New Jersey Devils left wing Miles Wood (44): (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
This title might scare some people, but wait just a minute before reacting. The New Jersey Devils shouldn’t put Miles Wood in the top six. They could, but it’s not the best decision for the team. It would be much better to try someone like Alexander Holtz or Nolan Foote next to Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier over Miles Wood. We already know what Wood can do on the top line. He’s been there at the end of the season for the past two seasons.
For the majority of last season, head coach Lindy Ruff found magic with Wood, Michael McLeod, and Nathan Bastian. They all helped each other get the best professional season out of each other.
Bastian was taken in the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft, so that line is no more. Ruff and the rest of the Devils’ coaching staff will have a decision to make whether they go into next season keeping McLeod and Wood together, or if they are starting from scratch.
Wood could play on any line. However, if he can contribute to the bottom six like he did last season, he will make a huge impact on the overall offensive identity of the team. Wood is at his best when he’s taking advantage of the other team’s mistakes. His speed is well known. His ability to catch the other team napping is where he makes other teams pay with his speed.
Wood has an important role as one of the veterans on the team this season. He will be 26 years old at the start of next season. That means only Tomas Tatar and Andreas Johnsson are older than him amongst the forwards. He needs to show he can be someone who can drive the team when they need a goal or need a stop. He was much better at staying out of the penalty box last season, so hopefully, he can keep that trend going. He only had 29 penalty minutes in 55 regular-season games.
Wood should play on the bottom six still. He is really good at what he does, but what he does is at its best when he is playing less than top-line minutes. Wood should be a threat that makes teams think twice about playing matchups. He could mimic his offensive numbers next season if things hit right.
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August 30, 2021 at 06:17PM
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New Jersey Devils: Miles Wood Could Really Go Anywhere In Lineup - Pucks and Pitchforks
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