Devils relying on Blackwood, draft picks after season ends

The New Jersey Devils will not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh time in the past eight seasons

The Devils (28-29-12) were not among the 24 teams to make the Qualifying Round or Seeding Round Robin when the NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on May 26.

Here is a look at what happened during the 2019-20 season for the Devils and why things could be better next season:

The Skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents:Fredrik Claesson, D; Dakota Mermis, D; Kevin Rooney, F

Potential restricted free agents:Joey Anderson, F;Mackenzie Blackwood, G; Jesper Bratt, F; Nick Merkley, F; Mirco Mueller, D

Potential 2020 NHL Draft picks: 8

What went wrong

Slow start:The Devils could not overcome an 0-4-2 start when they were 0-for-18 on the power play and outscored 27-13. After taking a 4-0 lead against the Winnipeg Jets in the season opener at Prudential Center on Oct. 5, the Devils lost 5-4 in a shootout. New Jersey went 2-5-3 in October and 7-7-1 in November and was 15th in the Eastern Conference on Dec. 1.

Goaltending:Cory Schneider never seemed to return to the level he needed to for a young Devils team after he left the first game of the season because of cramping/dehydration. He was 0-6-1 with a 4.65 goals-against average and .852 save percentage in nine games and was assigned to Binghamton of the American Hockey League on two occasions before getting his first win of the season Feb. 25. It took Blackwood, a rookie goalie, some time before finally settling in as the starter.

Offensive failure:The big names acquired in the offseason didn't produce early. After a 7-1 loss at the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 2 that led to the firing of coach John Hynes a day later, forward Jack Hughes, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 24 games. Forward Nikita Gusev, acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 29, scored 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 23 games, forward Wayne Simmonds, who signed a one-year contract on July 1, scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 26 games and defenseman P.K. Subban, acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators on June 22, scored five points (two goals, three assists) and no power-play points in 26 games.

Reasons for optimism

Blackwood in goal:The 23-year-old earned the right to begin next season as a starting goalie for the first time in his NHL career. He eliminated any doubt with his play over the second half this season when Schneider was in Binghamton, exhibiting maturity and ability in tough situations. Blackwood led rookie goalies in wins (22), starts (43), saves (1,328) and shots against (1,452). He had a 2.77 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and three shutouts in 47 games.

Draft picks, prospects on horizon:Since taking over as general manager after Ray Shero was fired on Jan. 12, Tom Fitzgerald traded pending unrestricted free agent defensemen Andy Greene (New York Islanders) and Sami Vatanen (Carolina Hurricanes), pending UFA forward Simmonds (Buffalo Sabres), forward Blake Coleman (Tampa Bay Lightning) and pending UFA goalie Louis Domingue (Vancouver Canucks), and acquired a first-round pick in the 2020 or 2021 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in 2021, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2020, a conditional fifth-round pick in 2021, and five players, including forward prospects Nolan Foote and Janne Kuokkanen.

Help on the way:New Jersey could have three first-round picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, and Hughes likely will be as determined as ever after enduring one of the toughest seasons of his career (21 points in 61 games). The Devils also have forwards Michael McLeod (No. 12 in 2016 NHL Draft), Video: LAK@NJD: Gusev fires one-timer by Peterson (No. 36 in 2017 NHL Draft), Foote, Kuokkanen and defenseman Ty Smith (No. 17 in 2018 NHL Draft), who will battle for ice time next season. Veteran forwards Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri, and young maturing forward Nico Hischier, will supply the leadership.