Travis Zajac Is Making His Return Tonight, And The Devils Are Much Better Off Because Of It11/16/2017
"Ugh, Travis Zajac? And in the top six?!? But he doesn't even score 25 goals a season or require a particular set of circumstances or linemates to properly play his two-way game in all three zones! Plus, he makes $5.7 million dollars (of money that is most definitely not mine) per year and all he does is win puck battles, win face-offs, win the respect and adoration of his teammates, and provide the stability of a proven defensive presence at a position that currently lacks it. In the grand scheme of things, what's that really worth anyway...", said the idiot. Look, I know the New Jersey Devils don't have an embarrassment of riches up front, but I'll be damned if returning the anchor of the only line that was worth a damn last season to a team that's burning out the bulb on their goal light doesn't make this team feel like the 80's Oilers in comparison to the '16 Devils. Consider how many seasons have gone by in which scoring a goal probably felt like stumbling upon a $10 bill during The Great Depression, and you can't honestly tell me that adding Travis Zajac to a lineup that finally has a primary concern that perfectly fits his skill set doesn't feel like a blessing. With Mirco Mueller going under the knife and New Jersey leaning so heavily on their goaltending, the impending return of a trustworthy center whose capable of shutting down the best players in the league probably makes Cory Schneider feel like the wife of a recovering alcoholic whose getting ready for a long overdue girls' night. If not for what he brings to the team defensively then for the fact that he serves as another lightning rod with which to share the undeserved criticism of his own fanbase. Hooray! In all seriousness, this young roster (specifically Nico Hischier) can and will learn a lot from a guy that has always led by example in playing the game the right way. More importantly, the fact that he can easily be moved up and down said roster while remaining effective in almost all the areas in which the Devils are currently struggling makes him an asset that can't be judged simply by statistics. Hopefully that will be made clearer now that New Jersey doesn't appear to be in desperate need of those statistics.
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