," Ruff said. "They moved the puck well. I thought our whole group moved the puck well. But I'm looking for a twosome that can defend against anybody and create some offense. I thought I got a little bit of both of that."